Also - apologies for the delay in writing more - keeping the retail shop open while raising young children has made it difficult to develop a writing habit - I am back looking to get on a semi-weekly cadence! This particular post is mostly a run-down of initiatives we’ve pursued with a call-to-action to help us figure out where we can improve and grow - future posts will be more engaging content.

Hudson is a city of ~5700 people in upstate (perhaps mid-state) New York. It is a cute, quaint hop-skip-jump away from the city lights. There are many people that live here, many more that visit here, and unique challenges that we face as a community divided between an influx of investment and a fickle local economy.

Demographically, there are countless small towns across the country just like us. Where it takes a lot of energy from a few people to make things happen at all.

When it comes to running and its current trendiness, in a world dominated by Instagram stories of urban centers activating multi-national brands, it feels like the popular running scene isn’t for us in small towns. It’s hard enough to develop one’s own running habit, let alone sync our calendars and paces to meet. Without resources and a critical mass of larger cities, we’ve found we have to be creative and consistent in order to grow our running community here in the Hudson Valley. That means showing up every Wednesday at Return/Sunday morning at Neighbor, bringing brands and their resources to Hudson, and partnering with local organizations to bring awareness to them.

I’ll outline specifically what we are doing to reach out locally, where we are headed, and leave with an open question: “what kinds of things do people want more of?” for our readers.

What is the goal of “building the running community”?

For the running shop, it’s survival. If we can’t find enough walkers and runners to sell shoes to, then we have to create more walkers and runners. Alternatively, if we can make Hudson a hub with resources like tools, know-how, and a vibrant community - then we can draw in our audience for cool events and experiences.

On a more human level, we think everyone in our community would benefit from being outside more, interacting more, and challenging themselves just a little bit. Ultimately, as a shop, we will do whatever our community wants - so far that has been more events, safer running options, and more access to training resources.

There is an old saying: “You have a good life because you have good neighbors” - an idea that the store was founded upon. We believe that everyone can be a better neighbor by being healthier and being present outdoors more in their community. In that vein, we are also always looking for more groups and events to partner with to encourage movement, gathering, dialogue, and meeting your neighbors.

What is Neighbor Running doing in Hudson?

1. One thing we have done a lot of in year 1 is donate to local events and groups. That not only includes money, but time, expertise, resources, audience… a clear investment in making Hudson a running town that draws folks from all over.

Hudson Neighborhood 5k: In April of 2026, we put on a 5k that went down Warren Street in Hudson with Greater Hudson Promise and Return Brewing. Of all of our commitments, becoming a race director might be the most costly one personally (please reach out if you want to be a race director)

Kinderhook’s OK5k: In June, we sponsored one of the oldest, fastest traditions in the area, the OK5k. It’s the perfect place to get a fast 5k time on a pancake-flat, USATF-certified course and it benefits it’s organizers Kinderhook Runners Club - an incredible club that does multiple weekly events and works with many local non-profits.

The Hudson Mile: In the dog days of summer is Hudson’s premier road mile, The Hudson Mile, where runners flew down Warren Street to huge PRs and proceeds went to Perfect Ten after-school girl’s program. We helped put on the Neighbor Running Kid’s Mile this year and facilitated a shoe donation.

Movement Day: We help organize the running relay around Oakdale Lake every year that sees 100+ local athletes participate in yoga, biking, running, and circuit fitness challenges to raise awareness and funds for Greater Hudson Promise.

Ghostly Gallop 5k: To cap off the named list of events we directly sponsor, the Ghostly Gallop is a yearly Halloween race that sees (usually costumed) community members convene to for a spooky fundraiser for our local Hudson Area Library.

2. In addition to montary commitments through sponsorships, one major goal of ours is to get brand money to grow community Hudson

HYLO:Neighbor Community Garden: In collaboration with HYLO and Silver Botanic we were able to convert the backyard of the store into a community garden that grows plants critical to HYLO’s shoes and other plants valuable to runners’s well-being as sort of a runner’s apothecary. We keep the garden open on nice days for folks to enjoy freely and take home some of their favorite veggies and herbs. Big thanks to HYLO for partnering with us on this one!

