Forward Motion Sports

What Forward Motion Sports does

Forward Motion Sports, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned specialty sports retailer operating a single brick-and-mortar store at 432 Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville, California, with an integrated e-commerce storefront at shopforwardmotion.com. The company sells running, walking, hiking, and everyday-exercise footwear and apparel from more than 40 premium brands including Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Nike, New Balance, Saucony, On, Mizuno, Salomon, Patagonia, and Under Armour, with shoe price points ranging from approximately $124.95 to $294.95.

The company's core service is a proprietary Foot and Gait Analysis methodology refined over more than 30 years, comprising foot measurement, arch and lower leg bone structure evaluation, current footwear inspection, insole and sock inspection, try-on and fit inspection, and visual walk/run analysis. This fitting process is paired with a proprietary Pronation Control Rating (PCR) system and a published Shoe Review framework covering cushion, drop, pronation control, and weight, which the store uses to match customers to specific footwear. Forward Motion Sports also operates the Wednesday Night Run, a free weekly group run held every Wednesday at 6:30pm with 30-100 participants, supported by mileage-tracking clubs up to the 5000 Mile Club and a separate Forward Motion Race Club sub-brand.

The business model is straightforward direct-to-consumer retail: revenue is generated from one-time purchases of footwear, apparel, and accessories (socks, hydration, sunglasses, fitness trackers, insoles, recovery products), with the expert fitting service provided at no incremental charge to support conversion and basket size. The customer base is segmented across recreational to competitive runners, casual fitness and standing-all-day wearers, and trail/hiking enthusiasts, primarily drawn from the East Bay and Northern California trade area. Periodic sale events (20-60% discounts) supplement regular pricing. The company is privately held, has not raised institutional funding, and has 11-50 employees with no disclosed financial metrics.

Name

Forward Motion Sports

Legal name

Forward Motion Sports, Inc.

Website

https://forwardmotion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forward Motion Sports is a privately held specialty running and athletic retail store in Danville, California, offering footwear, apparel, and accessories from 40+ premium brands alongside its proprietary 30-year foot and gait analysis service and the long-running Wednesday Night Run community program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Athletic Footwear Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (4582), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performance Running Specialty Retail (CRAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Athletic & Performance Footwear Retail (CRAAADAA)

Keywords

• Running footwear retail
• Foot and gait analysis
• Athletic apparel store
• Hiking shoe fitting
• Specialty sports retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Danville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Footwear Retail: Sale of running, walking, and athletic shoes across multiple categories including Neutral, Control, Trail, and Racing shoes. Major brands include Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Nike, New Balance, Saucony, On, Mizuno.
2. Apparel and Accessories Retail: Sale of athletic apparel, socks, hydration products, sunglasses, fitness trackers, insoles, and recovery products from brands like Under Armour, Patagonia, Garmin, Oakley, CEP.
3. Expert Fitting Services: Complimentary foot and gait analysis services bundled with product purchases, driving customer confidence and product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Forward Motion Sports operates a full-service specialty sports retail store selling running, walking, and hiking footwear, apparel, and gear from 40+ premium athletic brands. The store's defining service is its proprietary Foot and Gait Analysis fitting methodology—refined over 30+ years—that combines foot measurement, arch and lower-leg bone structure evaluation, pronation analysis, and walk/run visual inspection to recommend optimal footwear for injury prevention and performance. Sales are fulfilled both in-store in Danville, CA and through an online e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

Forward Motion Sports is a full-service specialty retail store for running, walking, hiking, and everyday exercising. The company operates as a brick-and-mortar retail location offering footwear, apparel, and gear from over 40 athletic brands (including Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Nike, Saucony, New Balance, On, Salomon, and others). Its core service offering is Foot and Gait Analysis—a personalized fitting process spanning foot measurement, biomechanical evaluation, and visual walk/run analysis to recommend optimal footwear. The company also publishes a Shoe Review system with proprietary cushion and pronation control ratings, and operates the Wednesday Night Run community program. The product portfolio is centered on physical retail goods and in-store services, with no software or SaaS products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forward Motion Race Club: A race club operated by the company, accessible at forwardmotionraceclub.com

