Our Story
How Ted McGreer Started Ted’s Shoe & Sport
As a passionate athlete growing up in New Hampshire, I spent a lot of time on the slopes skiing, snowboarding, and cycling. In 1991, I moved to the Rocky Mountains to improve my triathlon, ski racing, and competitive cycling training (hello, altitude!). I soon became the manager of a prominent retail store in Dillon, Colorado, and developed into a master ski/snowboard boot fitter. I realized that to help the athletes coming to me, I needed to immerse myself in the science of foot/ankle anatomy. As I began that education, I found all the things I most loved converging in that store — sports, endless learning, and helping people meet their highest potential. I’m proud of what happened next. I began to fit boots for many US Development Ski Team athletes; area doctors were prescribing my services; and athletes recovering from surgery came to me for support. But I missed my family, and I missed my home, so in 1996, I moved back to the East Coast. I was immediately recruited to manage a technical running store in Keene. Just as in Colorado, I found great relationships developing with the running and medical communities as they came to me for my expertise in proper foot/shoe/boot fit and function.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
I had business experience. I had footwear expertise and a solid reputation throughout the region. And, to my dismay, I also saw an influx of big box stores that drained the region of quality, personalized service for people whose feet — and lives — deserved much more. “I just felt that customers deserved more. Not only did they deserve to be better served, but they needed a store with staff who sincerely cared about their needs, and knew how to help.” So what’s a guy like me to do but own and operate my very own store? I opened Ted’s Shoe & Sport in 2000 in the heart of downtown Keene. In the past two decades, the store has become the go-to place for knock-your- socks-off service in central New England for athletes and non-athletes alike. Our phenomenal staff work hard to provide that service. Each person trains for about 300 hours with experts and podiatrists to help achieve the perfect fit for every foot — a fit that balances comfort with support. Not only that, Ted’s Shoe & Sport helps us realize the dream of supporting the health and fitness of this community. Our store sponsors dozens of road races a year and more than 20 youth related organizations. This commitment earned Ted’s Shoe and Sport the Keene Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in 2005. It’s simple, really. We care about your feet. We care about you. “To know that you’re making a difference in people’s lives every day is the most rewarding and gratifying feeling one could experience. Especially when you love what you do, and you’re surrounded by great people”.