Meet The Grammy Winner and Entrepreneur Opening The Athlete’s Foot’s Newest Retail Location
Two years ago, The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) pioneered the Strategic African American Retail Track (StAART), a new program to support and grow Black retail ownership. Now, the footwear franchise is gearing up see the first fruits of its efforts.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, the first-ever recipient of TAF’s StAART program, will officially open TAF’s newest retail location this summer. With this launch, the Grammy Award-winning gospel artist and entrepreneur will become one of the few Black female sneaker retail store owners. She will also helm the first-ever TAF location in Greenville, S.C., her hometown.
The store is set for a grand opening in August, with a soft launch slated for some time prior to that.
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“I feel like this gives me a chance to be an inspiration to people,” said Cobbs Leonard, who also owns her own eyewear brand and previously launched a plus-sized women’s brand. “Not just as the first female, but I am actually the first recipient of this program. And I think that’s a huge opportunity to be an encouragement and an inspiration to others, especially young girls who have a desire to have companies or businesses of their own.”
As a gospel singer, Cobbs Leonard was often expected to perform in dressier footwear, like stilettos. But after a foot injury began to act up during perfomances, she switched to sneakers and never looked back.
“I just really fell in love with the sneaker world and started to do more research and study the types of sneakers I would wear. And I just made it a thing,” she said. “It’s really popular now. But back then it wasn’t. I was kind of forced into it.”
Cobbs Leonard’s love for sneakers and innate entrepreneurial spirit pushed her to apply for TAF’s StAART program. But it was the retailer’s focus on community engagement and philanthropy that sealed the deal on the program. Cobbs Leonard and her husband are pastors of their church in Greenville and have deep a history of philanthropic work in the community, which includes running food and sneaker drives and doing services for people in the hospital.
“We’re known for being that type of presence already,” Cobbs Leonard said. “So it really ties in to what The Athlete’s Foot has done for years.”
Giving back to the community is also key pillar of The Athlete’s Foot’s overall strategy. Last year, the retailer launched its Impact Council, which is meant to uplift neighborhoods with enrichment and outreach programs. And a few months ago, Cobbs Leonard partnered with The Athlete’s Foot and Jahi Rawlings, a member of its Impact Council, to run a “Sneaker Ball” to raise money for young people in need as a pre-introduction to Cobbs Leonard’s upcoming work with the retailer.
“You can find tons of entrepreneurs who have the wherewithal to open up doors, but [we looked for someone] who is really connected to that community to make change in that community because that’s what the StAART program is about,” said Darius Billings, TAF’s VP of marketing for community engagement and StAART, explaining why Cobbs Leonard was the perfect choice to kick of the program. “It’s about that ripple effect.”
Community is also the basis for The Athlete’s Foot’s new updated store design that has become the new model for the franchise. This “neighborhood” concept, which will be the basis for Cobbs Leonard’s store as well, is meant to capture a community vibe with customized art elements, local brands and engaging activations.
With the opening just weeks away, Cobbs Leonard is in the thick of hiring store associates and managers, picking out which brands will be featured in the store (leveraging The Athlete’s Foot’s deep vendor relationships) and determining how she wants the store to feel to those who enter.
“My desire is that when people come into our store, they’re gonna leave feeling like this is the best day ever,” Cobbs Leonard said. “It’s not just ‘I’m going to buy some sneakers.’ No. I’m leaving and I’m feeling better about myself.”
