Fleet Feet bets on North Naples running community

Three and a half years after becoming part of the Lee County running community, Fleet Feet is looking to do the same in North Naples. 

This time, building a loyal following may prove more like a marathon than a sprint. 

When husband and wife Brian and Janene Urichko opened Fleet Feet in November 2023 at Bell Tower shopping center in south Fort Myers, they also acquired Run Florida, which had its roots as On the Run, a longtime specialty running store with a built-in local running club clientele. They inherited a large number of loyal customers when they opened at 13499 S. Cleveland Ave. 

The Urichkos didn’t have that advantage when they opened their second Fleet Feet store June 1 at 8961 Tamiami Trail N. in North Naples. The location, one of about 300 Fleet Feet stores nationwide, is behind Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in The Pavilion shopping center at the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road, across from Mercato. 

“Very gently,” Janene Urichko said of how she plans to build a loyal customer base. The 2,300-square-foot space previously housed Happy Feet Place, a shoe store that wasn’t dedicated to running and fitness footwear. “There are a lot of running clubs — mainly geographically. ‘What can we do to support you guys? Hey, we’re here for you.’” 

Last year in Lee County, Fleet Feet partnered with five local microbreweries. Customers tested Fleet Feet products during group runs before grabbing a beer. The Urichkos plan to host similar events in Collier County and already have reached out to nearby running clubs, including Early Birdie Run Club, North Naples Runners, Bonita Springs Run Club, Vandy Run Club and Park Rats Run Club. 

“It’s just wonderful to have another choice and another small business we can support — and get specialized products and service that you can’t get online,” said George Pope, president of North Naples Runners. He has yet to visit the store but said he planned to do so this week. 

Fleet Feet offers an in-store Volumental foot scanner that creates a three-dimensional measurement of each foot. Those measurements help staff determine which shoes in the store are most likely to provide the best fit. 

“Nationwide statistics show that 84% of people are in the wrong-sized shoes,” Brian Urichko said. “Therefore, our goal is to meet the needs of the customer. When they come in, we ask them some questions. What are they going to use the shoes for? What are their goals? Do they have some aches and pains? What kind of shoes have they used previously? Did they like them or dislike them? We use that data, along with the measurements we take, to find the best fit.” 

While most people replace their running shoes every five to six months, avid runners tend to buy a new pair every three months. 

“Your feet take a lot of pounding,” Pope said. “I always tell people, running is the cornerstone of all physical fitness. Nothing works hearts, arms and legs.” 

Pope prefers the Saucony Ride shoe. He said he’s on pace to run about 2,300 miles this year. 

But the overall pace of shoe purchases has slowed this year. Brian Urichko said business began slowing after the U.S. launched airstrikes on Iran in February. In June, Fleet Feet analyzed data showing the average customer replaced running shoes after five months a year ago. This year, that number has risen to six months. 

“If all your customers are waiting a little bit longer to buy shoes, you’re going to have fewer customers in the store,” Brian Urichko said. 

The Urichkos also face the ongoing challenge of convincing customers to buy shoes in the store instead of online. 

“I can’t stop the internet,” Brian Urichko said. “We’d like to educate customers about how their dollars stay in their communities. People don’t realize that when they buy from an online retailer, those dollars don’t stay local. When you’re buying from a family-owned business, it benefits someone local.” 

The new Fleet Feet has three employees, plus two who rotate between the North Naples and south Fort Myers stores, in addition to Brian and Janene Urichko, who also split their time between both locations. 

“We have a lot of customers who would drive up from Naples and Marco Island,” Brian Urichko said of the south Fort Myers store. “They begged us to open up a store closer to them. We kind of kept that in our back pocket. And when the timing was right, and the opportunity presented itself, we decided to come down to Naples.” 

Ideally, the new Fleet Feet would have been closer to Interstate 75 to take advantage of the population growth in eastern Collier County. But rents in that direction were much higher than in the 1980s-era shopping center the family chose. The store needs about $2,000 in daily sales to break even. Brian Urichko said he expects the Lee County store to support the Collier County location during its first few months, with the hope that the North Naples store becomes financially self-sufficient as more seasonal residents return by the end of the year. 

“We’re always willing and ready to help local runners,” Urichko said. “We just appreciate the support we’ve seen from the community so far.”