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On Wednesday afternoon, Shoes That Fit’s office administrator Jarret Bjornsen was at work creating nametags and school supply lists that will soon accompany backpacks for an upcoming initiative. The Shoes That Fit Back-to-School Backpack campaign is back and the nonprofit is almost done getting backpacks ready for volunteers to fill. The annual campaign is in its 15th year and involves back-to-school shopping for children in need, according to CEO and executive director, Amy Fass. Backpacks will be placed at area businesses and organizations and in neighboring cities, with each having a local area student’s nametag on it including the student’s grade, shoe size and list of school supplies. Backpacks may be picked by residents from participating donation centers and must be retu...

When it comes to outdoor footwear, so many of the options are thick, restrictive shoes that restrict mobility. However, Chaco’s outdoor footwear stands up to the dirt and water while still being completely free and comfortable. Chaco’s sandals are built to handle the elements with ease and give you the freedom and breathability that many outdoor shoes lack. Huckberry (the new face of literally every piece of clothing I wear) recently teamed up with Chaco to release a new line of footwear with an aquatic splash to them. Kizik Shoes The Tarpon collection from Huckberry and Chaco is comprised of two new items: the Huckberry X Chaco Z/1 and the Huckberry X Chaco Chillos. The Huckberry X Chaco Z/1 is the company's classic sandal made to be worn in any outdoor environment. Completely water...

"What I find challenging as an entrepreneur is this idea of narrative fallacy," Missy Park, founder of athletic clothing company Title Nine, tells Entrepreneur. "All of these things happen to us, which may be related or unrelated. They may be because of our agency or because of happenstance. But at the end, we tie them all up in a bow and say this is how it happened, when it really didn't happen that way at all." Park's journey can't be easily tied up with a bow, but the founder says it's the result of a "cascading set of opportunities" set in motion, fittingly, by Title IX: the U.S. federal civil rights law that passed when Park was 10 years old in 1972 — and after which her company is named. Title IX, which celebrates its 50th anniversary today, prohibits sex-based discrimination in a...

With stores already in place in Westhampton and Short Pump, the local franchisee of a running shoes retailer is trying Midlothian on for size. Fleet Feet plans to open a 2,600-square-foot store in the Winterfield Crossing shopping center. It is expected to be the third local store for Jeff Wells, who also operates the Fleet Feet stores at 5600 Patterson Ave. and 11651 W. Broad St. The new Midlothian store will bring Fleet Feet, which sells running shoes as well as clothing and accessories, to the other side of the James River when it opens in the fall. Wells said such an expansion has been on his mind since he first launched the Hoka Running Shoes brand locally and it bridges a geographic divide that he said can pose a hurdle to some customers. “From a business and cultural sense,...

It’s a memory that Polish blogger and content creator Eva zu Beck returns to often, from a time she describes as another life - when she cared about pedicured feet, high heels that clacked on glass floors, embroidered moccasins that marked her gait, and leather boots that mirrored the rigidity of the corporate world. Earlier this year, however, zu Beck swore off shoes altogether, travelling the world barefoot. “When I quit everything and adopted a nomadic way of life, I felt more connected to nature,” said the 31-year-old. “This was when I came across the barefoot lifestyle and decided to check if there were any studies done to prove that going barefoot has actual benefits.” Humans have been walking or running without shoes for millions of years but recently, there has been a surge o...

Several pairs of Nike Air Force 1s were auctioned at Sotheby’s this week to celebrate the shoe’s 40th anniversary. These five commanded the top prices – just don’t expect them to be worn hen a trainer commands a six-figure price at its own Sotheby’s auction, you know it has transcended everyday shoe status. Indeed, no sensible sneakerhead – if such a thing exists – would wear any of the 40 rare Nike Air Force 1 trainers that were sold on Tuesday at Sotheby’s New York’s “40 for 40” sale (so-called as this year marks the shoe’s 40th anniversary). The AF1 is not just a trainer; it is a cultural phenomenon. Hoka Shoes Designed as a basketball shoe by Bruce Kilgore in 1982, it was expected to be replaced by the AF2, the AF3 and so on, but consumer demand put paid to that. “It’s the perfec...