John’s Run Walk Shop

This is such a great place! I went for the first time yesterday and the people who worked there were EXTREMELY helpful and friendly! They sat down and helped me pick out the right shoe, got a bunch for me to try on, and made sure each one had the right fit. The prices of their shoes are on par (kind of expensive but you can’t find anything cheaper) and they have a lot of running gear.
I think the one thing I wish they had was a treadmill and video camera. I went to a place in Indiana and they recorded your feet while running on the treadmill. They then took this footage, reviewed it, and recommended based on what they saw. John’s did this but not to that extent. The employee watched me walk to see how my feet leaned but I wish it was more in depth.
Other than that, this place is great! They didn’t have the color in the shoe I wanted so the lady called the other location, and then ordered them from Brooks. Great customer service!

I haven’t been running in years and I’ve decided it’s time to get back into it. I asked around, any anyone I’ve asked where to get running shoes suggesting that I go to John’s Run Walk Shop. I was told to bring in my old shoes, they would look at them and measure my feet, and they would hook me up.
I have to be honest… This place is crazy efficient. They measured my feet, looked at my shoes, and brought me three pairs of shoes that fit perfectly. They also asked questions about the fit to make sure the one I decided on was optimal for me. Rang me up and I was on my way in 15 minutes. Literally.
Glad I took their recommendation.

I first started buying my running shoes at John’s when I developed ankle issues from running in the wrong shoes. After I explained the pain I’d been having to one of the sales clerks at John’s, he examined the bottoms of the shoes I’d been running in, watched me walk and jog around the store and he fitted me with a better pair of shoes that would help with my pronation (duck feet). The new pair did the trick!
John’s will keep a record of the brand, style, & size of shoes you wear. Which makes it super easy whenever you need a new pair but can’t remember if you wear a 7 or a 7 ½ :)

I love coming here for all my running shoes! They are so knowledgeable about what works with your foot. What I like the most is that they talk to you and make recommendations and they always bring out at least two to three pairs of shoes for you to try on! If you are a runner or are starting to run check out Johns Run Shop… you will never go anywhere else! And the staff is incredibly friendly!!!

Great mom and pop store for athletic shoes, don’t forget to check out their other store across the street for more dressy shoes.

I am excited to announce that I finished the Chicago Marathon this past weekend. I had a time of 5:16:16 for my first marathon. I am so glad that I did not let the discouragement and negativity from this place stop me from achieving my goal. Take it from me; you can do it! But don’t allow these people to get you down. Buy your gear from a different shop.

I am a big believer in shopping local and John’s is a great place to do so. I have bought my running shoes there over the last several years and yes I probably pay more here than I would at a big box store but the personalized service I get is beyond compare. It’s not just simply good service but knowledgable service… they know the sport of running! They can answer your questions on shoes and gear and will honestly tell you if it would be good for you or if not.
One thing I always do is take my current pair of shoes in so they can see where I am hitting and what the wear is. This always helps them get me in the shoe that is best for me. A long time ago I remember bug shoes based on a cool color or design but now I rely on these shoe experts to guide me on what is best for the type of athlete I am.

The first thing I should state is that I am not a runner. If I even think about running, I break out in hives. I power walk with my dogs and do a lot of trail walking/​hiking on various surfaces including dirt, asphalt and concrete.
I first starting shopping at John’s when they had a location at Lexington Green. Their staff introduced me to some brands of sandals and slippers I had never heard of, but found to be very comfortable and stylish. Among other things, I bought a pair of Haflinger sheep slippers that I have replaced three times (because I keep wearing them out), and a great pair of Finn Comfort sandals in which I have replaced the insoles and still wear.
A few years ago, I was having serious trouble with plantar faciitis, was having almost debilitating pain, and was not at all happy with the insoles recommended by my podiatrist. The sales person I met at John’s on that occasion, a very busy Saturday, acted like I was the only person in the store and it was his personal mission to help me. I left with two new pairs of shoes that I wore religiously and began to experience decreased pain within a few days.
Now, this is important: I had been seen by a medical professional who prescribed insoles and a cortisone injection in my heel, neither of which gave me any relief. The salespeople at John’s see plantar faciitis every day. They gave me a flier with exercises, causes, things to avoid… they were prepared. I didn’t get anything from my doctor except a bill.
Fast forward to last weekend… my new checkerboard Vans had arrived and one look at the insoles in the new shoes told me I wanted something with more arch support. I took my new shoes (that I did not buy at John’s) to the store and was helped, again, by someone who took the time to get it right. I got a great pair of insoles, advice on how to remove the insoles already in the shoes, information about a cool walk coming up, and two new pairs of socks. She also checked the sport shoes I had on (that I did buy from John’s) to make sure they still fit well, and she checked those insoles as well. She didn’t oversell me and didn’t say I needed another pair of shoes (which I was half expecting).
In short, I am a huge fan of John’s Run Walk Shop. I appreciate their expertise and the number of very good brands they carry. I also appreciate that they are active in our community and sponsor or support so many events. Can you buy the shoes cheaper on Zappos? Maybe. But this is a local store with an interest in our community and I am proud to support them.

Great people who are extremely involve in our community.

They have a large selection of specialty running & sport shoes. The staff is friendly & knowledgable & will help you to find the show that is right for your specific needs.

