Run 4 It

If you are in town and looking for running gear of any description, then this is the place for you. Apart from selling clothes and accessories, they do shoe fitting with gait analysis — so they will pop you on the treadmill and watch you run to ensure you get the right shoes for you. On this occassion, I was after a backpack to use for cycling long distances but one that may also be used for mountain marathon type antics and the guy who helped me really knew his stuff — not just from a salesman point of view but also which products he had personally tried and tested. Didn’t feel at all rushed or pressured into buying anything, despite spending ages deliberating — the bag I subsequently bought was test ridden today and it’s brilliant.
Best of all, if you are an affiliated running/​tri club member, there’s a handy 10% discount!

Run 4 It is a specialist running shoe shop that serves itself well to the purpose. This was the last place I bought my road running shoes, and I am happy that they have stopped this shin pain that I was getting from my last pair as they were worn out.
If looking for running shoes, don’ let the eerily quite shop put you off, the staff are very knowledgeable. They will assess your gait by watching you walk up and down then a little jog, which is all done inside the shop, where they will then bring an assortment of different shoes for you to try, while they assess how you walk again. They will talk of things like pronation of the foot, as it is likely that everyone has a little of it. It is great to hear your condition explained to you. They give recommendations on brand for fit and your foot requirements. It was nice to know that they even recommended the cheapest pair of trainers which I was swithering over, so they are not money hungry corporate monsters that they could be.
Specialised running shoes are rather pricey, but they are so beneficial to your joints whether it is walking, road, or cross country running you would like to do. If you do have over pronation like me, there are different sorts of shoes you can buy too which will act as a sort of physiotherapy for your foot and strengthen your muscles. I didn’t buy any or my bill would have been huge, but I am not saying I am not still thinking about it. Costs for the sorts of trainers on offer was about £65 — £110, you can’t put a price on health.