Bob Roncker’s Running Spot

Another fantastic place I have been! I was in need of good running shoes since I train for half marathons throughout the year. I do about 2 a year. I have been here before to pick up my race packet but wanted to see if they can help me with shoes. I have a chronic injury and so very picky on how my shoes are. I went in a one of the sales peep came over and asked me to sit dos. So he can evaluate my feet. This includes size, width, and how I place my weight on my feet. Also he asked me to walk barefoot to see how I land as well (to see if my feet pronate, supinate, or neutral). After that assessment we went through multiple shoes we both were satisfied. He even told me that I have been getting shoes that were too big for me. Whoops! :-) he even allowed me to run/​walk down the street a ways to see if they are a good fit. They even have a treadmill inside for patrons to try it out on bad weather days. I was very pleased and have already ran a half marathon with them and have no problems. Hooray! So, if you are thinking of picking up a crazy hobby like running, come here to make sure you get the right shoes.

This Bob Roncker’s location is your typical running specialty store. It was stocked fairly well with a variety of running shoe brands. In terms of running accessories, it was stocked extremely well.
The store didn’t have a treadmill or any space to stride out with the shoes — they seemed to encourage customers to test shoes outside — which I found odd for what seemed to be a very high-​traffic, well-​recommended running store.
The gentleman who helped me was friendly, but since I knew what brand and model I wanted, I can’t really speak to the expertise of the employees in the store. He didn’t seem to be particularly pushy, which I appreciated.
Overall, it was an alright experience. They didn’t appear to have a bargain bin nor did they discount shoes that were clearly from last season. But being from out of town, it served my purposes just fine.

Really great. Were super helpful in finding a good shoe for running!

I have never had better customer service when it comes to shoe shopping for athletic shoes. The people at Bob Roncker’s are kind and patient as they deal with my big feet and picky taste. I come in, describe my particular brand of activity and they always manage to pick out the best shoes for whatever it is I want to be doing (zumba, long walks, mild running and grocery shopping? yep they have shoes for that!). Also, they carry crossfit shoes, yay!

Love BR’s! Great service and awesome race training programs. Very convenient location to me. Metered parking outside is free after 5pm and on Sundays, otherwise make sure you have some change handy. Last time I went here I stumbled upon their summer clearance sale and got 4 pairs of shoes (including New Balance and a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers) for $ 185! I felt like I hit the jackpot since some of their original prices were $ 140/​pair. They always have tons of local race pamphlets and even more info on their calendar. I even found a Groupon for them once that I hope they’ll run again.

Was visiting from out of town. Looking for a local marathon training group. Was turned in to Bob Ronckers. Great store, nice people, serve the community well by being a hub for the sport. I had a great run with the training group.

Went here for a new pair of running shoes and sport’s bra. As soon as we came in, we were greeted by a very friendly man, called Jack. He asked me about my running habits, I showed him my old shoes, he let me walk barefooted in the store to see how much support I would need and then let me try out a pair of Brooks shoes that fit perfectly.
A few days later I got a thank you note by mail — very much appreciated!
Also, prices are very good from a European perspective (you’d never get a pair of decent running shoes for the equivalent of $ 120 in Europe!)

Went there a few years ago. Very nice young lady helped me. Had me walk in bare feet back and forth for her. Then told me I was flat footed and wore a half size smaller shoe than I was wearing (have worn for the last 30 years, my feet went up half a size when I was pregnant 30 years ago).
I had always thought I had a high arch but hey this is what they do for a living so I thought they new best.
She fitted me with a size 8 pair of new balance for the bargin price of 120.00 (Not). Felt like I was wearing those shoes kids wear when they learn how to walk, you know the really hard sole shoes.
But wore them to the gym, not comfortable, wore them while I was out and about, not comfortable. Stopped wearing them, finally sold them.
My husband got a pair of the nike run free’s, I started looking online to see how you could tell if you were flat footed since I had never been told this my whole life. So I did the wet feet test. Turns out I am neither flat footed nor do I have a high arch, I have a perfectly normal foot.
I bought a pair of the run free’s, they’re comfortable but for really comfortable shoes, sketcher Go Walk shoes are the best!

Who knew you were supposed to be fitted for running shoes and not just buy the cheapies?! This place is seriously top-​notch without being intimidating. The staff are always friendly and approachable and their prices are definitely fair. They even do Groupon deals fairly regularly! Woohoo!
My only ding is that the Newport store is tiny… not a huge selection and not a lot of apparel. But I’ve never failed to find a good shoe there so I’m still giving it a 4*.

Not only is Bob Roncker’s a great running store with great service, but it also is a great local business that is a leader in the running community. Bob Roncker’s is the center for so many local races and offers running group packages as well.

I may not be a runner but I still go here for my athletic shoes. Based on the wear on old shoes, my high arch, my workout style, size, & issues I described with my old shoes, they brought out 3 options and even let me walk/​run in them outside to see how they feel on the concrete. Can’t wait to get to the gym tonight!

