Business: Road Runner Sports
Address: 2555 W. 75th St., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-579-3209, www.roadrunnersports.com
Manager: Michelle Lewis, 45, of Montgomery
Years in business: 15
What does your business do? “Road Runner Sports is a company that cares about their customers, cares about their foot health. Everything stems from your foot health,” Lewis said.
Why are good shoes so important? “Foot health is amazing because everything starts with your feet. If your feet are not properly supported, not properly balanced or aligned, everything all the way up to the top of your head is not properly aligned. It’s so important to make sure your foot health is good. If not, your knees could hurt, your hips could hurt, your back could hurt.”
What’s the business philosophy? “We have these six pillars. They are, ‘Be different, bring the wow, build something great together,’ but the thing that resonates with me is ‘get moving, stay active’ and ‘live healthy.’ That’s what I love about Road Runner Sports. It’s such a positive mindset. Obviously, we are a business, but what we’re doing is so rewarding.”
Why are you here? “Three years ago, I was recruited by a friend who manages another store. They thought I’d be a really great fit because of my personality. I have great care-taking attitude. Not only for my customers, but for my team. … I was in retail before. I did interior design.”
What happens when someone comes in? “We make sure they feel welcome. … ‘Have you shopped with us before? Why are you here?’ Usually, it’s for shoes. … We get them on the treadmill, walking or running. Then we get them our Fit Finder. … We explain here’s what we’re seeing. All this stuff. And we talk about what shoes are going to work for you and why.”
What else do you ask? “Have you shopped with us before? What are we using the shoes for? How many days per week? How many miles per week? We ask about aches and pains, that’s where we get a lot of our information.”
Do all ages shop here? “Yes. We often have middle school or high school track and cross-country team nights. We have a grassroots department that makes those partnerships.”
Is there a busy time of year? “Our busy time of year is starting up right now. Weekends are insane all the way up to October. People are outside more, want to be more active.”
And a quiet time? “January is. November and December are more about gifts. Fewer fittings.”
Are there other Road Runner Sports nearby? “We have four in the Chicago market. Downers Grove, Kildeer, Wilmette and us. … It’s nationwide. We’re at 45, 46 stores now. They started in San Diego in a garage (in 1983).”
What misconceptions may people have? “That we have custom shoes.”
Where are all those Chuck Taylor high tops? “We don’t have them. We don’t carry them. That’s why we all have messed-up feet. If we knew then what we know now.”
What do you like best? “I love finding solutions for my customers. I love seeing them walk out with a smile on their face because they had such a positive experience. It’s so rewarding.”
What about socks? “Believe it or not, it’s not the thinness. It’s the fiber content. You want to wear a non-cotton sock. ‘Cotton’s rotten.’ That’s our motto. Your feet stay cooler and dryer with less chance for hot spots and abrasion, so less chance of blisters. We suggest a synthetic blend. We have our own socks we sell here.”
What else do you sell here? “Pain solutions. And we have our apparel. Our house brand is Korsa. We like to call it performance gear.”
Any negatives? “We’re open on holidays a lot. Nature of the beast.”
How did the virus impact this business? “We were closed for a while. … It messed up our feet because everyone was barefoot at home. Podiatrists were telling us our feet were not as supported.”
Any future plans? “We’re still adding stores.”
What challenges do you face? “We have some competition in the area. We make ourselves stand out.”
How do you find customers? “Advertising. Referrals. Word of mouth.”
What does a customer say? “She’s very knowledgeable and she took the time to explain everything. That’s important,” said Harolyn Skalon, 74, of Shorewood, who bought a pair of shoes from Lewis.
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Have a good business model. Develop a process that nobody else has. … Make yourself stand out. Bring the energy. Bring the wow.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
