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Mark Wachter – our own shoe genius – founded On the Run in 1977 on a very basic principle: ‘When it comes to people’s feet and well-being, I don’t settle.’ Using that principle as his beacon, Mark transformed a modest shoe store into the best foot health retailer in the Bay Area. It all started with Stanley Wachter. In 1964, Stanley and his wife Lidia brought their young children, Luba and Marek (Mark), to San Francisco from war-torn Warsaw, Poland. Stanley worked as a tailor at the famous San Francisco clothier Fritzi’s and instilled in both his children a passion for customer service and the desire to improve peoples’ quality of life. In 1974, Luba started Luba Designs – a women’s clothing store -in what is now CitiShoes at 751 Irving Street. In 1977, Mark opened On the Run on the 1300 block of 9th Avenue.

Inspired by his passion for improving his customers’ quality of life, Mark began utilizing the knowledge and experience he had gained to design and manufacture his own brand of high-quality orthotics, imported from Poland and Germany. In 2005, he added CitiShoes based on the principle that “just because it’s fashion, doesn’t mean it can’t be comfortable.” CitiShoes offers the same focus on foot health and shoe customization in fashion shoes.Today, Mark trains all of his sales associates to biomechanically evaluate specific foot issues and match shoes to specific individual needs. At On the Run & CitiShoes – we believe that a knowledgeable and courteous staff that provides genuine and specific customer service can offer far more than “discount prices” can.