Need shoes? Then you need this place! Let me first say that I am not a runner. I am a person with a cranky back and «Rice Krispy» knees (snapping, crackling, and popping with movement!) I first heard about this place after my back surgery, when my doctor recommended that I go there for shoes during my rehab. Of note, my PT also recommended them as well. I finally found the time to go and was I ever glad that I did! The attention they paid to me — even after learning that I not a runner — was amazing, as the shoe fitter worked tirelessly to find «the» shoe for my needs. Box after box was opened without so much a sigh or rolled eye from him as we tried on pair after pair after pair. Finally, a pair was put on my feet and I knew that we had found it! I continue to go there for my shoes and as far as I am concerned, as long as they retain their amazing customer focus and inventory of quality footwear, I will be a satisfied customer for the life of the store! The store and it’s staff comes with my highest recommendation!

I had a similar experience to Alan M. from FL. Below is my google review:
I am a beginner runner. I run 3 – 4 times/​wk about 3 miles at a time, mostly on a treadmill but also outside on blacktop/​gravel occasionally. I purchased some New Balance Minimus shoes from a chain store a year or so ago for cross training but ended up running in them because I liked the fitted, minimalist feel of them. After running in them for over a year, they still had decent soles since I don’t run that much at a time but I was worried I might be causing long term damage from running so often in something with very little support even though I wasn’t feeling any pain. I live in Northern KY and work in Lexington and did some research, talked to people and heard about some stores in Cinci that had great reputations but I wanted to give John’s a shot since I’m a KY native and had heard good things about them also. I went in and was less than impressed with the «fitting» service I received. I had never been fitted but it was not like I had heard others describe it. I went into John’s at Palomar and asked to be fitted. The sales associate, an older man (can’t recall his name since we really didn’t talk that much), sized my foot, looked at my feet, looked at the soles of my old shoes and brought out several different pairs for me to try. He did check the size after I tried them on but after that just told me that it was a feeling thing and left me to decide which one I liked best. He did not ask me how much/​often I run or what surface (s) I run on or what I was looking for in a new shoe or what I liked/​disliked about my current pair or watch me run in the ones I was trying on or offer a good spot for me to run around in to try them out. So I’m trying to run around this little store and figure out which shoe feels best while he stands in the back chatting with the other sales associates. Although I was still very undecided, I started feeling very uncomfortable so I picked the most cushiony pair, assuming that more cushion meant more support and a more comfortable run even though he said I needed 1.5 sizes larger than my normal size which felt very large and unstable to me (I figured he knew what he was doing so I went with it). I was a little surprised that the man helping me was more interested in trying to sell me a GPS watch and get me to run with one of the weekday group runs they have as opposed to trying to help find the best shoe for me. I ran in them for 3 weeks and kept telling myself that they were fine and I just needed to get used to them coming from a very minimalist shoe to a more supportive shoe. I felt like I was running in flippers (because of the large size) and on a mattress (because of the cushion) at the same time. I felt very unstable on a treadmill and uncomfortable. My mistake was not asking about their return/​exchange policy when I purchased them and it is not specified on their website. I looked at a similar, small and locally owned store in Cinci that I had considered and they have 100% satisfaction guarantee and will accept returns/​exchanges at any time so I was hoping that I would encounter something similar or at least since I was still within 30 days that they would allow me to exchange them especially since I had only run in them on the treadmill so I took them back to the Palomar store but they refused. I understand that they felt they couldn’t resell the shoes but they could have potentially redeemed themselves had they offered more guidance and listened to me about what I was looking for the 2^nd time around. They chose the sale of one pair of shoes over a return customer. This store, imo, is more suitable to the experienced runner that knows what kind of shoe they like. In my experience, it was not a good store for me as a beginner and I will not be returning.
In addition, my conversation with the female sales associate about exchanging them was not pleasant. She asked why I was unhappy with them and I told her that I felt I went from one extreme (the minimalist) to the other (ultra cushion) and could not adapt to them. I also told her that they felt too big and therefore made me feel unstable on a treadmill to which she replied «Well, everyone is different when it comes to how large you want your running shoes. I can’t stand not having plenty of room for my toes but if you want to run with your toes scraping the inside of the front of your shoe, good for you!» Obviously, I’m not looking to scrape my toes but was hoping that there would be a good middle ground between flippers and toe scraping! Now, I’m left with an expensive pair of running shoes that are too large and neon colored for me to wear as an everyday tennis shoe and too uncomfortable to run in.

This is a great place to go whether you are a new runner or an old one! They are so helpful and so easy to find exactly what you are looking for!

We brought our son in for running shoes for track. Dave asked questions about my son’s events, watched him walk and listened to him about his foot discomfort/​issues. Dave brought out 3 pairs of shoes based on this information. He explained how and why these shoes would work well. My son took each for a «test drive» and they discussed the fit and feel. Dave was so attentive. He was knowledgeable about body mechanics and every shoe his hand touched. It was a GREAT shopping experience!

Whether a novice, experienced, or well-​trained athlete John’s has all of you running shoe needs. A very experienced staff will ask to you walk barefoot and examine your old shoes, so that they may choose the correct type of running, walking, or hiking shoes needed. Also, technical running clothes and watches are available. Without a doubt this is the best running shoe store in the Lexington area.