On The Run Shoes
On The Run Shoes is a founder-owned San Francisco specialty footwear retailer founded in 1977, selling premium brand-name athletic and comfort shoes alongside its own line of custom-manufactured European orthotics, with personalized biomechanical fitting for Bay Area consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What On The Run Shoes does
On The Run Shoes is a single-location, founder-owned specialty footwear retailer founded in 1977 by Mark Wachter in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood (1310 9th Avenue). The company sells brand-name athletic and comfort footwear across twelve premium brands — including Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Altra, New Balance, Saucony, Keen, Oboz, Darn Tough, Teva, Taos, and Vionic — alongside a proprietary line of custom orthotics (Stable Support, Propulsion Pro, Ultimate Pro Support, Stable Elite) engineered and hand-crafted in Europe (Poland and Germany) and customizable to individual foot profiles. Its core differentiator is biomechanically-trained staff who perform personalized foot evaluations and match footwear to specific conditions such as plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendonitis, bunions, and shin splints.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer retail model with no e-commerce platform, supplemented by phone orders, curbside pickup, and shipping for Bay Area customers. Revenue is generated through three streams: branded athletic and comfort shoe sales, custom orthotic inserts priced between $39 and $89, and professional fitting/foot health services (including workplace seminars at organizations such as the San Francisco Police Department, UCSF Medical School, and the San Francisco Emergency Services Department). The company also operates CitiShoes, a wholly-owned fashion-footwear sister store founded by Mark Wachter in 2005 at 751 Irving Street that applies the same foot-health customization principles to dress and casual shoes. With 1-10 employees, the company is a micro-retailer reliant on the founder's expertise and local community reputation built over nearly five decades, without institutional investors or disclosed funding.
On The Run Shoes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- On The Run Shoes
- Legal name
- On The Run Shoes
- Website
- https://ontherunshoes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- On The Run Shoes is a founder-owned San Francisco specialty footwear retailer founded in 1977, selling premium brand-name athletic and comfort shoes alongside its own line of custom-manufactured European orthotics, with personalized biomechanical fitting for Bay Area consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
On The Run Shoes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Footwear Retail
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (458210)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comfort, Orthopedic & Medical Footwear Retail (CRAAADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performance Running Specialty Retail (CRAMACAA), Performance Footwear (Running, Training, Court) (CRAAAEAI)
Keywords
Where On The Run Shoes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
On The Run Shoes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Athletic and Comfort Shoe Sales: Traditional retail sales of branded athletic and comfort footwear including Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Altra, New Balance, Saucony, Keen, Oboz, Darn Tough, Teva, Taos, and Vionic brands.
- Custom Orthotics: Sale of proprietary custom orthotic inserts, manufactured in Europe, that are customized to individual foot needs. Price range $39-$89 for orthotic inserts.
- Professional Fitting Services: Biomechanical foot evaluations and personalized shoe fitting services provided by trained staff. Includes workplace seminars and foot health consultations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Orthotics pricing range |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
On The Run Shoes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
On The Run Shoes is a specialty foot health retailer that sells branded athletic and comfort footwear alongside custom European-manufactured orthotic inserts. The store provides personalized biomechanical foot evaluations and shoe fitting services, helping customers match shoes and orthotics to specific foot conditions and activity needs. It operates a single physical retail location in San Francisco supplemented by workplace foot health seminars for organizations.
Product overview
On The Run is a specialty foot health retailer offering a combination of custom orthotics and branded athletic/comfort footwear. The core offerings include custom orthotic inserts (Stable Support, Propulsion Pro, Ultimate Pro Support, Stable Elite) manufactured in Europe and customized to individual foot profiles, alongside athletic shoes from 12 major brands (Altra, Asics, Brooks, Darn Tough, Hoka, Keen, New Balance, Oboz, Saucony, Taos, Teva, Vionic). The company differentiates through biomechanical foot evaluations performed by trained specialists, combining product retail with professional foot health expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- On the Run Orthotics: Custom orthopedic inserts manufactured in Europe, hand-crafted with high-quality materials, recommended for superior support and cushioning with customization capabilities.
Products and services
- Custom Orthotics Custom-engineered and hand-crafted orthotic inserts manufactured in Europe (Poland and Germany) using highest quality materials. Customized to fit individual foot needs and recommended by doctors for superior support and cushioning. Available in Stable Support, Propulsion Pro, Ultimate Pro Support, and Stable Elite models at price range $39-$89.
- Athletic & Comfort Shoes Curated multi-brand selection of athletic and comfort footwear carried at the San Francisco retail location. Brands include Altra, Asics, Brooks, Darn Tough, Hoka, Keen, New Balance, Oboz, Saucony, Taos, Teva, and Vionic, spanning running, walking, hiking, trail, casual, and comfort categories.
