Archives: Press Releases

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and CARRBORO, N.C. (Nov. 16, 2023) — Fleet Feet announced today the opening of its second location in Louisville, Ky. Expected to open in November, the new store will be in Fern Creek’s highly-anticipated Cedar Creek Crossing Shopping Center, located at 7706 Bardstown Road.

Louisville native Erin Getz will operate the new store. Getz has been an avid member of Fleet Feet’s running community since it first opened its doors in St. Matthews Station in 1999. An active member of the Louisville community, Getz supports several local nonprofits, including Girls on the Run Kentuckiana, the Kids Cancer Alliance, Waterstep, the Wayside Christian Mission, the St. Matthews and Jeffersontown Chambers of Commerce, and the Louisville Sports Commission.

In 2015, the University of Louisville graduate joined Fleet Feet as the marketing director, and has been operating Fleet Feet Louisville for six years.

“Fleet Feet is more than a job – it’s a way of life,” said Getz. “I love this community, my team and everything we’ve been able to accomplish together to positively impact people’s lives through the power of running. I’m excited to introduce run specialty and all that Fleet Feet has to offer to the Fern Creek community.”

A grand opening will take place in early 2024 with exciting activities and giveaways. In the meantime, customers can find the latest Brooks, Hoka, New Balance and On footwear, as well as a curated collection of Lululemon and Vuori apparel at the new store. It’s also the only place customers can find Karhu running shoes, the brand’s in-house footwear. Fleet Feet Fern Creek will offer a number of run training programs that expand on the existing programs offered at Fleet Feet Louisville, which currently serves more than 300 runners and walkers.

“Erin and her team have done an amazing job in Louisville, as evidenced by The Running Event recognizing their store as one of The Best Running Stores of 2022 and 2023,”  said John Moloznik, vice president of business development at Fleet Feet. “Expanding into the Fern Creek neighborhood will allow them to share their expertise and support even more people who may be thinking about taking their first step into running, are on their fifth marathon, or are simply looking for a comfortable pair of shoes. We couldn’t be more excited to support this growing community.”

Fleet Feet Fern Creek will operate with the brand’s exclusive outfitting experience, fit id®, which includes pressure plates and 3D foot scanning technology that allows the brand to accurately assess the size and shape of customers’ feet and how each foot moves through the gait cycle. This personalized, expert-led approach allows outfitters to offer the right fitting footwear and accessories for each customer.

For more than 47 years, Fleet Feet owners, operating partners and employees have created welcoming environments that allow runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts of all abilities to conquer their goals at every level, on every surface, at every distance with personalized solutions, knowledge and empowerment.  Fleet Feet’s nationwide network of community-based retail stores are a place of inspiration, showing people how Running Changes Everything®.

Visit the Fleet Feet Louisville website to learn more about the store and grand opening activities.

###

About Fleet Feet  

Founded in 1976, Fleet Feet is the largest franchisor of locally owned and operated run specialty stores. With more than 260 locations in 40 states and a national headquarters in Carrboro, N.C., Fleet Feet is committed to providing runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts with outfitting expertise, robust training programs, community support and rewards. Fleet Feet believes that RUNNING CHANGES EVERYTHING® and has been recognized on Fast Company’s Brands That Matter List, Inc.’s Best in Business List and PRWeek’s Purpose Awards. Stay inspired, motivated and connected at Fleet Feet.

 

 

 

BEND, OR and BOULDER, CO  (Nov 14, 2023) — La Sportiva, makers of the world’s finest mountain gear, welcomes Seymour Sales Group as their new sales representatives in the Pacific Northwest. This partnership is championed by the dynamic team of Thomas Seymour, Abby Seymour, and Carleigh Garrett, who collectively bring decades of experience and a profound enthusiasm for outdoor sports to La Sportiva’s legacy in the region.

“We feel fortunate to join the La Sportiva family,” said Abby Seymour. “It’s not just about the company’s fantastic gear; it’s about aligning ourselves with a company that mirrors our passions, values, and commitment to pushing the boundaries within the climbing, trail, and alpine communities. The brand’s involvement in conservation efforts and their championing of climbing access rights speaks volumes about their ethos, and we’re here for it.”

With dual headquarters in Bend, OR, and Bellingham, WA, SSG is ideally situated to engage with over 170 key accounts across the Pacific Northwest. Abby and Thomas have more than twenty years of combined sales experience and a deep connection to the climbing, trail, and skiing communities. Carleigh, the team’s newest member, brings a versatile skill set gained over seven years in the outdoor and ski industries, with expertise in apparel, footwear, and hardgoods.

“Our expertise is rooted in authentic experience with the gear we represent,” explains Thomas. “We don’t just know the gear because we sell it — we understand its ins and outs because we use it.”