R.A.D FKT: For the launch of the R.A.D SYNTH this summer we were able to throw a demo party for the SYNTH and the UFO with music from Leo Belsky and food from Isaan Thai Star at Return Brewing. We saw many fast times on the Strava segment and had a great night of footwear, food, and rock-and-roll.

Shoe Donations to Together for Youth: Thanks to ASICS, we were able to donation over 25 pairs of trainers to Together for Youth, an organization that works with 2000+ foster kids and families in the Capital District.

Shoe Donation for Perfect Ten girls: The Hudson Mile presented an opportunity for local runners to train for an approachable race. Jorge, the race director for the Hudson Mile, coached a team of a dozen middle- and high-school-aged girls in preparation for the Hudson Mile. To show support, PUMA donated fresh Nitro Deviate running shoes to the girls for their efforts.

*additional note: We’ve donated over 200 used pairs to Sneakers 4 Good.

3. Lastly, but certainly not least, I personally give time each week to local running groups to help provide hands-on coaching

Return Run Club: Neighbor Running hosts a free training group at Return Brewing Wednesdays at 5:30pm all year round for beginners to sub-elite runners!

Hudson High: In addition to the community club, I volunteer coach at Hudson High for the Cross Country and Track and Field programs. Some shoe donations have been made from Neighbor Running to the school — future spike nights will be organized for the kids. Student-athletes will always get 15% off at Neighbor Running!

What is planned for the community?

We are in the planning stages of organizing a non-profit around Run Hudson that would help get resources like shoes and tools to get our community more active. Please inquire with questions or support!

We’re just getting started here and curious to hear from our community more programming or events that our neighbors are looking for. If you feel like there are barriers to getting outside and being active, we want to hear about them and how we can help overcome them. We’re excited to keep showing up for Hudson and Columbia County.

Thanks for reading!

I’m often asked “What is the best pair of shoes?”. Or when pressed a different way: “Well, what shoe do you wear?”

If there was an answer to that then I wouldn’t open a shoe store. Or I’d have a store with one shoe available in multiple sizes and colors. For better or worse, that isn’t the case, so we get to try out multiple types and styles of shoes, read reviews, and maintain a variety of options and variants in our inventory. All of this is because everyone is unique and the right shoe will be the right shoe for you at the current place-in-time.1

People with similar profiles also may be at different places in life or activities, so the perfect shoe for you today might not be the same shoe for you next year. Run speciality shops (should) exist to listen to your story and find the right set of items or techniques to aid you in achieving your activity goals.

The goal of our process is to get you into a shoe that will help you to move more without injury2.

I’ll outline the custom fitting process at Neighbor Running:

1. Self-history of walking/running/movement

   1. We start by listening to customers with a particular ear for past injuries, changes to workload, and future goals

2. Measure length and width (and other fit concerns)

   1. Good old fashioned measuring, tried and true; honestly, one of the most valuable services we provide

3. Biomechanics explainer of a basic gait analysis (side-to-side and back-to-front)

   1. Side-to-side: Over-pronation ←→ Supination

   2. Back-to-front: Heel striker, midfoot striker, toe-stepper

4. Shoe review of existing pair (if provided)

   1. A look into one’s sole

5. Try on shoes and compare options (most important step)

   1. We have a treadmill!3

ONE | What’s your story?

We try to start with listening to a customer about their movement history.

If someone is new to looking at shoes, we might show them a wider variety of options that could work for them.

If someone has weight loss as a primary goal, we may focus more on the appropriate level of cushioning (energy dispersion) vs performance (energy return).

If someone has budgetary concerns, we’ll start by shopping from our sale rack for viable options.

The initial conversation helps focus our spotlight and the pool of options we are selecting from… assuming we have your size.

TWO | Measure twice, fit once

The most common issue we find is these days people don’t know their correct size and width.

