Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Holiday 2018 | Page 27

THE TOP footwear “We produced a shoe you can wear, look good, feel good and perform well in,” says Finkel. Part of the success, they say, is a suspension system, which was developed by a designer in Brazil. It makes the shoe have a lightweight feel with a heavy cushion for comfort. “Runners are looking for some- thing newer and better, and that’s what we give them,” says Walsh. Building A Following Walsh and Finkel started small. They began as a running coaching company, and put on a series of events including The Racefaster Half Marathon and 5K, which grew over the years. “We call it an ecosystem,” Walsh says. “We’ve really grown and created this loyal customer base, and people are learning about us all the time. People identify with Racefaster because they know us.” Racefaster hopes to eventually compete with well-known brands like Lululemon, and Walsh says that an advantage the company has over big competitors is that it is locally based. “We have the advantage of mak- ing decisions that will benefit both the customers and the company,” he says. “People can make suggestions on products, and maybe we agree with you and the product changes. You can’t walk into Nike and do that because they’ll say, ‘There’s the door.’” “The idea is that if our product was another brand, I’d still buy it,” Walsh says. “My favorite shoe is ours.” ■ RACEFASTER STORES • 11 N. Broad St., Ridgewood • Westfield Garden State Plaza 500 Garden State Plaza Blvd., Paramus • The Mall at Short Hills 1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills YOU CAN ALSO FIND RACEFASTER PRODUCTS AT THESE LOCATIONS: • Sweat Glen Rock 208 Rock Road, Glen Rock • One Sol 1125 Maxwell Lane, Hoboken • Kaizen Lifestyle Coaching 5 Harrison Ave., Waldwick General information: racefaster.net, (201) 727-3135, [email protected] MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2018 25