Running Wild, Sports and Fitness, Fairhope and Pensacola

“Feets don’t fail me now!” 

That’s really not the way it goes. This phrase is what I thought of after visiting with the founders and owners of Running Wild, a terrific running shoe and athletics store in Pensacola, where it was first established, and a second store in the heart of downtown Fairhope. The brainchild of Paul and Cherie Epstein, Running Wild is where you get the right shoes, apparel, and accessories for your running and fitness needs. 

When I walked into the Pensacola store, I was greeted by Sydney, an enthusiastic young woman who showed me around. In the back room, which is a training facility, there was a group of middle-aged people working with a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a coach instructing stretches on attached overhead bands. The room was full, and there was a lot of personal attention.

I was soon joined by Paul and Cherie and I was ready to learn their story of how all this came into being. Paul, a helicopter pilot in the army, met Cherie in El Paso, Texas, where he was stationed. Cherie earned her undergraduate degree in communications and marketing at Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Special Education at the University of Texas El Paso.

She was a long-distance runner in high school and college and was also a  mountain biker and avid snow skier. She taught special education for ten years in El Paso while being a part-time ski instructor and on the ski patrol team in the Ruidoso ski areas of New Mexico. 

Paul, a distance runner himself, grew up in Naples, Florida, and attended the University of Florida on a ROTC scholarship. “College was a means to an end. I always wanted to fly helicopters.” He was commissioned to fly helicopters at Ft. Rucker in Dothan, Alabama in 1989, and was then stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso.  He was soon deployed to Iraq for  Desert Storm. 

Returning to Ft Bliss after his deployment, he and Cherie met at Ski Apache in Alto, New Mexico, where he too was an avid skier. They hung out together with a group of like-minded veterans and friends. 

“It was a long friendship,” says Cherie. “There was a sprinkling of romance the longer we were around each other. We started dating in 1996.” In El Paso, they loved mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding together, and of course, running.  Cherie coached middle school track and field and recruited Paul to announce all of the track meets. “We were plugged in,” she says.

After his stint in the Army, Paul worked as a sales rep for a plumbing distributor. He was climbing the corporate ladder when he was asked to cover the Southeast territory. They moved to Mobile but found Pensacola more to their liking. Cherie was a full-time special ed teacher and cross-country coach at Navarre High School. Paul’s company, Fields and Company, was sold and Paul decided to find something new. Cherie told him, “Find something you really love, you have a year, but I want to stay in Pensacola.” 

Paul spent a year renovating their home while figuring out his business plan. One of Cherie’s student-athletes purchased the most expensive shoes he could find at a big box store. He had a high arch and the shoe blew out and he was injured. Paul and Cherie went to the store and realized no one there was knowledgeable about shoes or how to fit an athlete.

Paul suggested opening a running store. “What’s a running store?” asked Cherie. They had both been runners for over 20 years and were either running, biking, or swimming every day. They decided to open a small store in a strip center next to a bike shop in Gulf Breeze. They came up with the name, “Running Wild” and a neighbor designed a logo that is still in use today.

“We were in business training,” says Paul. Cherie taught for two more years while the business grew. “I loved it,” says Paul. “I love meeting people and talking shoes and running.” After a year, they relocated to Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola. They added running attire and soon moved into a larger space. “We realized this was going to work,” Paul said.

In 2010, they opened a second location in Fairhope. “It’s a completely separate entity. Yet we offer the same services there as we do in Pensacola. It’s been a great success and we are just as involved in the Eastern Shore community as we are in Pensacola,”  Running Wild relocated to a larger store on Section Street in Fairhope a couple of years ago.

In May 2020, during the pandemic, Paul sought ways to keep employees working by thinking outside the box. To help the company stay connected to their customers,  they got their online store up and running and delivered products to customers using their bus. Covid was actually a boost to sales as more and more people were seeking outside activities and were dressing casually.  

“At first, about 70% to 75% of our sales was footwear. Apparel was such an afterthought. However,  with the addition of  Lululemon, Vuori, and Rabbit, apparel is closer to 35% of our overall sales.” They added accessories like sports watches, sports bras, socks, and recovery products. “We have a fitting process for every item we sell.”

They began to recruit knowledgeable staff who were trained to fit people with the correct shoes for whatever activity they were participating in. They added a Race Management Program, a training program with coaches, and a physical therapist to ensure that athletes guard against injury.

For beginning runners, they launched the My First 5-K program which includes a 12-week training program meeting twice weekly with coaches and paid entry fees for their first race. They also have training programs to cover 10k, 15k, half marathon, and full marathons.

In all,  the Running Wild staff includes 16 coaches, a doctor of physical therapy, and a massage therapist. Every week they sponsor group training runs. “Versatility is the name of the game,” says Paul. “It’s all about the experience.” Every local event they are involved in is located on the Running Wild website.

They both agree that it’s important to present the brand well. They are passionate about what they do. “We’ve hired an amazing team that knows what we want and how we want to do it. We want our team to own the culture like we do.” They tell me their core principles are Connect, Equip, Inspire, and Encourage.

“We strive to be part of the community. We want to give back in every way we can.” Running Wild donates any pair of shoes that are returned for any reason to schools to distribute to those in need. They also never turn down a request to help sponsor a running event, especially for young athletes.

After 23 years in business, the one indulgence they afford themselves is travel; one ski trip a year and one mountain biking trip a year. “It’s important for us to break away and do what we love,” says Cherie. With three daughters, family time is precious. Their oldest is 20 and working full-time as a pasta chef while attending Pensacola State College, and their twins are seniors in high school.

Running Wild is a special place. You feel the enthusiasm in Paul and Cherie, and you see it in every team member. Whether you are an athlete or not, getting the right shoe makes all the difference. You need someone with knowledge and experience to save your feet from pain and suffering. I know that for a fact! And now that casual fashion is in for the workplace, you can dress for success at Running Wild.

Footnote: The actual line is Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, the fourth studio album by the American Rock band, Little Feat released in 1974. I guess I’m showing my age. It is even more important to wear the right shoe from Running Wild!