If you wear shoes too short or narrow, you could experience bruised toenails, foot pain, and be at higher risk for metatarsal injuries.

If you wear shoes too long or wide, you could experience heel slippage, blisters, and generally instability.

Any inconsistencies in sizing will impact gait and biomechanics and make it more difficult to dial in on the right shoe and the right individualized mechanics. The right fit to each foot is critical,

We love our standard Brannock Device4. It is a tried-and-true fixed measuring device that lets us have a line in the sand we can calibrate our shoes and their fits against. Our online shop will soon include the particular fit of models of shoes (short, long, narrow, wide, true-to-size) to help shoppers identify manufacturer’s inconsistencies.

Standard width for men’s shoes are D and women’s shoes are B. Women’s narrows are AA and wides D (so a men’s 9 is a women’s 7.5 wide). Men’s narrows are B and wides EE (extra wides are available in shop in 4E). Brands differ as well, shoes like ASICS and Puma are known for a bit of a narrower midfoot, while brands like Brooks and Mizuno are known to a bit a bit more accommodating on midfoot width.

When it comes to unique foot shapes, some shoppers are looking for shoes that are specifically wider in the toe box. If you come in with bunyons, hammer toes, or a general need for a wider toe box - we will probably try you in Altras or Mount to Coast known for their wider toe boxes.

THREE | What does your gait say?

When possible, we watch customers walk and jog in either the shoes they came in with or a readily available neutral trainer (lately our favorites have been the Mizuno Riders or Altra Torins due to stack height, price point, and ease of analysis).

The way we address gait inefficiences with shoes is a light touch. If you are having success (no injuries) with a particular type of shoe - we do not generally change you away from it (e.g. if you overpronate but have been happy with Brooks Ghosts). This do-no-harm approach helps reduce the likelihood of changing mechanics while things are working. Modern, quality running shoes have a lot of structural mechanisms to help reduce stress and load from gait inefficiency. We recognize shoes are just one lever to mitigate training stress and injury risk.

Pronation

Pronation is the rolling over of the foot during a stride, which sometimes is described/accompanied by a collapsing of the arch. Pronation is natural and we all do it as part of our stride. 30-40% of people are over-pronators that might require different footwear to make up for natural deficiencies or weaknesses/inflexibility in lower limb musculature. A good shoe here might be an ASICS Kayano or Brooks Adrenaline GTS.

Foot-strike

A majority of runners are heel strikers, for heavier strikers we generally fit shoes that are more cushioned underfoot like HOKA Clifton, HOKA Bondi, or On CloudMonster.

For midfoot strikers and forefoot strikers we look to limit heel-to-toe drop a bit and find shoes with more forward rocker shapes - like the Altra Torin or Mount to Coast H1.

For a more in-depth look at foot-strike, check out this excellent guide from RunRepeat.

Using myself as the above example, pretty neutral gait, mid-foot striking - but can focus on some more advanced elements like pelvic tilt, foot strike, and leg swing in the future. Check out the ochy app for tech-assisted gait analysis

FOUR | Peek at your old sole

We will take a look at old shoes if you bring them into to help understand how you move in that particular profile and have a visual explainer of why we try certain options. Wear pattern helps understand how many miles old shoes have, how much force is impacting different zones, and what shoe shape/profile might fit someone’s gait better. Absolutely not necessary to get a new pair, but it can be a helpful data point in pulling shoes to try on.

FIVE | If the shoe fits…

Neighbor Running has a brick-and-mortar location because putting shoes on feet and feeling the different options is critical. Regardless of what shape and science says, you will know when a shoe feels right. We encourage you to come on in, say hi!, try some things on - the store is open Friday through Monday.

So what’s the best shoe for you? Come find out.