As a recent convert to the concept of exercise I have taken quite a while to realize and respect that the right clothing and footwear can make all the difference to ones comfort.
My exercise ‘drug’ has been walking — anything up to 35 – 40 miles a week — and at first I was content to settle for sports shoes found in DSW’s clearance racks. Then I started to suffer blisters and aching heels/​toes. A friend recommended Running Spot, telling me they would set me up with exactly the right footwear.
My friend wasn’t lying. I was initially wary of laying down a c-​note for a pair of shoes but after the assistant, Grace, talked me through the process I could sense the real value for money I was getting. She looked at the wear pattern of my old shoes, professionally measured me, watched my gait and how my feet touched and left the ground when I walked and patiently allowed me to try on almost a dozen pairs of suitable shoes before I found ones that felt just right.
I have different sized feet which always makes buying footwear a challenge and it was no different this time. After four or five weeks, one of the shoes started to cause me a lot of grief. I took them back to Grace explaining the problem. She was gracious in both understanding my issue and supplying me with a replacement pair of shoes, despite the fact that my returned pair had considerable wear on them.
Sadly, the replacement pair also caused me some problems and I had to return them too. Once again, swapping them out for a different brand was no problem whatsoever.
In this day and age, good service will win out every time. Now I don’t hesitate in procuring all my athletic footwear from Running Spot. Worth every single cent of the slightly higher prices.

Best Feature: ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL Service, great products!
Worst Feature: A smaller store, but they’re willing to help you find what you need at any other of their locations around Cincinnati!
I’m following up my first raving review with a second due to the incredible service I received yet again! :)
I bought my Vibram Five Finger TrekSport shoes in early January. Pricey shoes, but I do still enjoy them so imagine my surprise when one day I look down to see I already have a hole in the shoe. I hadn’t run that often since getting them (courtesy of the cold wintry weather) and I’d stuck to outside running when I did, so I was dismayed to find that after only 4 – 5 months and mild use that they’d already started deteriorating. The mesh-​like covering on the top part of the foot had weakened where it met the solid fabric and had started pulling away, so I knew it was a problem with the shoe itself and not any outside factors (like my dog or cat).
Unhappy and looking on Vibram’s website to find I was already well outside their 90-​day warranty coverage, I decided to at least give Bob Roncker’s a shot to see if they’d help me out. I’d spent a pretty penny on these shoes and I did not want it wasted. I called in to the Newport store and asked what they could do. The woman that answered the phone was incredibly positive + friendly and told me to come in and they’d see what could be done.
I headed in and explained to the first employee I encountered what was going on. He was very nice — immediately greeted me when I entered and was very friendly, so when I informed him of my situation he just asked to take a look at my shoes. He saw the hole and told me he could see if he had the same shoe in my size to replace my faulty one. Unfortunately, they did not, and neither did any of their other locations that he called.
So he came back over and told me he would normally gladly put me on a list to be notified upon receiving new TrekSports in my size, but that he recognized the particular model, TrekSport, frequently had this problem. He offered me some alternate solutions — I could do an exchange for any of the models of the same original price, or if I found a more expensive model to my liking I’d only pay the difference. If I chose a model of a lower price than my original shoes, I could be issued a gift card for the remaining difference.
I opted for the exchange and found the Bikila model was the same exact price I’d paid for my TrekSports. This model does not have the mesh covering; instead, the fabric runs solidly around the entire shoe. Happy with the tread + overall design, I tried a few sizes on and took my new shoes home at no extra cost to me.
— HOWEVER — upon getting home, I realized the size I thought in the store would work well was unfortunately a bit too small. My feet hurt immediately upon putting them on and I knew I needed to get the next size up. I went in the following day and spoke with yet another friendly employee to explain my problem. He gladly switched out my shoes with the next size up and I’m now wearing my new Bikila Vibrams as we speak, happy as a clam.
I’ve rarely received such fantastic service, but this store has completely won me over. Not only was my first trip great, but the subsequent trips months later have proven to be just as great as the first. I have a real trust in this store that they’ll help me out whenever I need it, and I’ll be SURE to return!
They also do have a great selection of shoes, socks, accessories, clothing, bags, and more for any athletic need — as I hope to start doing a few more athletic activities in the future, I’m already eyeing a few products that will be helpful.
Incredibly helpful, friendly staff and fantastic customer service. You can’t beat that. :)

After my experience here purchasing shoes for running — I’ll never just go buy sneakers from any ol’ place.
When you go in there — they’ll see that you are properly fitted for running/​walking/​cross training or whatever your heart desires!
I just started running recently, and the shoes I’ve been using had been giving me problems (I ordered them online). The salesperson watched me walk around the store and got a sense of what my feet needed. She also fitted me in a pair that had a little extra room in the toes, as apparently your toes swell when you first start running.
I am SO happy with the shoes and have felt better about running ever since. It also didn’t set me back all that much considering the price of some of their other items.

After a semi-​serious (mostly annoying) running injury, I was told by a podiatrist that to prevent it from happening again that I should be properly fitted for running shoes. I always heard of Bob Ronkers so I knew that if anything, it’s a good place to start.
The first employee to approach me asked how she could help me, and I cluelessly responded with, «Uh, I need to be fitted for running shoes… and I have no clue what I’m doing.»
She happily asked me a laundry list of questions: my previous running experience, what surfaces I generally run on, if I’m training for a race, and any previous injuries and ailments. She had me take my shoes off and walk back and forth to see my gait, measured each foot’s length and width, and got a couple of shoes for me to try on.
Once we found the size and style for me, I ran back and forth outside a few times for her as she confirmed my stride/​gait in the shoes. They had a deal where if you buy a new pair of running shoes, you get buy-​three-​get-​one-​free for socks. All of their socks are cotton-​free and seam-​free, which is awesome!
I walked away really satisfied with my experience… and now I will run without the fear of injury!