Despite its pricey gear, this store offers premium service and a good location.
After running my old pair of New Balance joggers in the ground, I took the advice of several friends and visited Second Sole. I was prepared to drop $100 because I have been jogging for over a year now and I know this is the price one must pay for comfort and quality. Luckily, a friend gave me a VIP reusable coupon for 10% which helped ease the sting some.
The store was full of pricey outerwear, but I was only interested in new kicks. The sales rep was helpful and friendly. I was really looking forward to his advice on which type of shoes I would need. This was my first trip to a high end shoe shop where the sales staff would be knowledgeable of such things. I did some reading ahead of time about the which types of shoes fit which types of runners. Based on what I read, I was a sure 'under pronator'. To my surprise, the Second Sole representative said I had a normal stride.
He gave me three pairs of shoes to try on. I put on two different shoes and went for a short jog outside. When I returned, the rep asked me, "Which shoes feels less like you're wearing a shoe?". I said, "This one". Then he removed the other shoe and replaced it with a third shoe and asked me to perform the same test.
I found this to be interesting and I ended up buying a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS-9's. They have served me well thus far and I will return to this store when I hit the 400-mile mark.
http://www.2ndsole.com/