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Athlete's Foot's Robert Lando Dies At Age 89
NOVEMBER 07, 2005 --
Robert "Bob" Lando had already built a solid business before he got involved in the athletic footwear business. He developed a large Pittsburgh-based advertising agency. Lando, one day before ninetieth birthday, passed away from colon cancer. He was a day shy of his 90th birthday. At 60, he purchased the rights to The Athlete's Foot, a local shoe store his brother had started in Pittsburgh.
Early in the '70s, the Lando family, owners of a sporting goods store in Pittsburgh, noticed that athletic shoe sales were becoming a major portion of their overall business. Dave Lando, active founder of The Athlete's Foot, believed that the time was right for stores specializing solely in the sale of athletic footwear and related apparel. The first store opened in Pittsburgh in '71. Bob, then owner of a successful advertising agency in Pittsburgh, suggested the name The Athlete's Foot, and in '72, the first franchise was sold.
Under Bob's guidance and vision, The Athlete's Foot expanded into major metropolitan areas across the US. As the athletic footwear business grew, so did The Athlete's Foot. With the franchise boom that occurred in the US, along with the rapid growth of the footwear industry, The Athlete's Foot was an unqualified success. The company went international when a franchising agreement was signed for Australia in '78.
In the early '80s, under Bob's leadership, the company adopted a new high-tech image for its stores, targeting the fashion-conscious customer as well as the technical customer who had come to depend on The Athlete's Foot for its footwear expertise. This was reflected with the slogan, "Nobody knows the athlete's foot like The Athlete's Foot."
In '84, French company Rallye, S.A. purchased the company from the family. Under the family leadership, The Athlete's Foot grew to more than 475 units in 46 states, Japan and Australia, 375 of which were franchised and 100 company-owned and operated. The chain reached a volume of $300 million.
In '02, Bob and Dave were inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. The family asks that donations be made to Circle of Tapawingo, 5124 Holyrood Road, Pittsburgh 15213.
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