Princeton Running Company

Geneva provided outstanding service and helped me get back on the road to my first half marathon!

Great service! Erica was fantastic, she was attentive and listened when I told her my problems with my previous shoes and what I’m expecting from my next pair. She helped me find a great pair that make me feel like I’m running on cushions!
The way they choose what pair is right is great. They size your foot, inspect your arch and have you run on a treadmill while recording how your feet hit the ground. Much more than you will ever get from Foot Locker. I will certainly go again.

Super happy I walked in. I asked for help and luckily, I got Lucy! I gave my 3 minute pitch with all my main issues with running, pains in certain areas, and why I’m interested in starting to run seriously now. She was polite, and knew exactly where to start. She made me walk first, and then videotaped my run on the treadmill — every time I tried on a new pair.
We finalllllyy found the perfect one, just about 4 – 5 sneakers later. The Acics GT-​2000 which was like walking on clouds.
I definitely would suggest people go here, and know my husband will return for his turn on the treadmill.
Sure, you can get it for possibly $ 10-​$ 15 less on Amazon, but you are getting tailored advice, supporting a small business, and they were super friendly folks.

I stopped in to get fitted and wound up buying new Nikes. This was an exceptional experience for a beginning runner (I’m not a beginner, just a couch to 5K). They person who helped me, I don’t remember his name, listened to my concerns about experiencing knee pain and shin splints and watched my strike pattern running on a treadmill.
He suggested a couple of pairs of shoes that would offer more support for me, since I am flat footed. I thought they were too heavy and he brought out lighter shoes with more cushioning. I settled on a bright yellow pair of Nikes. It turns out I was wearing the wrong size shoe previously and that was one reason why I was experiencing pain.
They have a large selection of gear for a small store. We talked about moisture whipping socks that would help prevent blisters. I was impressed with his knowledge.
I would definitely recommend that you stop in here if you need to be fitted. Pain while running is not fun and in the two weeks I have had the shoes, I’ve been okay. I’m still slow and winded, but that should get better with time.

Never bought a pair of running shoes before – went in here, was very happy with how it went. The main guy working there must’ve run to storage 15 times to find me the perfect shoe – which was then on sale! Never had such a good experience buying shoes. And to think I almost went to Dick’s.

Just bought a pair of running shoes for a half marathon. Steve fitted me by measuring my shoe size and then had me run on the treadmill to analyze how each shoe affects the way I land when I run.
He also did a great job of listening to my running concerns, was very knowledgeable, and addressed each concern. Highly recommend!

This place is awesome. If you run, and if you care about the long-​term health of your feet, knees, and general orthopaedic health, you must get professionally fitted for running shoes. Princeton Running Company will take care of you.
I’m a *relatively* older and newer runner (training about 1.5 years consistently; finished my first half marathon two months ago). I had no idea what I had been missing until I walked into PRC last April with ankle and knee pain, after I couldn’t find what I *thought* I needed from one of the big box stores. Give yourself plenty of time for the full experience at PRC, and bring your old shoes. The staff — all of whom are super friendly and extremely knowledgeable because they all LIVE and LOVE running — will check the wear on your shoes and observe your gait by having you jog on their treadmill. Then they’ll pull out lots of different shoes that might be right for your foot strike (I think I tried on 10 pairs) and have you walk around to test them out. They even offered to let me take a quick run in them down the sidewalk. They want you to be happy and healthy with your gear. It’s amazing how shoes correctly fitted to you can help to eliminate ankle and knee pain. I was stoked.
PRC has a lot of other accoutrements for running (clothes, accessories, gels and Gu, etc.). The staff will cheerfully and honestly answer any questions you have about any of it, and anything else related to running for that matter. As I mentioned, I am pretty much a newbie runner and I have tons of questions, and they don’t make me feel silly or «less than» for asking. I feel totally comfortable stopping in or even calling (during their slower hours) to ask about a product. They’re really patient. They genuinely love to share their knowledge and passion for running.
Notwithstanding my newbie-​ness, PRC would never sell me stuff just to make a sale. For example, two days ago, I went it for winter socks (love their Feetures socks — yes, tech socks matter!) and asked about YakTrax, which are like snow chains for your running shoes. They honestly told me, as I’d seen online, «The reviews are mixed.» But they went further and explained what it was that caused some folks to dislike them, so we could consider if that might be the case for me. It seems it was — like Princess and the Pea, I can feel if one shoe has its support slightly off-​placed — so they advised me that I probably would not care for the YakTrax because I’d feel every coil under my foot. So they lost that sale, but they gained a heck of a lot more in my confidence as a consumer in their honesty and professionalism.
PRC, like any specialty store, is slightly more expensive than the big box stores. There are some substitutions that you can still safely buy for less elsewhere (energy beans, certain clothing, etc.). But remember the old adage, «You get what you pay for.» For my money and running longevity, I’ll be back to PRC when my current shoes wear out and for new gear in the spring because I know if I have any questions, I’ll get a straight answer from someone that actually cares and knows what they’re talking about.
And maybe someday, if I get a little faster, I’ll even join them for a group run. They seem like they’d be a lot of run.

