Owners of Fleet Feet Syracuse retire, sell the franchise back to the parent company

DeWITT, N.Y. — The owners of Fleet Feet Syracuse say they have retired and sold the local franchise to Fleet Feet Sports Development Company, a division of their franchisor, Fleet Feet Inc.

Owners Ed and Ellen Griffin also say they’ll be working with Fleet Feet as store business consultants for one year to “ensure a smooth transition.”

That’s according to a letter that the Griffins posted on the Fleet Feet Syracuse website. It was addressed to friends, employees, and the fitness community.

“Although we are not hanging up our running shoes, we are retiring this week,” they wrote in the letter that was composed on May 20.

The letter went on to say, “Most importantly, our entire team will remain on board and have access to additional career support, advancement opportunities, and training. It gives us great comfort in knowing that what we started in 2000 will continue strong and long into the future. We remain huge fans of this team, and we will continue to cheer for and champion their hard work and success.”

The Griffins opened the letter saying that May 20 marked their 21st anniversary having started the business on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse. The business currently has stores in DeWitt and Clay.

They credited their employees as the “heart and soul” of Fleet Feet Syracuse, helping those seeking shoes for walking the dog, those recovering from an injury, and those wishing to run their first 5k or marathon.

The Griffins also noted that they’re “proud” of those who participated in training programs; their involvement in community events like the Tipp Hill Shamrock Run, Six Legged 5k, The Mountain Goat Run, Syracuse Half Marathon, Paige’s Butterfly Run, Syrathon, the One NY Virtual Race series; and the charities, school groups, and organizations that they “have helped along the way.”