Our Story: From The Sidewalk to Sidewalk Athletics

After selling shoes out of the trunk of my car for 2 years, someone broke into my storage unit and stole 400+ pairs of shoes—over $100k worth of inventory.

After raising $16K from the sneaker community, church family, and friends, I doubled down on the vision and partnered up with Nick Nguyen to open From The Sidewalk in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, OH. We spent two years building community and culture, but I knew it was time to pivot. After experiencing a total health overhaul—losing 80 lbs in a fitness community—I knew I was called to help people experience that same type of transformation.

The day we decided to close, someone sent me a $200K grant opportunity for a Black entrepreneur to open a running shoe store. I ended up finishing top 5 out of 100 people, but during that process I saw the vision very clearly. That's what led me to Sidewalk Athletics.

Sidewalk Athletics exists to educate, equip, and empower people to live healthier lives. Founded by ISSA Certified Running Coach Robert "Mike" Giddens, we believe people are at their best when they consistently invest in physical fitness—and that wellness belongs everywhere. Today that mission shows up every Monday at Track Club, in our training programs, and in the community fitness activations we bring directly to where people live and work. Come move with us.