Our Story
Idaho Running Company has been part of Boise's running community since 1997. Three chapters, one shop on State Street, and the same belief the whole way through: every runner and walker, at every age and every pace, deserves the right shoes and a community to move with.
Mike Shu opens the doors
Shu's Idaho Running Company opens in Boise with a simple idea: get to know every customer by name, fit them properly, and help them get out and move. No chain-store rush, just real people who run helping their neighbors find the right shoes.
Unleash your feet
"Walk. Run. Unleash Your Feet." becomes the shop's rallying cry. Shu's builds a reputation for expert, personal fitting, and local podiatrists, physical therapists, chiropractors and sports doctors start sending their patients to State Street. Walkers are welcomed just as warmly as marathoners.
A community that runs together
Thursday evening group runs from the store become a Boise tradition, with routes for every level so nobody gets left behind. The shop connects runners with local clubs, youth programs and races across the Treasure Valley.
Rooted in the Treasure Valley
Giving back is part of the job. In a single year, the store donated more than $67,000 to nonprofit groups right here in the Treasure Valley, supporting the races, schools and causes that make Boise home.
Leone takes the reins
Leone becomes the store's owner and carries Idaho Running Company forward, keeping the doors open and the community connected for Boise's runners and walkers.
A new chapter: Movement is Life
Boise locals Ashley and Monte Keleher take over, and Idaho Running Company joins the A Runner's Mind family. Founded by Monte in Burlingame, California in 2010, A Runner's Mind has been named one of the Best Running Stores in America ten times. Its custom fit process and its motto, Movement is Life, now come to State Street, along with free weekly group runs and walks and a new look.
What's coming
More family-friendly events, more ways for kids to get moving, more support for local races, and a brand-new online store. Same shop, same community, even more for Boise.
Meet Ashley and Monte
We're North End neighbors raising a big, busy family of eight kids, and running is part of everyday life in our house. Our kids run track, join youth running programs, and tag along on early miles around the North End. We've seen firsthand what movement does for kids, for families and for a neighborhood.
That's why we didn't just buy a store; we joined a community we already love. We want Idaho Running Company to be a place where everyone feels welcome: first-time walkers and Boston qualifiers, parents with strollers, kids at their first fun run, and anyone getting back to moving after a long break. All faces, all paces.
Everyone belongs here
Every runner
Whether you're training for your first 5K or your fiftieth marathon, you'll get the same free, one-on-one help finding the right fit.
Families & kids
Kids' fun runs, youth program support and family-friendly events, because healthy habits start early.
Community
Free group runs and walks every week, plus support for Boise's clubs, schools and races.
Giving back
Bring in your old shoes and we'll donate them through Sneaker Impact, a nonprofit that gives shoes a second life and keeps them out of landfills.
Come say hi
1758 W State Street, Boise
Mon–Fri 10am–6pm · Sat 10am–5pm · Sun 11am–4pm