store manager

sales assistant

retail sales associate

assistant store manager

assistant manager

The Athletes Foot

Management is horrible, they pick and choose favourites and are extremely passive-aggressive, especially the Store Manager. I also personally believe that you are judged for not knowing something you weren't taught, and also you could work there for two years and still not know how to do everything because of how horrible the teaching part is. I'd also say it's an extremely competitive environment, statistics are recorded from your sales and shifts are scheduled based on your performance. Shifts are inconsistent and during downtime which is the whole year excluding back to school, it's extremely slow-paced and not busy at all which was a good thing, but it also affects how much you work and the hours. At most 4-hour shifts, excluding the favourites who get full day shifts. During busy times like BTS, you are expected to suddenly work nonstop. You are expected to come in on your off days to cover even if your availability says you aren't available, and the most annoying part is that the manager changed shifts without notice or asked if you can actually switch shifts, even if you were unavailable. In summary, management needs improvement. Another downside is that the training is extremely long, which is understandable, but you also are expected to attend unpaid team calls without notice. Although there are many bad things, one of the main things that got me through was my coworkers, everyone is so nice and welcoming, however, there are definitely mini groups and cliques that you sometimes feel excluded from, but that's with every job I guess. It's not a very diverse environment either. In conclusion, it's a pretty unlikable job but it's manageable if you really need the money or job. 

During my two-year tenure at TAF, I had the opportunity to acquire valuable skills and work with various managers and team leaders. However, towards the end of my time there, I noticed significant changes within the organisation. There was a constant turnover of staff, and some regional managers voiced concerns but didn't take any concrete actions to address issues.

I was unexpectedly terminated citing 'poor performance,' but no specific reasons were provided, and there was no performance improvement plan in place. This lack of transparency and communication left me feeling cast aside, especially in a company that emphasises a sense of community. It was disheartening to receive a call from my manager, who seemed reluctant to let me go and claimed the decision was beyond their control.

I attempted to seek clarification from the regional manager regarding my termination, but my inquiries went unanswered. This experience, which contrasted with the overall positive and wholesome experience I had during my time at TAF, left me disappointed and questioning the company's commitment to inclusivity.

I loved working at The Athlete's Foot Malvern. I had great co-workers and there was a really great culture of the place. Before starting work there I didn't have any knowledge about feet but through training sessions and practical experience in the workplace I learnt all about the issues people face with feet and how the variety of sports shoes can aid people's problems. I really enjoyed the contact with the customers and listening to their issues and trying various ways to solve their problems. A difficulty with the job was that sometimes we did not have exactly what the customer was after. More times than not, however, we were able to solve the problem by offering similar options that had other benefits. The most enjoyable part of the job was problem working with my other employees, meeting new people in a different context who had similar interests was really great.

With a staff of 13 and a yearly turnover of 2.5million AUD, The Athlete's Foot was a challenging yet rewarding workplace. A normal day would involve opening and general admin - Rostering, purchasing etc. 

Managing a large team is exciting and dynamic - I was responsible for wages, rosters, customer relations along with corporate relations.

The hardest part of the job would be stock management. Both purchasing and forecasting new stock along with managing aged and old stock.

The most enjoyable and rewarding part of the job is the relationships I made. Both with staff and suppliers and of course the lasting relationships with new and return customers.

It really was a workplace that was successful, profitable and enjoyable. 

A typical day at work is serving customers , doing some chores around the store and when its quiet doing more training. 
I have learned how to really connect with the customer and how to approach them as Athletes Foot is all about being different with customer service. I have also learnt the fitting skills and services for the company. 
The management is very nice, friendly and understanding, yet still organised and firm. 
My co-workers are friendly and easy to get along with. 
The hardest part of the job is learning what shoes go with what foot type. 
The most enjoyable part of the job is being in a friendly environment where you can just have a real conversation with the customers.

I worked in 4 different locations in just over a year. Management styles varied from place to place, but the high levels of micromanagement were across the board. You got penalized if you didn't follow their insane, "scientific" method and routines. (I got fired for handing a lady 2 shoes to try on instead of 3, for example). Managers will often stalk the security cameras to make sure you're following the routine.  If you're not a fan of strict micromanagement, this isn't the job for you. 

You see some pretty gross feet too, not a job if you're squeamish. 

Upper management is absolutely terrible. Area managers give you little to no support (most times there’s none whatsoever). They only care about your store if you meet EVERY kpi target. The expectations of KPI targets are very unrealistic. They expect you to upsell expensive products even when a customer clearly states they don’t want them… so you either get told off by management for not being greedy/money hungry or told off by a customer for shoving products in their faces. If you don’t meet targets, you either get a three hour or five hour shift ONCE a week. If you want something more financially reliable, The Athletes Foot is not the place to work. 

Corporate should keep a closer eye on the franchise owners and how corrupt they can be. Cutting corners as often as possible with  paying staff isn't on. Using fear as a tactic by abusing your staff is also not on. It is not just me this is happening to either it is every staff member this happens with no one has a good word to say about the owner. The abuse and the pay situation is beyond a joke. The worst part is when this is brought to the owner's attention they don't seem to care. You would think that they could see that in massive staff turn over alone.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The training and location. Close to everything and the training program was easy to follow.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The misogynistic Assistant Manager has created a culture of toxic masculinity and the new Store Manager does MDMA.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Terrible. It's very "Bro Code" and the women get treated badly if they are not "doable".

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Selling shoes and dealing with toxic office politics.

I personally did not enjoy my time working at Athlete's Foot. The main reason was that I was treated like a number rather than a person. The management was extremely poor and corrupt as I had lost many hours due to a complaint that I had hurt myself while working, they proceeded to completely ghost me for a month of no shifts. I was only a Christmas casual but was promised shifts after the season had ended. Yes, the benefits are quite good but they don't compensate for the lack of management.  

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Store manager 1 salary reported	$67,000 per year
Sales assistant 8 salaries reported	$31.33 per hour
Retail sales associate 1 salary reported	$34.28 per hour
Assistant store manager 1 salary reported	$63,104 per year
Assistant manager 5 salaries reported	$55,700 per year

Working at The Athlete's Foot: Company Overview and Reviews

The Athlete's Foot

The Athlete's Foot Ratings

Popular jobs at The Athlete's Foot

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected