Natural Strides To Close Downtown Woodstock Store

WOODSTOCK, GA -- A shoe store dedicated to helping residents reconnect with a healthy form of walking and running will soon close its doors.

Natural Strides, which opened in September 2011, said its last day of operating at 8636 Main Street will be June 25. 

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my work as the owner/operator of Natural Strides," Greg Scott said in a June 12 message to customers. "I do not think there is a more fulfilling profession out there." 

As expected, Natural Strides is in the midst of a going out of business sale, and it will be open from noon to 5 p.m. each day until its inventory has been cleared out. 

• Sign up for the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter!

That doesn't exactly mean the company will completely fade away. Scott stated Natural Strides will remain active as online store. He also said he and wife Erin Scott will attend events with mobile inventory, perform gait analyses and conduct healthy running clinics on a regular basis.

"Where we started as a natural running store, we finished as a place for folks with foot pain to come for relief and education," Scott continued. "We provided people with the simple truths that most footwear stores will not go near -- we told them that even the best shoe is a distant second to being a barefoot human. We told them that shoes and socks cause every major foot condition known to man. We did our best to sell them shoes that allowed for their feet to be in natural human position. We absolutely could have brought in Brooks, Asics, Nike, Hoka, etc... and we would have had a far more profitable and workable business. Had we done that we would not be closing right now." 

As for the future, both Greg and Erin Scott have accepted jobs as special education teachers. This, Greg Scott said, will allow him to spend more time with his children while they are in their formative years.  

Scott also said he will remain a certified ChiRunning instructor and ACSM personal trainer while Erin will also make herself available to coach and provide training plans. 

"Natural footwear and running is no longer our profession and will be more of  side business, but it remains a passion of ours and something that we will always love," Scott said. "If things go well it will continue and you never know what the future may hold."

---

Image via Natural Strides' Facebook page