Shoe Stores for Runners - a little poll

I would guess that employees in most good running specialty stores are required by management to do some sort of gait/foot strike analysis. For those of us that have been running for a million years and know what we want, this can sometimes appear a waste of time. However, keep in mind that a good running store will usually replace your shoes free of charge if they recommend a certain shoe and it does not work out. With that in mind, it is probably worth taking those few extra minutes!

Also, let the store employee know if you are there to buy a replacement pair of a shoe that you are currently running in and that has been successful. He/she will usually spare you the little analysis session.

why don't you try speaking up for yourself. get to the point. maybe these employees have better things to do and would like you to be accertive if you already know what you want.

I would think that if you go in and say something to the effect of "I need to replace my XXX shoes - my old pair has 500 miles on them and I'm due." they won't feel the need to do the whole gait analysis thing. Also, if you go in more than once, they'll eventually start remembering you're hard core and low maintenance.

In a similar vein, I used to walk in to my favorite store, and if the salesperson was new, I'd lead in with a description of my gait and my needs: "I under pronate but need a flexible shoe. I've been wearing the XXX's - if you've got those, I'll take them." If the XXX's have been discontinued or changed, the I'll listen to the salesperson, and let them do their gate analysis thing.

I can't really blame the salespeople - I've seen people walk in who were sure they knew just what they needed - the shoes Bob Kennedy wears, or some such thing. They were often wrong.

Now you're saying they were checking out my butt? I'd better get back there soon.

i find it helpful, because i don't keep up with what shoes are made to fit which kind of gait. i leave that up to the people in the store. mostly i find one type of shoe that i like and then keep buying that one until i can't find it anymore, though, so it's not often i have to try on different shoes.

What we do:

If you're someone who doesn't know about your foot mechanics and/or doesn't know what shoe you were running in last, we look at your feet.

If you already know what type of shoe is good for you (cushion, stability, motion control) then just say "I'm neutral; I pronate some; I'm a heavy over-pronator."

Easy as that.

If you know what your foot mechanics are, and know what shoes have done you well in the past, say so. The "walking you walk" business is really for people who have no clue.

Thanks for the advice. I actually always tell them that I am looking for this or that. I mention that I've been running for 20 years. Perhaps it is just this one store. It's not like they are beseiged with customers when I'm in there. Maybe they are just looking for something to do or maybe they are instructed to always do that unless someone is adamant that they don't need to. Maybe I don't look like a runner of 20 years (I am amazingly youthful looking for a man of my advanced age).

One less simple solution: If it's a "hard-core" running store, they have their own running group (it's only good business). And a lot of times the employees are in it. Run with those folks, kick their butts (or at least keep up with them and crack jokes while you're doing it), and they'll leave you alone (aside from greeting you more warmly) the next time you go in.

One store I used to go to had a lot of former All-Americans working there; it made the above option rather difficult to pull off.

Judging from the pictures of the employees finishing marathons on the walls (2:59 at Boston is the best one I saw), but there were some 32 minute 10Ks too, I wouldn't say they are former All-Americans - not the men there anyway, so joining them for a run might not be a bad idea.

I have found 90% of the time, the employees (no matter how knowledgeable they are about running, how fast they are etc) don't identify gait analysis correctly. Unless they have some kind of biomechanics experience, I won't listen. I'd rather listen to my biomechanics professors.

I usually know a LOT more than the person working at the "running store", and I identified my own biomechanical needs before most of them were born. Therefore....I get my shoes as cheaply as possible, whether that's from RRS, eastbay, or someone selling on Ebay. I've said it before....a $100 shoe cost the store $54, which cost the maufacturer about $26.50, which might have cost about $12.71 to assemble from $6.00 worth of raw materials...in other words, paying retail is stooopid, ESPECIALLY if you know what you need. "An educated consumer is our WORST customer..." LOL

I often do go into a store knowing just what I need, too. The one I used to go to (I moved away) had shoes at prices comparable to mail order. If my preferred model was discontinued, they knew enough about the SHOES to point me in the direction of alternatives that matched my biomechanics. And finding the right size in a new model shoe is definitely easier in a store than by mail order.

They come in handy for racing shoes, too. The models change several times before I need to buy a new pair, and it's nice to get some help on finding the best one. But you're right - if I had to pay full MSRP, I'd probably go mail order more often.

I know as much about running, or at least MY running, as the help. But they at least know more than the mall rats.

I never pay full price. I haven't paid more than $70 for a pair of running shoes since the late 80s. Back then (at least in CA) it was tough to find a decent pair for under $110. I even paid $125 for a pair of Nike Air Max once. Man I'm glad those prices have come down. Child labor will do that for a company.

are you honestly saying that you walk into a store tell the employee what shoe you want, and then the refuse to get them for you and insist that they perform a gait analysis?

I never pay more than $40 for top of line shoes. Just wait a year till the style is discontinued, and get them at a discount shoe store. Or from catalogs.

Yes. The thing is that most of the time I am considering two shoes and want to try them both on. Only once in a while do I go in zeroed in on one shoe. Pretty much I'd rather that they just go get the two shoes I mention and not bother with all the other crap.

If you come in and say specifically "I want to try on this shoe and that shoe," that should be that.

The easiest customers in the world are the ones that walk in the store and say, "Do you have a size 13 ______?", slip it on, and that's the end of it.

I don't know why they would do otherwise.

I agree with you. Again, I think they are just instructed to do that with pretty much everyone (kind of like asking if you want fries with that), and they do it unless you are adamant about not having them do it. Next time I will politely tell them that I'd rather just try on the two pairs of shoes and be done with it.

The only reason I've put up with it so far is that they immediately attend to me the moment I walk in the door, unlike chain stores where you have to wait for a long time before anyone even notices you. I've rewarded their efforts by following all of their instructions. Next time I won't.

Thanks for all the opinions all. Got what I need now I think.

IS that store in NYC... If so it's just store policy to check for Pronation and comfort. I worked at a running store and we did the same thing but we usually respected " real" runners decisions when it came to their shoes.

Order your shoes at Runningshoes.com. Don't even need to talk to people. Free shipping and no tax if you are not in WA.