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© 2026 Slingin' Shoes
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Lively discussions about the run specialty business.
18 Episodes
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Mark and Chris explore two very different stores: The Loop Running Supply in Austin, Texas and Whirlaway Sports in Methuen, Massachusetts. Ryan Hess from The Loop discusses his "new age running store," which blends the style and innovation of a fashion sneaker boutique with the community outreach and customer service of a running store. Ryan gives the scoop on the store's brand collaboration strategy and how he has pioneered brands such as Satisfy and Pleasures. Ryan Kowal is a second-generat...
Co-hosts Mark Sullivan and Chris Farley battle the elements to bring you an interview with store owner Karen Roberts and Social Media Marketing Manager Erica Barrera of Get Fit in Amarillo, Texas. The duo discusses how their social media marketing has helped grow the store to $3 million in annual sales. And Karen shares her plans to open a second store this month. Tune in for an educational, entertaining listen.
Eric Fruth, co-owner of Columbus Running Company, shares his three-leg stool philosophy: Retail, Races and Social and Training programs, and how they work together to drive business in his six stores. Eric also discusses CRC's innovative Grasshopper youth running club program and how it builds customers of the future and boosts the store's youth footwear sales. A great start to 2026!
Co-Host Chris Farley of Pacers shares his top 5 tips for getting the most out of TRE and some of them will surprise you. Elle Cheung of Gazelle Sports, winner of a Running Industry Diversity Coalition Scholarship to TRE, discusses how her store translates DEI philosophies into action. And Stephen Pifer of Skechers reflects on his 20-year career in the running business and his goal of running a sub-four minute mile in the same race as his son Jameson.
Family connections run through Episode 10 of Slingin’ Shoes which features interviews with Genie Beaver of West Stride in Atlanta and one of the founders of Altra, Brian Beckstead who remains an ambassador for the brand. Genie has a powerful connection to the running business through her uncle John McDonnell, who coached the University of Arkansas to 40 national titles and shares the story of attending her first TRE with a six-week-old baby. She also name drops the many women who have been su...
Hear the story of how slinging bottles of Black Velvet in 7-11 led to Harry Chandler joining the run specialty business and ascending to leadership roles at Charlotte Running Company, the Running Industry Association, and the Running Industry Diversity Coalition. Harry also talks about the Charlotte Run Hub and how it serves his store’s community. We’re also joined by Kristy Morris of Sneakers4Good, who shares information on how run stores can work with her business to support its’ efforts in...
Episode 8 Under is a special golf celebration where we discuss The Skechers World Champions Cup, an international team competition featuring senior golfers from Europe, Asia and the United States. Our guests include PGA Golfer Peter Jacobsen, sports marketing executive Charlie Besser, the founder of Intersport, and Ben Stewart, VP of Performance Footwear at Skechers. Jake Morrow of Golf magazine helps with co-hosting duties. Jacobsen talks about his career as a golfer, the lead singer o...
How much bigger can run specialty get? We entertain two points of view. Industry analyst Matt Powell of Spurwink River caused a ruckus recently with comments on LinkedIn saying the run channel was not growing because it caters only to “elites.” Co-hosts Chris Farley and Mark Sullivan press Powell on what he really meant and discuss why the channel’s growth has slowed after a decade of robust expansion. Our sponsor guest all the way from Japan is Koichiro Kodama, CEO of ASICS America. Kodoma-s...
On this episode, Christi Beth Adams of Fleet Feet Nashville shares her journey from employee to owner of six stores. She takes us through the tears and triumphs of her 19 years in the business and talks about what could be next for her. We are also joined by Matt Baum of Mizuno, who may manage the biggest sales region in the country. Matt pulls back the curtain on what he’s hearing as he visits stores around the country and offers his insight on what stores should expect from sales reps. ...
Every run store owner will tell you how crucial their employees are to their success. That begs the question then, how do you attract good employees and retain them? Kris Hartner, owner of Naperville Running helps us attack the thorny issue of employee compensation. In a world where there is no “one size fits all” approach (just like shoes!), Hartner and co-host Chris Farley share what works for them. On the sponsor side, we sit down with Bill Sternoff of BodyGlide, the man with the smoothest...
The conversations on Slingin’ Shoes Episode 5 run the gamut from the deeply personal to the outer limits of Artificial Intelligence. Co-host Chris Farley shares a story of a random encounter with a shopper that resonated deeply with him. Steve DeMoss of Big Peach Running talks about how his fascination with Artificial Intelligence is being put to use in the store, and Ben Stewart , VP of Tech Performance at Skechers, pulls back the curtain on how the brand is working to become more meaningful...
On Episode 4, Mark and Chris analyze the annual Best Stores list: what well known stores didn’t make it, what’s the deal behind one of the Best Stores conspiracy theories and how did the list grow from 50 to 60+ stores. We also discuss the ASICS resurgence with Kevin McHale and learn how he started his career as a shoe slinger at Potomac River Running. And we spend time with an up and coming Slinger, Naim Bell of Charlotte Running Co.
On Episode 3, we take a deep dive with Bob Dyer and Jennifer Henderson, who share the story of their hands-on approach to opening a run store in the competitive market of Saint Louis. The couple shares both the personal and business issues they faced and how eight years later, Running Niche is a perennial selection to The Best Running Stores List. On the brand side, Chris Brewer and Drew Magaha of Mizuno USA discuss the brand’s considered focus on the specialty channel and how their “smooth” ...
On Episode 2, we’re Slingin’ Shoes across the USA, starting with Jenni Peters from Varsity Sports in Baton Rouge, LA who discusses her real estate strategy and how she is rolling up her sleeves to help her community develop a trail network. Then from Fleet Feet Montclair, NJ by way of Brooklyn, we interview Axel Arroyo, shoe slinger extraordinaire, who shares how his experience and street smarts allow him to send customers home happy. And Josh Higgins of OS1st offers ideas on how to boost soc...
Josh Levinson, founder of CEO of Charm City Run, with 8 stores in the Baltimore area, pulls back the curtain on a topic many store owners think about but don’t always act on: succession planning. Josh discusses what steps he has taken to sell equity to top members of his team and what the future holds for him, them and Charm City. This episode also includes an interview with Joe Toth, head of sales for Altra Running. He talks about the brand’s (and its parent company’s) promise to specialty a...
Welcome to Episode Zero of Slingin’ Shoes! Slingin’ Shoes is a new podcast that will be co-hosted by Mark Sullivan, founder of The Running Event, and Chris Farley, owner of Pacers Running. In this introductory episode, the two discuss what led them to develop the podcast and share the story of how Chris made the co-founder of Whole Foods cry during an interview. The two also elaborate on their plans for Slingin’ Shoes to offer insight, analysis, fun and community. In short, everything t...
Dave Zimmer shares some of his greatest hits from 30 years as owner of the Fleet Feet Chicago franchise. He also talks about his plans to open a 10th store and the relationships, community, charitable giving and customers that keep him motivated. Spoiler alert: Dave also reveals who really developed the phrase "Running Changes Everything." Tune in and find out.
Captured live at The Running Event, we sit with Tom Taylor of Altra, who discusses how his brand comes to market at retail. Camila Siqueira from SportBrazil talks about how TRE helped her and her same named sister-in-law build their business. And Adam White of RC Outfitters in Peoria shares his very personal story of how he overcame his struggles with alcohol and regain control of his business and his life.
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