Venezia

You can now get fivefingers at footworks in south miami as well.

A speakeasy-​style running shoe store? I’m in! And, I’m not even a runner!
My friend is a runner though, and he was interested in some shoes he heard about that feel like you are running barefoot. Called FiveFingers, they fit like a glove around your feet and purportedly reduce the plethora of injuries runners seem to suffer from (this is why I’m not a runner).
Venezia is the only FiveFingers dealer in the southern part of Miami-​Dade and is located, oddly enough, in the Ponce de Leon hotel. It is located in an unmarked door on the left as you enter.
The owners were out, so a hotel employee stopped doing his maintenance work, climbing down from his ladder to unlock the door for us. Inside, in a ramshackle style, were the shoes — which look incredibly unattractive, especially on the feet — along with a variety of exercise gear (with brand names I did not recognize), boxes scattered everywhere, and an unlit Venezia sign.
As the hotel employee was helping us, guests arrived to check into the hotel and he asked them to hold on until he finished our transaction! After paying about $ 80 cash for the shoes, we went on our way and he presumably checked them in.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Vibram FiveFingers lately. These shoes – recipient of a Best Invention of 2007 award – protect your soles while giving you the feel of being barefoot. In short, they help you utilize some of the gifts of your primate evolution.
Serendipitously, their only Miami-​Dade retailer turned out to be in my neighborhood.
I had a little bit of trouble finding this place, since they had recently moved into their space and the local bureaucracry hadn’t yet approved their outdoor signage. Gonzalo, the owner, called me back and gave me directions to the store. When I got there, Gonzalo introduced himself and apologized for the mud on his shirt – he had just finished a trail ride. It’s always good to go to a store where the owners/​staff have hobbies aligned with the market they’re selling to.
He was very knowledgeable about these shoes, and within a few minutes he had me in the pair I ended up buying. While he rang me up, I checked out the rest of the inventory. Venezia is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream store. Whether you’re into running, hiking, kayaking, trail riding, or any combination of the above, they have your top-​quality gear at reasonable prices.
I would have given them only four stars for the effort it took to find the store, but the owner’s graciousness and enthusiasm for his products earns Venezia five stars.