- Foot Health Evaluation Services Biomechanical foot evaluations performed by trained specialists (personally trained by founder Mark Wachter) to identify specific foot issues and match shoes to individual needs. Includes in-store consultations as well as on-site workplace seminars for organizations such as the San Francisco Police Department and UCSF Medical School.
- Hoka Bondi 9 Latest generation of Hoka's flagship Bondi series max-cushion daily trainer running shoe, available at On The Run's San Francisco retail location.
Companies that use On The Run Shoes
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
On The Run Shoes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
On The Run Shoes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Hoka One OnecorePrimary athletic shoe brand partnership. Featured prominently in-store including new Bondi 9 model. Participated in healthcare worker donation program during COVID-19. Wide selection of max-cushion daily trainers available.
- BrookscoreCarried brand at retail location serving running enthusiasts and foot health customers.
- AsicscoreFeatured athletic shoe brand available at On the Run retail location.
- AltracoreCarried brand specializing in athletic and running shoes with foot-shaped toe boxes.
- New BalancecoreMajor athletic and lifestyle footwear brand carried at retail location.
- SauconycoreRunning and athletic shoe brand available in-store.
- KeensecondaryOutdoor and casual footwear brand available at retail.
- ObozsecondaryOutdoor and hiking footwear brand carried in-store.
- Darn ToughsecondaryAthletic socks brand available at retail location.
- TevasecondaryCasual and outdoor sandal brand carried in-store.
- TaossecondaryComfort footwear brand available at retail location.
- VioniccoreComfort footwear and orthotic brand specializing in arch support. Carries Tide and Wave series sandals. APMA Seal of Acceptance holder. Featured orthotic-supportive footwear brand.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
On The Run Shoes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Road Runner Sports: Multi-store running-shoe specialty retailer with performance-fitting expertise and broad selection of athletic brands. Comparable to On The Run in core product mix, target customer (runners), and in-store fit services.
- The Walking Company: Specialty comfort-footwear retailer focused on arch support, orthotic-friendly shoes, and Vionic-style comfort brands. Overlaps directly with On The Run's orthotic/comfort footwear positioning and foot-health value proposition.
- Fleet Feet: Running-specialty retail franchise with in-store gait analysis and personalized shoe fitting. Closely matches On The Run's runner- and foot-health-focused customer segments and direct-to-consumer retail model.
- Good Feet Store: National specialty retail chain focused on custom-fit arch supports and orthotics with in-store foot evaluation. Operates the same combination of branded footwear + custom orthotics + biomechanical fitting that defines On The Run Shoes.
- Lucky Feet Shoes: Independently owned comfort and orthopedic footwear retailers offering custom orthotics and personalized fitting across multiple US markets. Mirrors On The Run's single-location specialty-retail model with orthotic-focused expertise.
- JackRabbit: Specialty running-store chain offering athletic footwear, gait analysis, and brand expertise. Directly comparable in customer base (runners, fitness enthusiasts), product mix (Hoka, Brooks, Saucony, etc.), and personalized fit model.
Broad incumbents
- Superfeet Worldwide: Established orthotic-insoles brand and manufacturer with retail-channel presence and broad distribution. Comparable to On The Run's orthotic manufacturing/private-label role but at significantly larger scale and broader distribution.
- REI Co-op: Large outdoor and athletic-footwear retailer with in-store fit expertise and broad brand selection. Overlaps with On The Run's athletic and outdoor footwear offering (Hoka, Brooks, Keen, Oboz) but operates at much broader scale across many categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
On The Run Shoes social profiles
Digital presenceOn The Run Shoes compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
On The Run Shoes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
On The Run Shoes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
On The Run Shoes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
On The Run Shoes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
On The Run Shoes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about On The Run Shoes
What does On The Run Shoes do?
On The Run Shoes is a specialty foot health retailer that sells branded athletic and comfort footwear alongside custom European-manufactured orthotic inserts. The store provides personalized biomechanical foot evaluations and shoe fitting services, helping customers match shoes and orthotics to specific foot conditions and activity needs. It operates a single physical retail location in San Francisco supplemented by workplace foot health seminars for organizations.
Is On The Run Shoes a public or private company?
On The Run Shoes is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was On The Run Shoes founded?
On The Run Shoes was founded in 1977. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is On The Run Shoes based?
On The Run Shoes is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does On The Run Shoes make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Athletic and Comfort Shoe Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Orthotics and professional Fitting Services.
Who are On The Run Shoes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Road Runner Sports, The Walking Company, Fleet Feet, Good Feet Store, Lucky Feet Shoes and JackRabbit. Broad incumbents are Superfeet Worldwide and REI Co-op.
Does On The Run Shoes have an API?
No public API is recorded for On The Run Shoes.
What industry is On The Run Shoes in?
On The Run Shoes's product category is Specialty Footwear Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAADAG, Comfort, Orthopedic & Medical Footwear Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMACAA, Performance Running Specialty Retail. Its NAICS code is 458210 and its SIC code is 5661.