Universal Sole finds its roots supporting running, walking, and racing in Chicago.  From the late 1990's, former owner Paul Peters sponsored grass-roots running events in Chicago, a retail-racing team, and participants of events such as the Avon 3 day walk.  Universal Sole's goal was to support healthy lifestyles and promote fitness to all levels of athletes.  An early sup⁞porter of Universal Sole's grass root efforts was Joel Feinberg (Universal Sole's current owner).  Joel, then with Clif Bar, formed an alliance with Paul to bring grass-roots running to Chicago area runners and provided the SOLE with plenty of fuel for participants.   Universal Sole prides itself on listening to the needs of Chicago area runners and walkers, providing them with the best gear to support their healthy lifestyles and achieve their fitness goals.