The first international franchise store opened in 1976 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of The Athlete's Foot expansion across the world.

In 2004, The Athlete's Foot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and announced that they would close all of their 124 company-owned stores in the United States, leaving the brand with 593 independent franchise locations left.

], The Athlete's Foot is present in 30 countries across the world with over 550 stores, from United States and Australia, to Europe, Asia, Middle East and Latin America.

In 2012, the brand was acquired by Intersport International Corporation (IIC), the world's largest sporting goods retail group, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.

[4] Strategic brand partners of The Athlete's Foot include Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Asics, New Balance, Converse, Puma SE and Vans.