How Kiera Smalls and Harry Chandler Are Working Through Obstacles to Create a More Equitable Running Industry
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Just a few years ago, the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in all industries, including running, was paramount.
However, the pace of these talks has slowed as we’ve become further removed from the 2020 murder of George Floyd — the initial spark of these discussions. Also, the country’s increasingly hostile political environment and the Supreme Court’s historic affirmative action decision in February have many companies reconsidering their approach to DEI. All of which makes an equitable future seem bleak at best.
Nevertheless, several powerful voices within the running industry are continuing the good fight. These include Kiera Smalls, executive director of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC), and Harry Chandler, co-owner of Charlotte Running Co.
In early October, while on an exclusive tour of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio — the new home of The Running Event for 2025 — Smalls and Chandler spoke with FN about the current state of DEI.
Both Smalls and Chandler play significant roles in specialty run retail. Chandler, one of the industry’s few Black storeowners, is a respected voice in the ever-important channel. As for Smalls, her efforts include the Run the Block mentoring, education and grant program that was announced in January. This effort will provide Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) individuals or groups with support to open a store.
Below is a conversation with the two leaders, edited for space.
After years of publicly declaring DEI as a priority, some companies are now rolling back these policies. How does this impact you in your respective roles?
Kiera Smalls: “The work can’t go anywhere if we want to do right by people, especially with the growing racial demographic in this country. It might have a different name, it might look different, but it’s not going away completely. You want to move our efforts to the marketing budget or the product budget or the sales budget? That’s fine. But we need you to work alongside us to do what we need to do to achieve our mission. We’re getting creative, but we don’t feel apathy. We don’t feel like we’re moving backward. I can only speak for my organization, but in general, we have to be mindful that this too shall pass, meaning the pressures and the polarization around the topic.”
Harry Chandler: “The requirement for our brand is there. We hired a company to audit us to see where we’re trending, how our efforts are landing. Are we living what we’re saying? Is it what the community experiences when they engage and interact with us? Outside of that, it’s continuing to challenge our partners to do the same thing. A lot of companies are transitioning where their DEI budget is going. A lot of them don’t have DEI departments, managers or sectors of their company. It’s either coming out of marketing or combined with human resources — some companies are decreasing the budget that they previously put up for DEI. I’m trying to work with other brands to challenge them to continue their efforts.”
Previously, Harry, you mentioned you have avoided being the DEI martyr, but now you’re embracing that role. What changed?
HC: “What changed is what it meant through my experiences. I go to The Running Event or the Run Summit on a consistent basis, and I sit at these tables where I get, as a Black man, a fist bump or an elbow [while standing] next to somebody else that got a handshake. Or I get a portion of someone’s attention until it’s been followed up with the assurance from someone else that I, in fact, own running stores, that I’m the vice president of the Running Industry Association. I’m going to do this work so that the next person coming behind me doesn’t have to deal with that. I’m going to take every speaking engagement, I’m going to help companies write proposals for their increase in DEI budget, and I’m going to do that until diversity is so present and everybody is so included that [Dilworth location manager] Armani [McDonald] doesn’t have to worry about that when he’s running a store.”
KS: “We’re going into our third year of doing scholarships for TRE, and we do a survey every year of their experience. People have said, ‘I’ve been going to TRE for 10-plus years, but I’ve never felt as included as I’ve done with the RIDC,’ or ‘I walk around the trade show floors and feel like I’m the only one, but having the spirit of the RIDC to back me up, to show I belong in this space has made me more confident to walk around.’ And we’re talking about an employee who could potentially be an owner, who could potentially be a top leader at a brand one day.”
When does the work toward fostering a diverse and equitable future get overwhelming?
HC: “The work is necessary, but the second there’s contention or someone’s expected to have a stand or asked to have an opinion, that’s when it becomes controversial. That portion of it I’d like us to leave behind. It’s important when you talk about diversity that you do see it through the lens of the misrepresented and underrepresented.”
KS: “A lot of us have exhaustion, but we don’t have the privilege or luxury to wash our hands of this work. That’s why at RIDC it’s important to me, to our leadership, that we have moments to acknowledge progress. Some of our white partners who are in this work with us will go, ‘Yeah, I did this thing, but I didn’t do it enough. There’s so much more to do.’ I’m like, wait a minute, what you did positively impacted a BIPOC person or a community. We can’t diminish any effort, big or small.”
What is the biggest challenge specialty run retail faces today?
HC: “Culture and retention. How people feel coming to work. Are they happy? Does it parallel the life they live and not consume it? A lot of retail owners get so business minded and forget the fact that the people operating your business are the resource to you.”
KS: “This country is becoming more racially diverse, so our consumer base is going to be even more diverse in the future. How we make sure run specialty remains relevant to the growing communities is on our minds at RIDC. We also think about the makeup of ownership at run specialty — it’s majority white. We have our new [grant program] called Run the Block to increase BIPOC representation of ownership in this country. This is another opportunity to make sure the ownership of run specialty is reflective of the consumers they serve.”
RIDC is turning five next year. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
KS: “We as an industry must always move forward. History tells us that there are always going to be challenges, backlash and apathy to anything related to racial justice or DEI. It is important to keep in mind that we are all trying to make this country a little better than it was for the next generation. When an issue comes up in the industry, we acknowledge it, address it and continue to create opportunities. Another thing, we have a good amount of people who champion the RIDC mission internally in their companies, but also personally. This is not just what am I doing individually or what is RIDC doing over there — it’s what we are all doing collectively.”
What advice do you have for BIPOC individuals looking to enter the industry?
KS: “Just join the running industry. We need you. We see you. We need you on the board of directors at brands, in the C-suite, at the starting line of these races, as the vendor company being contracted out by these races.”
HC: “An invitation isn’t required. Any room that you find yourself in, you belong in, and you bring something into that space. I quote my dad and granddad over and over again: ‘It’s a poor duck that don’t praise its own pond.’ If you won’t take pride in what you own and splash and make waves so that they ripple and touch someone else, and if you don’t understand that you are the resource, don’t come in the room.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
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