For most of his life, Derek VanAllen, 33, has been an athlete, first running track and playing soccer in high school, then as a Marine. It was during his time as a Marine he first started running, though VanAllen admits it wasn’t for pleasure. Once he returned to civilian life, he found he still enjoyed running, and in 2011, when a friend asked for VanAllen’s help growing his running store, he didn’t hesitate. That’s when the store expanded from its Lapeer roots to a retail space in pre-revitalization downtown Port Huron, and shortly after, VanAllen became the sole owner. That store,
Elite Feet, has been an anchor in the
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Derek VanAllendowntown ever since.
Why downtown Port Huron? VanAllen says it just made sense to relocate the store for several reasons. First, he says, there was no other running store in the area. Second, he believed downtown Port Huron was close to experiencing a revival, and he wanted to help get that revitalization off the ground if he could. Retail space was so affordable, VanAllen says, he was able to secure the purchase of a building, rather than continuing to rent at the original downtown Port Huron location. Just as the running industry began its boom, so too did the downtown. It’s worth noting, though, that according to the Running USA’s 2016 State of the Sport there’s been a slight downward trend in the $1.4 billion road running industry, but that hasn’t affected Elite Feet’s growing popularity, especially among the group of runners they cater to most--beginners.
VanAllen and the staff at Elite Feet make beginning runners a priority because VanAllen knows how important it is for people who are just starting out to have the right shoes. The wrong shoes, he says, can make running much more difficult and uncomfortable than it has to be, so he and his team have developed a unique analysis to help each runner find exactly the right shoes.
The process is simple, and can take as little as 10 minutes. It includes a quick, painless walk on a treadmill equipped with a camera to record a close-up of your footfalls, then about a minute of standing on a body heat-activated disc to measure your arch. Once the team member has identified any unique gait issues--Does your ankle roll in or out when you take a step? Do you have a high arch, or flat feet?--they’ll bring you several pairs of shoes to try on.
“Every team member here has tried on every type of shoe we have, so they know exactly which shoes are going to work for each sort of gait and arch,” VanAllen says.
Aside from this free gait analysis to ensure each runner ends up with a shoe designed for them, VanAllen offers other support to runners of all levels, with special outreach to beginners.
“Other stores may cater to more professional-level athletes, but we really want to be there for the beginners, for the people who are just starting out and who do it just because they love it,” he says.
VanAllen has found a way to combine two of his passions at Elite Feet--providing a warm welcome to new runners and promoting downtown Port Huron--by hosting group runs at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. His group includes runners and walkers of all speeds, and together they run the first little bit before splitting into smaller groups based on speed (or “pace”).
“We’re not competitive at all,” VanAllen points out. “We want everyone to feel comfortable, whether they’re running a 6-minute mile for training, or they’re walking with a little running here and there.”
The route winds its way through downtown and along the waterfront, and includes as many as 30 runners on any given Thursday.
Elite Feet also offers another way for local runners to spread the word about the charm of downtown Port Huron with its “We Run Port Huron” program, now in its third year. For an annual fee of $50, a runner can choose a tank, short-sleeved shirt, or long-sleeved shirt with the Elite Feet “We Run Port Huron” emblem.
“Then every time the runner finishes a race, no matter if it’s in Port Huron or in Michigan or even in the U.S., they wear their shirt, snap a photo, and share it on social media with the #werunporthuron tag.”
Elite Feet keeps track of which participants have run which races on a giant chart at the store, and at the end of the year, every runner who’s worn their shirt and tagged a photo in 10 or more races receives a special jacket.
“It’s a great way for runners to show their Port Huron pride and it’s the only way they can get that special jacket,” VanAllen said.
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Perhaps Elite Feet’s best-known event is their annual
PoHo Hot Cocoa Run, held annually at the end of January in downtown Port Huron. The race draws upwards of 1,500 runners from across St. Clair County and the midwest each year, and features a distance for runners of all levels: a one-mile fun run for kids, a 5k, a 10k, and a 10-miler.
“The little kids are surprisingly competitive,” VanAllen says with a laugh, “but everyone who finishes gets a medal.”
The chilly event also features a fitness expo and of course, all kinds of chocolate goodness.
Elite Feet is located at 327 Huron Avenue in downtown Port Huron. More information about the Thursday night group runs, the We Run Port Huron program, the PoHo Hot Cocoa Run, and the store itself can be found on the Elite Feet Facebook page at facebook.com/myelitefeet.
“Basically,” VanAllen says, “we just want everyone to feel welcome, and show them a little bit about what makes Port Huron so special at the same time.”