Do you carry Vibrams?
Do you carry Vibrams?
Gravy wrote:
Why do i run so much faster in a shoe with a 10mm drop vs. 4-6 mm?
Why didn't you answer my question? You know what, nevermind. I'll just order online.
Luv2Run wrote:
Talk to me wrote:
Do it!
What makes you think running store employees, often high school and college kids, know enough about running biomechanics to watch someone run for a minute on a treadmill and give advice based on that?
I'm not the OP, but I worked at a running store for 4 years at which we analyzed biomechanics using a treadmill. We also had a lot of college students working at our stores.
Essentially all that the person is doing is looking for whether the runner on the treadmill is overpronating or not. It honestly does not take too much training to see those things in 10-15 seconds on a treadmill. It's not exactly rocket surgery, so the age of the associate doesn't really matter in this case.
They aren't claiming to be on the level of a USATF coach or a PT, but it is enough information to know whether the runner needs a Brooks Ghost or a Brooks Adrenaline.
Are you buying your own running shoes online or do you get a bigger discount at your store?
Did your store, in order to stay competitive, change its name or slogan to incorporate walkers? E.g. "Your Local Running and Walking Experts"
Two stores in our metro area have done so...
Storemanager wrote:
I like Adidas wrote:
The local running store near me in NJ stopped carrying Adidas. Why would and independent LRS cut out an entire brand which happens to be one of the most popular running shoe brands in the world?
I have no reason to shop there now. Why would they do that?
Adidas has sadly become incredibly difficult to work with if you're an independently owned shop, that is likely why. It's by design as they're putting their manpower into serving the big box retailers and chains nowadays. It's a shame, their product was awesome for many years.
I for one am glad that’s the case. I walked into my local running store after realizing one day before a month-long trip out of the country none of my shoes had enough life left on them, and got fitted with a new pair of Sauconys instead of my tried and true Adidas. I. Am. Flying in these babies. So long, Adidas.
I'm looking for a lightweight, neutral training shoe with a 10mm heel to toe drop. What do you suggest?
nawautin wrote:
I'm looking for a lightweight, neutral training shoe with a 10mm heel to toe drop. What do you suggest?
adidas Boston Boost
Brooks Launch
ASICS RoadHawk or Dynaflyte; Cumulus for a little more cushioning
New Balance 880 (Zante is the lighter option, but that's a 5mm drop)
Nike Pegasus or Zoom Fly
Saucony Kinvara (4mm) and Ride (8mm) are out.
POLK HIGH FOOTBALL 4 TOUCHDOWNS IN ONE GAME
Fellazzzz wrote:
Shoe Rat wrote:
Once I got a call at the shop from and older gentleman who called because he had "a gripe" about a pair of Brooks. He comes in with a pair of last year's Beasts, worn down to oblivion, that he purchased at some race expo on the other side of the country the prior year. He wants to return them to us, for a full refund (keep in mind they didn't even come from us. Also they're a year old. Also they have 1000 miles on them.) because the upper had a small hole tearing in it right above the big toe, as often happens with some feet. If we don't honor his demand he "is never buying Brooks again." He goes on to talk about his monetary investments in the company and all of the "higher ups" he knows there. So we better look out.
I gave him their customer service number and sent him on his way.
Anyway, instances like that...everyday....I. Just. Can't.
I just realized I need a new job asap.
Reminds me of something that once happened to a friend of mine. An older lady came in with a pair of mizuno's that were several years old, and what was left of the rubber on the bottom was peeling off of the foam. She said "this has never happened to me before" and asked for a refund or exchange and my friend said "When you use shoes, they get worn out. That's how shoes work. We cannot do anything for you. If you really want to pursue this, talk with Mizuno, but I can guarantee you they will not do anything for you either. This is just how shoes work, anyone can tell you that." and she just kept saying over and over again "but this has never happened before!"
While I'm at it, a couple other fun stories from friend as well as myself, when I worked there.
From Friend: Man called and wanted to set aside a pair of brooks beasts, but ONLY if we could confirm that nobody else had ever tried them on before. Said we couldn't guarantee that because that's just not something that is tracked, the man went on about how he didn't want to have any of the life of the shoe taken up before he purchased them by people trying them on... as if that was going to make a difference. I think we offered to order a pair new that could be set aside for pickup but not sure whatever came of it, it was before my time.
