Atlanta, Georgia - 13 October, 1999 -

Recognizing the growing importance of the women's fitness market, The Athlete's Foot announced it will open two exclusively female stores in the month of October. The Athlete's Foot For Her, which will carry footwear and apparel for girls and women, will open at the Katy Mills shopping center in Katy, Texas, and Concord Mills shopping center in Charlotte, N.C. In celebration, all The Athlete's Foot stores will dedicate Oct. 5 through Nov. 15, 1999, as Women's Fitness Month, directing marketing and in-store graphics to women. The retailer will feature products and in-store promotions that focus on walking, cross-training and running, which are especially popular activities among women. Representatives from Nike, Reebok, Avia and other companies will be in select store locations and several manufacturers will offer gifts with purchase for female shoppers. "The Athlete's Foot For Her strengthens our commitment to active women and reinforces our position as the world's definitive authority on athletic footwear," said Robert J. Corliss, president and CEO of The Athlete's Foot Inc. "By leveraging information provided by our Research & Development Center, The Athlete's Foot has the expertise to ensure that women receive superior product knowledge and service in all of our stores. Now we have an even more customized environment tailored exclusively to active women." The Athlete's Foot's focus on women is designed to capitalize on a five-year sales growth trend in the women's athletic shoe market and a heightened interest in women's sports and fitness. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, women make up a larger percentage of athletic footwear purchases than men, and women's athletic shoe purchases have grown consistently over the past four years. Sales associates at The Athlete's Foot For Her will have the same fit technician training as other The Athlete's Foot associates, but with more emphasis on fitting shoes for women's specific footwear needs. Information for the fit technician training sessions was provided by The Athlete's Foot stores' Research & Development Center, which wear-tests major athletic shoe brands for comfort, durability and performance. The Athlete's Foot For Her stores will be equipped with the chain's exclusive new computerized foot scanner, which allows fit technicians to measure and identify pressure points through different phases of a customer's gait and recommend properly fitted shoes based on the customer's specific footwear needs. The Athlete's Foot For Her will reflect The Athlete's Foot's new prototype design, with colors and in-store graphic elements geared toward women. As part of its commitment to women's health and fitness, The Athlete's Foot published a 28-page magazine, Get Fit, featuring health and fitness tips, product reviews, interviews with celebrities and professional athletes, and information on selecting proper footwear. Produced in partnership with such manufacturers as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Avia, Asics, Dada, K-Swiss, RYKA and New Balance, the magazine will be inserted in subscriber editions of Shape magazine in top 10 markets, and will also be available free of charge at all The Athlete's Foot stores. Named Success magazine's number one franchise opportunity and Entrepreneur International magazine's eighth largest global franchisor, Atlanta-based The Athlete's Foot Group Inc. is a privately owned international athletic footwear retailer operating more than 700 corporate and franchise stores in 40-plus countries.

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