Clarksville, TN – Sara and Travis Esterby own and operate Fleet Feet Clarksville, a business that is focused on “empowering anyone who runs, walks, hikes, works, etc. … [we are] committed to enhancing and growing our local running and walking communities by offering specialty products, educational resources, and training opportunities to assist [you] in achieving your goals.”
“We’ve been in business in Clarksville for 14 years now,” Sara said. “The first five years, we were the Runner’s Hub, then we franchised to Fleet Feet in 2017. Fleet Feet has over 200 stores. Our business has continued to grow, which is why we recently moved to a new location at 449 Warfield Boulevard. It gives us a chance to have more inventory on hand, and plenty of room for our customers.”
Travis said he is now in the transition process to leave the Army. Originally from Washington state, he has spent 21 years stationed at Fort Campbell. “We love it here, this is our forever home,” Travis said.
“The business started because of our passion for running. We were both a little younger and faster back then. We created a group-run in Clarksville before we had a store. It was a way for us to connect with the community outside of the Army. Anytime you go to a local 5K you meet people.
“We started meeting a lot of people who felt there was an opportunity in Clarksville for a store that could provide shoes, nutrition, and a place to get a proper fit. As an avid runner, people were asking me about what I do about equipment, plantar fasciitis, and things like that.”
At some point, the decision was made that they would be the ones to start a running store in Clarksville.
“We put some thought into it, and after some planning, we decided to take the risk,” Travis said. “We had a lot of backing through our networks. Lots of people were as excited as we were, so we had customers right away.”
Travis and Sara said that we had some big box stores in the community at the time, and they were carrying some great products, but what was missing was the customer’s ability to connect with an experienced runner for opinions and advice.
“Often, they really didn’t have the necessary knowledge to help the individual,” Travis said. “What works for one person may not work for someone else. We try to take the guesswork out of it, and go through a thorough fit process. We have a trained staff that can answer all their questions.”
Sara said, “Well, at first it was just running, now we get nurses, doctors, factory workers, anyone who has to be on their feet a lot. Usually, we are able to help them with some much-needed comfort.
“New runners, or anyone on a fitness journey, should come and see us, or someone. We do our fit ID, a 3D foot scan partnered with pressure mounting, and it’s free. It tells us the customer’s foot size to a decimal point, their width, their instep height, and lots of other information. That helps us guide the customer, for example, to a higher or lower cushion for their arch. We are really able to focus on an individual’s needs.”
The Esterbys say there are lots of great brands out there, and over the years, they have developed a symbiotic relationship with some of the larger retailers, with referrals going both ways, as needed.
“We do carry some brands that nobody else in town has,” Sara said. “Running is so popular. This is the busiest time of year for us. The weather is warming up, so people are prepping for race season and marathon season. They are just getting out there and starting to train again. Runners tend to get rejuvenated this time of year. There is a surge in March, and again in August. There are lots of events in the May/June and September to November time frames. And, we are here to help anyone, whether they are getting back out there or just getting started.”
For more information, go to www.fleetfeet.com/s/clarksville or call them at 931.542.5788.