Onto my stories: Woman once came in with her teenage son, both brought their previous shoes with them (brooks ghosts and adrenalines, previous model year.) I just brought out the newest ones, they didn't even try them on, just went to the counter, and right when the lady was about to pay, she said "hold on one second" and walked down the althesiure aisle and picked out like 4 things without even breaking stride. Just things she thought looked cute, I guess. Total was almost $600. Easiest, fastest, AND biggest sale I ever made.
Once sold a woman with 2 different sized feet 2 pairs of the same shoe, in the 2 different sizes. Felt kind of bad about it but she was clearly old money and an extra $100 wasn't a big deal.
These stories are great. ?
Talk to me wrote:
LoneStarXC wrote:
What’s the strangest request you’ve ever gotten from a customer?
Too many to say. Customers tend to be awful.
What are some of the worst customers you have had? What do you hate? What do you love about
some customers?
theJeff wrote:
Why should I buy shoes from you, when I can get a better price - plus free shipping both ways - from Runningwarehouse?
Aren't you constantly annoyed by these guys telling you that online shopping is better than you? Amazon is killing off awesome mom-and-pop stores in America.
Jeff Bezos wrote:
Are you buying your own running shoes online or do you get a bigger discount at your store?
You never answered my question. My guess is that you order your shoes online too.
FlyingFast wrote:
theJeff wrote:
Why should I buy shoes from you, when I can get a better price - plus free shipping both ways - from Runningwarehouse?
Aren't you constantly annoyed by these guys telling you that online shopping is better than you? Amazon is killing off awesome mom-and-pop stores in America.
If the American mom and pop stores would be that brilliant, people would still shop there.
There is nothing more depressing then going to a US mall.
FlyingFast wrote:
theJeff wrote:
Why should I buy shoes from you, when I can get a better price - plus free shipping both ways - from Runningwarehouse?
Aren't you constantly annoyed by these guys telling you that online shopping is better than you? Amazon is killing off awesome mom-and-pop stores in America.
Oh, it's awful. Thing is, I understand that online you can find exactly what you want (color, size, etc) and have it on your doorstep in 24 hours even, with 2 or 3 clicks of a mouse. It's incredibly convenient. If I had not spent the last decade of my life working in a small run shop, I would not have any understanding of how difficult it is for them to stay afloat, is want the convenience of the internet. I sometimes joke (not joking really...) with my staff that at this point it is basically an act of charity to shop at a brick and mortar shop, so we better do a damn good job. It's even more so if we have to special order something for you because we didn't have the size or color you wanted. That's 5-10 business days worth of waiting, and you have to come back to pick it up. On top of that, even our vendors often stock colors and styles that are only available on their customer sites, and not the sites off of which retailers have to buy. It's incredibly difficult to battle the internet and I truthfully don't see run specialty shops existing in 7-10 years. It really makes me sad.
Do you still sell on the 'motion control' and 'stability' strategy? Or have you acknowledged that it is probably just shoe company propaganda and there is no way to predict which shoes are good for which runners?
agip wrote:
Do you still sell on the 'motion control' and 'stability' strategy? Or have you acknowledged that it is probably just shoe company propaganda and there is no way to predict which shoes are good for which runners?
We still sell them for now. Most brands though are going away from the archaic way of thinking that "overpronation" kills and using more "dynamic stability" features rather than rigid posts. My guess is in a couple years the only brand still clinging to that idea will be Asics.
Who was better at math? Albert Einstein or Richard Feynman?
LoneStarXC wrote:
Why do shoe companies “improve” their current models every year? It always changes the feel of the shoe, and adjusting is so annoying.
This.
Perfect example: Nike Pegasus was their #1 seller overall in 80's and 90's. What do they do? They change it. Goodbye.
Once a woman came in in 1993, was a little chunky. the store was empty when she came in. She bought walking shoes. Chatted about how she was going to walk later and then spend time at home with a bottle of wine. The, asked if I was interested in coming over and sharing the wine with her. I felt bad for her, but said, maybe next time...