“Bringing SSG on board aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and community engagement in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jonathan Lantz, President of La Sportiva North America. “Their team’s expertise and active participation in outdoor sports are exactly what La Sportiva needs to help bring our products to a wider audience in the region.”

About La Sportiva

With over 90 years of heritage, La Sportiva has unrivaled experience in building the world’s finest performance mountain footwear. Creating innovation through passion, La Sportiva now offers the most versatile technical climbing, mountaineering, Mountain Running® and hiking shoes on the market as well as ski mountaineering hardware and apparel. For more information on La Sportiva visit www.sportiva.com.

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) today announced that it has awarded $348,000 in grants that support programs working to develop and activate local and regional trail networks. The projects and programs funded are helping to create equitable access to safe spaces where people can walk, bike and be active outside in the communities where they live.

“At RTC, we believe having space to be active outside is a fundamental right. These grants are critical to supporting organizations that are bringing RTC’s vision of trails connecting everyone, everywhere, to life,” said Mary Ellen Koontz, the lead of RTC’s TrailNation™ Collaborative initiative. “Trail networks are emerging in hundreds of communities across the country, and they are what’s needed to make it safer and more convenient for millions of people to access the outdoors where they live—whether that’s to be active, get around town or have fun in nature.”

As more trail networks are emerging nationwide, RTC’s Trail Grants program invests in the infrastructure and programming that’s necessary to create more access to trails for more people across the country. These grants help organizations and government agencies accelerate their trail network plans, while supporting community-based organizations working to connect more people to these spaces in neighborhoods across the country.

“The work to create, connect, maintain and activate these spaces is critical, yet the funding needed to move these projects forward far exceeds what’s available,” said Koontz. “We are grateful to be able to support 30 grants this year; however, we actually received funding requests from 135 organizations totaling nearly $2.9 million. It’s clear we need significantly more public and private investment to meet the burgeoning demand for safe spaces for people to be active outside.”

The Trail Grants program supports, develops and activates local and regional trail networks nationwide. The entire list of grantees is available at railstotrails.org/grants.

• National awardees include: Latino Outdoors’ Vamos Outdoors program, which provides members of the Latinx and other underrepresented communities with transformative outdoor experiences; HBCUs Outside, which is working with six Historically Black Colleges and Universities to develop outdoor experiences and engage with the outdoor industry; and Black People Who Hike, which is focusing on growing engagement and participation along the Great Rivers Greenways, a trail network in the Greater St. Louis region.

A collection of grantees are advancing trail development and community engagement in RTC’s flagship initiatives—including TrailNation, a portfolio of projects that are redefining how trail networks are built across the country; and the Great American Rail-Trail^®, the nation’s first multiuse cross-country trail, which will link Washington, D.C., and Washington State. Those grantees are:

• Circuit Trails (Greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey): Camden Greenways Inc. received a grant to build organizational capacity in support of trail development in Camden City.
• Bay Area Trails Network (California): Rich City Rides received a grant to host Fix-it Friday and Everybody Rides programs to get more people on bikes in Richmond, California.
• Capital Trails Network (Greater Washington, D.C., region): Black Women Bike DC received a grant to support their “Breakfast, Maintenance, and Ride” and Learn to Ride clinics to engage more people to get outdoors.
• Baltimore Greenway Trails Network: Black People Ride Bikes received a grant for their Fostering Unity on Wheels program and the City of Baltimore to install trail counters and lead trail event programming throughout the city.
• Great American Rail-Trail: Grants were awarded for trail maintenance, surface improvements and match funding to the Nickel Plate Trail and Prairie Trails Club in Indiana; Powell County, Montana; and the City of Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners in West Virginia.

Other grant recipients serve a range of rural, urban and suburban areas. They include: Freshwater Land Trust (Birmingham, Alabama); Anchorage Parks Foundation (Anchorage, Alaska); City of Hot Springs Parks and Trails (Hot Springs, Arkansas); Bronzeville Trail Task Force (Chicago); Special Olympics Kansas (Mission, Kansas); West Michigan Trails (Grand Rapids, Michigan); Montana Trails Coalition (Clancy, Montana); Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail (Littleton, New Hampshire); NC Great Trails State (Morganton, North Carolina); City of Trotwood (Ohio); Borinquen Trail Inc. (Dorado, Puerto Rico); Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers (Virginia); ForeverGreen Trails (Tacoma, Washington); and Wenatchee Valley TREAD (Wenatchee, Washington).