Products and services

• Running, Walking & Hiking Footwear Specialty athletic footwear sold across Neutral, Control/Support, Trail, and Racing categories from brands including Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Nike, New Balance, Saucony, On, Mizuno, Salomon, Topo, Hylo, and Hettas. Prices range from approximately $124.95 (Hoka Solimar 2) to $294.95 (Nike Alpha Fly 3).
• Athletic Apparel & Gear Running and athletic apparel, accessories, hydration products, sunglasses, fitness trackers, insoles, and recovery products from brands such as Under Armour, Patagonia, Garmin, Oakley, CEP, Vuori, Birkenstock, Goodr, Oofos, Stance, Feetures, Swiftwick, and Honey Stinger.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-100 participants attend each weekly Wednesday Night Run, largest continually run Group Run in the country
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AsicscoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured in shoe reviews with models including Gel-Nimbus 28, Novablast 5, GT-2000 v14, Gel Kayano 33, and Trabuco 14.
• BrookscoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Ghost 17, Glycerin 23, Adrenaline 25, Beast 24, Cascadia 19.
• HokacoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Clifton 10, Bondi 9, Mach 7, Speedgoat 7, Arahi 8, Rocket X 3, Cielo X1 3.0.
• NikecoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Pegasus 42, Vomero 18, Pegasus Plus, Structure 26, Wildhorse 10, Vapor Fly 4, Alpha Fly 3, Streak Fly 2.
• New BalancecoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include 1080 v15, 880 v15, FC Rebel v4, Supercomp Trainer v3, 860 v14.
• SauconycoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Ride 19, Peregrine 16, Endorphin Pro 5, Omni 23 ST, Guide 19.
• On (On Running)coreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Cloud 6, Cloud Surfer 2, Cloud X4, Cloud Flyer v5, Monster 3, Cloudboom Strike.
• MizunocoreOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured models include Wave Rider 29, Neo Zen, Wave Inspire 22.
• SalomoncoreOthersTrail footwear brand partner. Featured models include Genesis and Thundercross trail shoes.
• GarminsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFitness tracking technology partner. Garmin products sold in-store for GPS running watches and fitness monitoring.
• HylosupportingOthersCushion technology footwear brand. Featured models include Impact and Axis with high cushion ratings.
• ToposupportingOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured Phantom 4 model with moderate cushion and pronation control.
• HettassupportingOthersFootwear brand partner. Featured Tempo and Speed racing models.
• Under ArmoursupportingOthersAthletic apparel brand partner displayed in vendor logos.
• PatagoniasupportingOthersOutdoor apparel brand partner displayed in vendor logos.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fleet Feet: Fleet Feet is the largest U.S. running specialty retail franchise with in-store gait analysis (Fit Process) and curated brand selection across Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Nike, and Saucony. It is the closest comparable to FMS's specialty running model.
• Roadrunner Sports: Roadrunner Sports is a leading running specialty retailer (originally store-based, now predominantly online) offering premium running shoes, apparel, and gait-based fitting recommendations, competing with FMS in the Bay Area catchment.
• JackRabbit: JackRabbit is a multi-store running specialty chain offering expert fitting, gait analysis, and premium footwear/apparel from major athletic brands. Its in-store fitting services and brand mix directly mirror FMS.
• Phidippides: Phidippides is an independent running specialty store (Atlanta-area roots) with expert fitting services and a curated running shoe selection. Comparable to FMS as an independent specialty operator rather than a chain.
• A Runner's Mind: A Runner's Mind is an independent running specialty retailer offering footwear fitting and gait analysis services with brand selection similar to FMS. Comparable as a small-format specialty operator.

Broad incumbents

• Dick's Sporting Goods: Dick's Sporting Goods is a national big-box sporting goods retailer carrying running shoes, apparel, and gear from major brands. It competes with FMS on convenience and price for general consumers.
• REI Co-op: REI is a national outdoor co-op retailer carrying running shoes (Brooks, Hoka, Salomon, Nike), apparel, and gait/fit services. Its Bay Area presence and broad assortment make it an overlapping incumbent for FMS customers.
• Foot Locker: Foot Locker is a national athletic footwear retailer carrying Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and other brands FMS carries. It competes on price and convenience rather than expert fitting.

Regional players

• Sports Basement: Sports Basement is a Bay Area-based sporting goods retailer with multiple locations across Northern California. It competes for the same regional running and outdoor customer as FMS, though with broader (non-specialty) assortment.

Emerging players

• Hoka One One (DTC): Hoka is a premium running footwear brand sold by FMS that has rapidly expanded its direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel. As a brand partner, Hoka competes with its own retail partners via DTC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fomosports
• Facebookfacebook.com/forwardmotionsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forward-motion-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forward Motion Sports