MADISON — If Madison’s growth and revitalization endeavors were to have a unified voice, the newly renovated Hughes Plaza would be its 2021 spokes-building.

Although there’s Toyota Field and the seemingly endless miles of new development, Hughes Plaza is truly the story of the “comeback kid.”

Drs. Alicia and Jon Krichev, a pair of sports medicine physicians and avid fitness fanatics, have transformed the shopping plaza from blight to beautiful. Their overarching vision for renovation includes the creation of a hub for shopping, dining, and most importantly, health and fitness.

Suzanne Taylor: “For us, Fleet Feet is much more than a store — it’s a lifestyle.” (Photo/Steve Babin)

Fast forward to 2021, their vision is fast becoming a reality. As a major part of that reality, Fleet Feet, one of its newest tenants, recently opened in Hughes Plaza.

Despite the delays presented by COVID-19, the walking/running specialty store officially opened March 11. The other tenants include Absolute Nutrition, Results PT, Bicycle Cove, and coming soon to the fold, Just Love Coffee.

Fleet Feet owners Suzanne and Dink Taylor are excited about opening the Madison location, which was a two-year project in the making.

“For us, Fleet Feet is much more than a store—it’s a lifestyle,” said Suzanne. “We believe in getting the community active for everything from marathons to being comfortable walking around Disney World.”

With Fleet Feet’s strong commitment to community involvement, the Taylors found the Hughes Road location very appealing. Proximity is everything. With Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools nearby, coupled with a local community that values fitness, the couple quickly got on board with the Krichevs’ vision.

Fleet Feet has close to 200 stores in the United States, with three in Alabama: Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville.

“Our Huntsville location has been up and running for 17 years and we’ve loved every minute of it,” said Suzanne. “We’ve wanted to open a second location in Madison for a long time and everything finally came together.”

Although set in a different configuration than the Huntsville-Valley Bend location, Fleet Feet’s 6,200-square foot retail space is nearly identical in size and has all the enticing bells and whistles one comes to associate with the fitness brand.

There’s careful attention paid to detail and textures in the 6,200-square-foot space. The store is set up to accommodate social distancing – something that is much easier to do in the initial planning phases than in retrospect.

Along with an indoor running track, Fleet Feet boasts its Fit ID personalized 3D foot scanning experience. Since no two pairs of feet are alike; Fit ID is instrumental in securing an ideal, personalized fit solution for customers.

The Taylors said they look forward to being a part of the Madison community and to help area customers find products and programs that meet their fitness needs. A ribbon-cutting will kick off the grand opening Friday, followed by a “Store to Store” (HSV2MAD) 14.1 mile virtual run this weekend.