The 2023 Trail Grants are part of RTC’s longstanding program, which has distributed nearly $3 million across more than 380 grants to over 225 organizations since 2008. Learn more about RTC’s Trail Grants program at railstotrails.org/grants.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong—dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

 

PARK CITY, Utah (Nov. 14, 2023) — Backcountry, the leading specialty retailer for outdoor gear and apparel, announces its expansion into wholesale business with its popular in-house name-sake brand, Backcountry. The retailer has been offering Backcountry-designed product, inspired by its team of Gearhead experts, since 2018. Consumers will be able to shop these collections at select retailers nationwide, starting in fall 2024.

“Backcountry has made significant strides in creating an omnichannel experience for its consumers,” says Colby Black, Backcountry CPO. “In the past three years, we’ve opened nine brick-and-mortar stores and now we’re broadening our reach with wholesale. This expansion will help build brand awareness, consideration, and sales in key regions. We connect people to the outdoors by offering the best gear on the market and venturing into wholesale will further strengthen that mission.”

At Outdoor Retail Winter (November 14 –16, 2023), Backcountry will begin seeking retail partners across key regions and platforms to help build upon the Backcountry brand and share its product with outdoor athletes and enthusiasts to support their everyday adventures. The wholesale assortment will include product from the brand’s fall/winter 2024 line that tackle pursuits on and off the mountain. Tried and true favorites like the award-winning Backcountry Cottonwoods GORE-TEX Jacket and a brand-new Backcountry Shell Anorak will be among the key products offered to wholesale customers.

“From the Wasatch Mountains in our own backyard to countless summits worldwide, the Backcountry team has built upon 27 years of mountain experience to design and create unique product in the marketplace,” says Colleen Burns, Backcountry senior director of owned brands. “Thoughtful innovations and decades of expertise are intertwined within each product designed in-house. Collaborations with brands like GORE-TEX, Pertex, and ALLIED Down have been key in elevating our offering and pivotal in getting us to the point where wholesale is a natural step forward.”

Select Backcountry products will become available at retail partner locations starting in September 2024. Backcountry will be exhibiting at Outdoor Retail Winter this week, booth #2018-SN, for in-person inquiries. For more information and media inquiries, please email Kevin McCormack at kevin.mccormack@rygr.us.

###

About Backcountry

From the one-on-one expertise of Backcountry Gearheads to its epic selection of the best in both style and performance, Backcountry has been a leading outdoor retailer since 1996. Dialing in your gear closet, exploring your backcountry, recharging with après—Backcountry elevates the entire outdoor experience. In 2018, Backcountry began building its own Gearhead-inspired products; the fast-growing Built By Backcountry ski, bike, climb, hike, fly fish, and après lines include collabs with trusted brands like GORE-TEX, Pertex, and ALLIED Down. After 27 years as a successful online retailer, Backcountry opened its first brick and mortar location in Park City, UT and has since expanded its retail footprint to include nine stores from coast to coast, offering a seamless omnichannel experience for its consumers.

 

 

 

 

Taipei, Taiwan (Nov. 14, 2023) – Wellpower, Inc., a global leader in innovation and advanced material technology solutions, today introduced GEOCELL, a high performance, 100% plant based, natural rubber ideally used in water sports, fitness accessories and footwear. Developed over the last four years by Wellpower’s scientists and engineers, GEOCELL is a planet-friendly solution completely preserving product performance and quality. GEOCELL will debut at retail in partnership with Trainer’s Choice, a leading sports medicine company in Canada.

GEOCELL natural rubber is made with recycled laminate fabrics and water-based adhesives, making it a truly natural and sustainable material. The rubber is sourced from The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified plantations and tested to medical grade standards. The benefits include a material that is hypoallergenic, durable, comfortable, and flexible.

GEOCELL’s manufacturing and harvesting process follows the strictest guidelines and has earned the following certifications:

• PEFC, is a leading global alliance of national forest certification systems dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management globally.
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sets standards for responsible forest management.

“Wellpower is redefining what sustainability really means in the rubber category that has historically been environmentally unfriendly,” said Johnny Sheu, president and CEO of Wellpower. “Being able to source the natural rubber and then convert it into a high performing material, we can transform the way brands invent new products, all while ensuring sustainable materials from start to finish. We are pleased that Trainer’s Choice will join our mission to use a sustainable option.”

GEOCELL is produced at Wellpower’s state of the art facilities under a lengthy list of performance based testing including tear strength, density, heat compression, and aging, among other conditions. It is machine washable making it a resilient component of choice for apparel and accessories.

Wellpower is actively looking for partners in the U.S. interested in GEOCELL. For more information, please email Josh Field at josh@wellpowerusa.com. For more information on Wellpower, email info@wellpowerholding.com.

About Wellpower, Inc.

Wellpower Commerce Holdings is a publicly traded company and a leading manufacturer specializing in the sports industry.