The brands we carry are below:

• Altra: wide toebox, low-drop

• ASICS: reliable, high quality

• Brooks: everyday workhorse

• Diadora: Italian heritage, understated look-and-feel

• HOKA: confidence-inspiring maximal cushion

• Mizuno: underrated, smooth ride

• Mount to Coast: exciting new brand with ultramarathoning roots

• New Balance: versatile, history of excellence

• On: Swiss-engineered, distinctly modern

• Puma: speed-heritage, street-to-track

• Saucony: classic running look-and-feel

• Tracksmith: Boston-soul, premium brand

• Vivobarefoot: minimalist walking/gym option

• 4t2: fashionable, quality upstart - from work to workout

And coming soon…

• Hylo: high-quality, sustainably-produced shoes

• R.A.D.: exciting new shoes tuned for performance

That’s all for now, thanks for reading!

Our immediate plans are to build out the primary website with events, clubs, local routes, and local causes we support. The shop will have more information on shoes and their fit/purpose/reviews as well as personalized notes for products, including our recommendations.

With the start of 2026, we are excited to get back to blogging. Our future posts include a shoe-fitting guide, a 2025 wrap-up, a first-look at new releases in 2026, and training guides for those looking to get into walking/running/moving. Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Kevin and the team at Neighbor Running

What we sell

Our current brand list for shoes is:

• 4T2

• ASICs

• Altra

• Diadora

• HOKA

• Mizuno

• Mount to Coast

• Puma

• Tracksmith

• Vivobarefoot

Apparel we sell in store includes:

• Bandit

• lululemon

• Rabbit

• SAYSKY

Accessories include:

• COROS

• Goodr

• GU

• Maurten

• OS1st

• ROKA

With all of these products, there are so many things to try on and try out - so don’t be a stranger if you are in the neighborhood. We also have a lot of custom merchandise that we have designed and in some cases have had manufactured for us.

*Note we are also a showroom for the Wahoo KICKR RUN (which we highly recommend)

How we sell

Currently, it’s more art than science on trying to meet customers where they are at. If you’ve already been in the store, you’ve probably seen us trying to size up whether you are a customer who knows exactly what you want, you want directed help, or you just want to explore the shop in a curious, non-linear fashion. We try to meet you where you are.

Ideally, there would be enough interest and time for custom shoe fittings and multiple pairs tried on until you found the perfect pair of shoes. If you’ve got that time? Great, we’ll do it. If not, we’ll find you something that works within your availability window.

Over time, we’ll layer education, technology, and training/strength/stretching advice to help provide a holistic approach to making sure you move comfortably and confidently regardless of your background and activity level.

What we are supporting already

We are passionate about creating an engaged and inclusive community around us. In addition to the work that we do out of the shop, we try to support local events that align with our interests and values. Local events we have already sponsored include:

• 7/12/25: The Hudson Mile

• 8/7/25-8/10/25: The Hudson Film Festival

• 9/20/2025: Hudson’s Movement Day at Oakdale Pond

• 10/26/2025: Hudson Area Library’s Ghostly Gallop 5k

We prefer to spend any of our “marketing budget” to help to put on events that bring our neighbors closer together. If you know of more events or ideas coming down the pipe that need support feel free to reach out to hello@neighborrunning.com.

Our Roadmap

To keep readers plugged in to the status and plans of the shop it made sense to post some high level plans for the store

• August

  • New Social Content

    • Substack posts like this one, better Instagram presence, local outreach and partnerships (more to come)

  • New brands

    • We’re currently speaking with Brooks, New Balance, and On to expand our footwear offering (Dec update : all in-store now!)

• September

  • Launch of our eCommerce Site (Dec update: now January 2026)

  • Digital organization of local runs and run clubs

  • Finalizing hiring for the fall/winter season (local job postings to come)

• October

  • Finishing new interior projects (new seating and shoe wall) with Primary Visual

  • Maps of local runs to go up in-store (this project is deprioritized)

  • Ribbon cutting with Columbia County Chamber of Commerce

• Beyond

  • Case studies on applying technology for fittings (video recording, apps, etc)

  • Online resources for remote shoe fitting

Upcoming posts (12/27 update: these posts are still coming, but I’ve neglected my duties):

• Fri 8/22: Analyzing gaits and fitting shoes

• Fri 8/29: Kevin’s lineup of shoes and fall apparel

• Fri 9/5: The basics of a training plan, e.g. from couch-(to-floor-to-sidewalk)-to-raceday

We’re also planning spotlight posts (products, injury, local runners/movers, work done for the shop, local non-profits, etc) to highlight good work and things to work on.