I guess it’s my fault for doing a Unilocal check-​in as I was leaving the place. If I’d done it before, I would have saved 10% on my purchase. The sales person was very helpful in assisting with the selection of my running shoes. I’m flat footed and need a light shoe which leans me somewhat forward while supporting my arch. After watching me run on the treadmill through their video system, we decided to stick with Brooks Running which was the shoe I was retiring. Great store for serious runners.

I went here last week to get a pair of shoes for my first marathon. The staff was extremely helpful in finding me a pair of shoes that seemed to fit. They told me a lot about the running process and were quite knowledgeable. Unfortunately, the shoes I picked were not great and hurt my feet, so I took them back a few days later. They returned them no problem and asked if there were anything else I needed help with.
Overall I think that this is a great place to get running shoes, especially if you aren’t sure what you need. It’s not their fault that I hated the shoes that I picked out, and they were fine about returning them even after I had tried them once. If this place was closer to my home I would definitely go back. The only reason I didn’t buy another pair of shoes was because I was afraid I would need to return them and getting to Princeton is a pain for me.
A solid, good, running store. I don’t think prices are too high and you pay for the service you get.

Had a problem with a pair of sneakers that just didn’t fit correctly – Everyone there, especially Meghan, was really patient and helped me get it right!

Went to the P’ton Running Company today for new shoes and I figured that they’d look at my old shoes, show me a few new ones, maybe have me hop on the treadmill for a min and that would be that. I got that and so much more. Incredible customer service and they were so detailed and knowledgeable that I’m fine that I paid maybe a bit more than I would at DSW or Sports Authority for my shoes. I feel 100% confident in the shoes that I bought today and I’ll be back for future shoes (and the group runs).
Super fantastic place!

I came to this store because (like others) I had heard they were very knowledgeable and helpful. The first person I worked with here was helpful – no better than the people I have encountered at the New Balance store – but pretty good. I ran on the treadmill; he said some things about stability vs. motion control; I bought a pair of Brooks. Unfortunately, when I went for a longer run that night, I realized the shoes didn’t fit with my customized insoles. (admittedly I should have tried them on with the insoles in the first place – but I hadn’t realized how much difference it would make). When I returned to the store in the hopes of exchanging the shoes, I encountered a different employee who seemed much less interested in offering any advice, generally antagonistic, and totally unhelpful. In the middle of our discussion he started to assist another gentleman (not that he seemed very enthusiastic about helping this guy either). He then brought out a couple pairs of shoes in a half size to bigger than I normally wear, offering zero explanation about the shoes. long story short, I ended up returning the brooks – i’ll take the $ 100 and go to the new balance store.

The staff in this store are knowledgeable, friendly and not pushy at all. Selection is pretty good for clothes, shoes and accessories. The staff look at the way you walk to make recommendations for shoes. They also have a treadmill to try the shoes. Prices are average for specialty running stores.

how on earth am i first to review this place?!
i came in here with my family, one of whom was buying a new pair of running shoes. the salespeople here are *awesome*. they know EVERYTHING about running, about what kinds of shoes are good for your funky feet, the differences between different brands/​types of shoes… everything!
the prices are a little on the high side, but i think that that’s true of any running store. it’s definitely worth the cost from the individual attention you receive from the sales staff.
they also have everything else you need — running clothes, accessories, gadgetry, body lube (so you don’t end up like andy on the office).y’know, the usual!