If you were running the trails, looked over, and a red fox winked at you would you take it as a sign? Although that isn’t how it came about, the real story of Red Fox is no less charming. Both Nick Brown and Jesse Anderson’s families, coincidentally, moved to Fenton at the tender age of 4. They grew up going to
local schools, ran for the local teams, and Jesse currently coaches the Fenton Cross Country team. Who knew that these two cool, humble young guys and one fantastic dog would grow up to be important parts of the revitalization of our community.
Along with being avid runners, Nick and Jesse both worked for local running stores, and jumped at the opportunity to take over the old Kirky’s Shoe space when Ken Kirky decided to retire. Since 2012 red Fox has been located in Downtown Fenton slinging quality footwear and accessories to our community. Carrying many running and outdoor brands, there is something for everyone at Red Fox. Beyond great brands such as Adidas, Altra, Irish Setter, Merrell, Patagonia, and Sperry to name a few, they offer gait analysis and offer a custom fitting analysis to get you in the right shoe.
When asked about how the beautiful new location developed Jesse says “We were in the right place at the right time.” A mutual friend both of theirs and Phil Hagerman helped to connect both sides after it was decided that an outfitter shop would be the best fit for the old grainery. Rather than go to a big box retailer, Hagerman stayed within the community and worked with Red Fox to develop the awesome new concept planned to open at the beginning of November.
The transformation of the old building into the gorgeous new modern facility has been exciting to watch. Many local residents are amazed with the preservation and repurposing of a local landmark. What a beautiful building to welcome visitors to our city! Nick and Jesse have had the opportunity to work with Kevin Johnson of Rhoads and Johnson Construction to see the old grainery take shape and transform into the new Red Fox Outfitters. The building still maintains many of its original grainery features, weigh stations, pulley systems, and the like, but many modern updates have been added to complement the
existing structure. The newer, larger space will feature more hard equipment, dedicated areas for running specialty, a large section dedicated to fly fishing, along with paddleboard and kayak sales and rentals.
If you are looking to get into running Nick’s recommendation is to take it slow and start at a comfortable pace where you are able to keep a conversation going. Start building a base and before you know it you’ll be racking up the miles. If you need any help with routes to keep your runs fresh, stop into the store and pick up suggested running path sheets or ‘Like’ Red Fox on Facebook to check out the routes and tips that they post. Need a running buddy? Join the running group meetups that meet at the store Mondays and Thursdays at 630.
This development is one of a handful of massive projects that will be taking shape over the next few years Downtown Fenton.