More post ideas to come, feel free to comment on this post or reach out to hello@neighborrunning.com with more topics. Thanks so much for reading.

I’m excited to share that Neighbor Running will be opening in Hudson this summer. I aim for it to be a space for runners, walkers, and any other type of movers to meet, shop, and organize at 209 Warren St.

Who is this?

Hi, I’m Kevin. I’m a husband and father of two young children in Hudson, NY. Many moons ago, I ran XC and track at University of Virginia, sold shoes at Ragged Mountain Running Shop, and coached at Oakton High School. Running filled a major space in my life and I was competitive. But at some point I just stopped. I stopped competing and running altogether.

I traveled around. I settled in San Francisco, California for a decade. I worked in tech startups. I met my wife, Maddie, and we planned our life together.

The pandemic happened, life was getting more stressful. We moved to upstate New York to raise a family. Running came back into my life as a pressure release valve and valuable practice for my mental health. It is now more meditative, intentional, and serves me in a way I want to more enthusiastically share and help grow locally.

My wife and I got more involved in our community in Hudson. She organizes an excellent newsletter called The Soft Spot while in nursing school. I helped to start and grow Return Run Club. We met great people through those things. I decided to take a chance at building more community through running/walking, fitting people to shoes, and getting them to a place they feel comfortable; there is here.

When and Where

Grand Opening Date: July-ish 2025
Location: 209 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534
Hours: The gold standard of any Hudson business should be being open 7 days a week … Initially, I am aiming for 4-5 days per week of being open with at least 3 days of community runs

The Motivation Behind This

The idea for Neighbor came from a desire to build a space where you can meet other people through a healthy hobby and desire for connection. Above all, I believe we should strive to make the tools of community-building and domain expertise accessible.

To keep it going, I will try to sell you (quality) stuff. If it’s done well, I hope it can be a place to congregate without feeling pressure to buy anything.

On Brand Partnerships

We’re currently working with running shoe, apparel, and accessory brands that represent the best in quality and share values around community and sustainability.

I’ll be showcasing those brands in individual posts moving forward as we get more products ordered.

On Working with Neighbor

I am striving to work with local professionals to build out Neighbor. Currently, I have a brilliant local designer helping to refine the branding/logo, a renown local firm with the store buildout, and will be seeking out other professionals from our community to help make this dream happen.

I’ll also be showcasing anyone we work with and their work here as we go.

Community Ideas

I plan on introducing Neighbor Running to the area with a couple of local-focused, community-driven initiatives:

• Community runs and workouts throughout the week

• Local non-profits featured regularly through the store and website

• Quarterly community service projects/goals like shoe donations, coat drives, trail maintenance, etc

If you have ideas for how this space and business can be helpful to bring folks together or help those in need, feel free to drop a line at hi@neighborrunning.com

Upcoming Posts

In the coming weeks here is some of the content I plan to write, as the storefronts (on Warren and online) get a makeover:

• Couch-to-5k plan: How to get faster with limited time

• Shoe fitting: How do I choose the right running shoe?

• Injury-specific spotlight: Shin splints (if this is well-received, I can follow-up with other common injuries with prehab & rehab plans)

Neighbor represents not just a new business, but a commitment to fostering meaningful connections in Hudson. I look forward to it growing alongside our community and creating a space space for my neighbors that reflects my values.

Hudson and the rest of the Hudson Valley are beautiful. If you are not here, please visit! If you are here, see you out there!

Cheers,

Kevin, Neighbor Running

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kevin@neighborrunning.com

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