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| - I second Shawn J. - this place has the best service! I have come in here with Eric R. before to get some running accessories for him, and he has gone on some of the group morning runs sponsored by the store, but I am the definition of unathletic and never thought I would be in here for my purposes.
Because of Eric, I learned about the term pronate and as a beginner in the market for the first pair of athletic shoes I would be buying in a decade or so, I wanted an evaluation from the experts on my stride. I wish I could remember the associate's name who helped us, but she was very patient and very nice. She had me run on a treadmill both barefoot and with shoes on, videotaping it and analyzing it in slo-mo on a flat screen. I learned that I am a neutral runner with a perfectly straight stride!
There was quite a selection of neutral shoes (I suppose that means it is good to be normal) so I tried on all 4 brands my athletic friends suggested: Brooks, Asics, New Balance, and Saucony. I was given the authority to leave the store and run around the block to test the shoes, which made me nervous - that seems too generous! I also got to test a pair on the treadmill.
In the end, I fell for the Brooks Ghost 5. Interestingly, when I had tested this pair out the day before at a mall store, I was told to go with a certain shoe size, but here, I sized up a half size to prevent blisters and sore toes. This location only carried a pink shoe, not my style - so we ordered a different color which should come in next week. In the mean time, Eric R. got to act like a child by taking out each pack of socks in this giant $3 sock bin, analyzing each size looking for a deal. They had about a zillion smalls and XLs but very few mediums and larges. I got 2 3-packs of New Balance running socks for $6, so $1 per pair, and Eric R. got a few XLs. We gave the only larges we found to the store associate, who did not realize the socks were on such a good sale - she wanted some too! I can't wait to get my new shoes and start doing something fitness-y!
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