Runways

Having signed up for the Dublin marathon (glutton for punishment that I am) I went out to buy myself a new pair of runners. I’d bought a pair from Runways a couple of years ago in my pre-​Yelp days when I was training for my first half-​marathon and was really impressed with both the customer service and the quality of the product I bought, so I went back to them a couple of weeks ago.
The service here is pretty personalised; the guys in the store get you running barefoot on a treadmill in order to assess your gait (to see whether you pronate/​overpronate or whatever) and then recommend a few different pairs of runners that suit your style. I tried on four different pairs before I decided on which one suited me best, and it was nice to see that the shop assistant was in no rush for me to make a choice even though he was pretty busy — good to see that they understand that buying a quality pair of runners isn’t a something to do on a whim.
Now, this place ain’t cheap by any means, and it’s true that you could easily pick up all the products much cheaper online from UK retailers, but that’s not the point in my eyes. I was in there for about 40mins, had a good chat to the fella in there who gave me some really sound advice about training (he even had a look over my training plan and gave me some suggestions on how to improve it), and came away with a pair of runners I was really happy with (I’ve been on a couple of long runs with them so far and they really are excellent).
Maybe this place isn’t ideal for the everyman looking for any old sports kit to use once in a while, but for anyone out there considering doing any serious running then I think these guys are spot on.

I pride myself of living for very few money but when it comes to my running shoes I know that the less cheap that I am the less likely I am to develop any injuries when I exercise so I do not mind going to stores that are a little more expensive than the usual.
When I first visited this place I was the only one in the store so the guy there had plenty of time for me and we had a little chat about what my needs were for the shoes, he made a thorough test of my running style, so we would be able to find the best shoes for me.
I was already prepared for the fact that he would probably find the most expensive shoe in the store but to my surprise he actually found a pair he said would be the best fit for me and my style and they were on reduced (and it was a very decent price all of a sudden).
I tried on several shoes at different price ranges and normally I would go for a Nike shoe but I ended up with the good priced shoes which was from Asics. I did not pick them for the price though but for how they felt. They have now lasted a year where I have worn them in all kinds of conditions 5 days a week and worn them for hours at a time. They have had a lot of miles on them so I know that it is time to change them into a new pair.
If I was not leaving for New York in a few weeks where everything is a a lot more inexpensive, I would have gone back to this place. But hey then my cheap ass comes up and shows its face — I can wait those few weeks and get the exact same pair of shoes for half the price.

Went here after hearing about the free gait test online, which sounded quite interesting. Asked about it in the shop and was told it was only free if you bought something. Okay then, I said this was fine, i understood etc as i was planning on buying and said I might buy. Then, in the middle of talking to me, the sales assistant decided to serve someone else and then acted as if I didn’t exist. Guess I wasn’t worth the effort because I wasn’t willing to guarantee I’d buy something? Well arrogance and rudeness cost them a sale.

Knowledge ⁵⁄₅
Product ⁵⁄₅
Service ⁵⁄₅
Price ⁵⁄₅
(seems pricey if you don’t already know how expensive proper runners are these days! But I checked the price on the pair I bought when I got home and found them to be priced only slightly more than the cheapest internet price… the difference being you can’t try them on a treadmill on the internet! And you’d have to wait for them.)
This was the perfect place for me to get sorted with a new pair of running shoes, or more precisely my first pair of running shoes (in at least 10 years!). The guy that helped me was very knowledgeable and, perhaps most importantly, didnt baffle me with tech jargon!
Used to be the way that I could run in anything, sadly no longer true… The helpful advice including a free gait analysis offered here saw to it that I got the right pair to start clocking up some miles… Im obviously no expert, but its to their credit that I left feeling a bit like one!
Will be returning when I wear these out. If I fail to stick to running… it wont be for lack of the right runners or the right advice!

I hate to go against the previous tide of Unilocal popularity with this spot but I ain’t scared of big waves, and that says a lot because I can’t swim.
Waffling aside let the review commence. When I am behaving and not acting the maggot around town I tend to be a running nerd. I am never going to win stuff for it nor do I care but I do put in a lot of mileage… I say all that as I want you to trust me, you can trust me Unilocalers… I will let you feel my calves next time we meet if you still doubt me.
So the long overdue time has come for me to change my kicks. The painful twinge in my knee prompted me to accept my battered pair needed to be retired. I was actually really excited to check this place out.
The women’s shoes selection is pathetic. The men’s is of course better, apparently women don’t run. So that got me in bad form.
The lad who worked the shop was lovely but I was really expecting him to have a better technical knowledge of what I needed… OK I was being a cow I was testing him and he did alright. So I opted to try the Nike Pegasus and my usual ASICS brand. They didn’t have either in my size! I don’t have freakish feet, I have the boring average size.
I popped into lifestyle instead. The Pegasus are 10 euro cheaper by the by. Opted for the ASICS in the end.
I guess I would go there for the apparel as it’s specialised and they have a decent selection of spikes… But knowing me I would order my apparel on-​line.

I’m a keen runner and because I’m getting old I have to look after my knees a bit better so I have to change my runners frequently. I’m lucky enough to have a neutral footfall but I need extra padding because of aforementioned dodgy knees and usually I feel like I’m speaking a foreign language when I ask staff for advice– apart from Elvery’s but sadly they don’t specialise in runners. So I can’t believe I survived without Runways for this long, because the staff here know pretty much everything there is to know about running and proper gear. Cheap it ain’t but then again every runner knows that proper gear is well worth the pricetag. And I know that my new Pegasus runners aren’t just pretty, but they have the proper fit and cushioning.

If you’re a serious runner or track athlete and you’re sick of the fashion driven rubbish that the bored knowledge-​free staff in most of the big chains are trying to sell you (points finger at Lifestyle Sports and Footlocker), go to Runways. They sell a proper range of shoes, understand things like pronation and supination and motion control and will do a free treadmill based gait analysis for you if you don’t. They have a range of track spikes, proper clothing like tights and shorts and socks, all accessories and the prices are reasonable too. Some of the shoe specials are downright sharp. They can be a bit understaffed at times (even though it’s not a big store) but it’s worth the wait.