The Brunswick Beat – Episode 69 – Fleet Feet – Brunswick Run Club
Your Guide to Southeastern NC’s People & Places!
Welcome to this episode of the Brunswick Beat with Michelle Fogel, owner of Fleet Feet and partners in the Brunswick Run Club.
TUNE IN as Michelle shares a bit more about Fleet Feet, their store locations and the runs they organize within the community. Our very own, Seth Robbins, partners with Michell on the Brunswick Run Club that heads out every Thursday from Leland Brewing Company for a fun run, camaraderie and a few beers!
LEARN MORE HERE: https://www.fleetfeet.com/s/wilmington/
We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Brunswick Beat! We’ll catch you next time — you never know where you’ll find us!
Transcript:
0:05Hey everyone, Seth Robbins here with the
0:07Hamilton Realy Group and EXP Realy. We
0:10are here for next episode of the
0:12Brunswick Beat and we are on location at
0:15Leland Brewing Company and we have uh
0:18Michelle Fogle with us uh and her lovely
0:20daughter right here uh owner of Fleet
0:23Feet Wilmington. She is our co-host for
0:25our weekly run here that we do every
0:27Thursday uh at 6 PM.
0:31Michelle, tell us I, you know, I’ve been
0:33a longtime runner. I’ve known you for a
0:34very long time, but some of our audience
0:36members who are not familiar with your
0:38store, tell us a little bit about sort
0:40of what brought you to Wilmington and
0:42then what made you decide to open up a a
0:44fleet fee store?
0:45Sure. Yeah. Uh I was living in Texas uh
0:48was in the sports marketing industry
0:50realized that you know maybe I wanted to
0:53do something create something of my own
0:55and I have been always had a passion for
0:57running ever since I was little. Uh
1:00loved the idea of living at the beach
1:02and you know that my brother lived in
1:05Greensboro directed me to Wilmington
1:07visited. I mean who who doesn’t love
1:09this entire area? Um and so I was
1:12fortunate that uh Fleet Feed is a
1:14franchise. there was no franchise here.
1:16So I was uh signed the rights to this
1:18market and u moved down like it’s 11
1:21years now. Wow. So um yeah, so that’s
1:23kind of what brought me to uh Fleet Feet
1:25and what brought me to Wilmington.
1:26Awesome.
1:28So uh 11 years ago you opened your your
1:30first Fleet Feet store. I know you have
1:32two more locations now. So uh just tell
1:34us about your three locations and then
1:37um I think it might be a little
1:39intimidating for someone who’s a
1:40non-runner to come to Fleet Feet. tell
1:42us a little bit about what you guys
1:43offer there and maybe what uh maybe an
1:46experienced runner or a non-experienced
1:47runner may experience when they come to
1:49one of your one of your stores.
1:50Sure.
1:51So, yeah. So, 3 years ago I opened a
1:53second location in Wilmington. So, I
1:54have the original is in that Mayfair
1:56area um off of Military Cut off Road.
1:59Opened a second location on Carolina
2:00Beach Road and Independence at that new
2:02crossroads development. And then just
2:04this spring we expanded all the way up
2:06into Jacksonville. So, we do have a
2:08location in Jacksonville, North Carolina
2:09to service that entire market up there.
2:12Um, and yeah, what I always say is it
2:14kind of blows people’s minds. Probably
2:1730% of the people that shop with us
2:19identify as runners. 70% identify as
2:23walkers, fitness enthusiasts, comfort
2:26seekers, people recovering from medical
2:28issues, conditions, and really people
2:30that stand on their feet all day for
2:31work. So whether you’re training for
2:34your 50th marathon or you’re just
2:36wanting something comfortable to wear at
2:38work, everybody that comes in the store
2:40gets their foot 3D scanned by one of our
2:42outfitters. They take them through a
2:44whole fit process, ask you questions,
2:46figure out what your intention is,
2:47anything you’re experiencing. We take
2:50that information we pull from your that
2:51interview, match it with your 3D scan,
2:54and we’re able to find whether it’s the
2:56footwear you’re looking for, maybe it’s
2:57an insert, compression sleeves, whatever
2:59it might be that kind of helps you on
3:01your journey.
3:02So, I know you guys do obviously you’re
3:04hugely involved in the community. I’m a
3:06Wilmington Roadrunner. You guys do a lot
3:08for us and we we greatly appreciate it.
3:10And I know you guys besides all your
3:11apparel and all the things you offer in
3:12your stores, I know you also have some
3:14training programs. So maybe tell us a
3:16little bit about what you guys also do
3:17outside the store that a lot of these
3:19are maybe brand new runners maybe think
3:21running their first 5K or something like
3:22that. So I know you guys have things to
3:24offer for for that as well.
3:26Sure. Yeah. So we uh three times a year
3:29offer a kind of that beginner 5K 10k. So
3:32anybody you know maybe getting back into
3:34running or hasn’t run ever before uh run
3:37to walk whatever it might be. Uh 5K 10k
3:40programs. And then we also twice a year
3:42offer uh for the fall a half marathon
3:45leading up to uh what is uh the
3:46battleship half marathon and then in the
3:49spring kind of it starts in December but
3:51leads up to half and full marathon
3:52training for the Wilmington Marathon. So
3:54it’s trying to help people kind of get
3:56that next goal whether it’s a firsttime
3:59runner at that distance or somebody
4:00wanting to increase their speed or
4:02confidence in that uh race. So, we do
4:05training programs and then as you
4:06mentioned, I mean, we I was going over
4:09our schedule the other day with our team
4:11and whether it’s supporting a race or at
4:14a health fair or anything like that,
4:16we’re always out trying to kind of help
4:19the community in any way that we
4:21possibly can. Um whether it’s like I
4:23said, running, walking, or just overall
4:25health, health and wellness.
4:27So, thanks Michelle for joining us.
4:29You’re an awesome part of the community.
4:30We’re glad to have you here. Remember,
4:32she has three locations. awesome place
4:34to stop by. Um, so just look up Fleet
4:36Feet Wilmington and you’ll find the
4:38Jacksonville location and the two in
4:40Wilmington. And again, we are at uh
4:42Leland Brewing Company. We’re here every
4:44Thursday. Uh, we meet up at 6:00, run at
4:476:15, and it’s very casual. Anyone is
4:50welcome. So, we love to have you. And,
4:52uh, thanks for joining us, Michelle.
4:54And, uh, we’ll see you next time for our
4:55Brunswick Beat. Thank you so much.
