I live on Long Island and there seems to be only two running stores in the area. One is located in Farmingdale, which is nearly an hour from my house, and the other is located in Lynbrook, which is about a ½ hour from my house.
Since I’ve been running more than 10 miles a week, my shins have been hurting and the backs of my legs have been burning and I decided that it was time to buy a good pair of running sneakers.
I had a meeting in Huntington the other day and I realized that I wasn’t that far away from the Farmingdale store, called Runner’s Edge. I put the address in my GPS and within five minutes I was parking my car.
I walked into the store and didn’t really know what to expect. As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted by a salesperson, a young bald man in his 30’s who wore bright orange sneakers.
“Can I help you?” he said.
“I’m new to running,” I told him. “I’ve been running about 15 or so miles a week and I think I need new sneakers.”
“Did you bring in your old sneakers?” he asked.
“No,” I said and I thought, who walks around with their old sneakers?
I asked him if he carried Newton’s, which was a brand I read about in Runner’s World Magazine. He told me not to be concerned with brands and to get something that feels supportive and comfortable. “We only sell good running sneakers here,” he said.
“I was told that I needed two pair of sneakers – one for racing and one for training. Is that true?” I asked. “Also, is it good to switch off sneakers every time you run?”
“First off,” he said, “you don’t need a pair of racing sneakers. Racing sneakers are for experienced marathon racers. And, there’s no need to switch off sneakers. You wear one pair for running/training and after three to four months, you buy a new pair. You could switch off and they would both last about six months but what’s the point?”
I thought about what he said and it made sense.
He asked me to stand barefoot in front of him. I patiently stood on the cushioned track located in his shop.
“Now walk,” he told me. He watched me as I walked toward him. He told me to sit down and he’ll be right back.
He brought out three pair of sneakers – Sacouny, Addidas and Brooks. He asked me to try one on each foot. I tried the Sacouny’s and Addidas first. I thought the Sacouny’s were better. Then I tried the Sacouny’s and the Brooks. I felt that the Brooks were more supportive and comfortable. But, to be honest, they didn’t feel that much different.
He told me to put on both pair of Brooks and run around the store. They had a mini track in the store and I took off. I felt a little embarrassed but I did it.
I told him I would try the Brooks and see how they worked out for me. As I was at the register, he told me that he also wore Brooks Ghosts for running. He said he really liked them. “Why didn’t you say that while I was trying them on?” I asked.
“I don’t like to sway my customers,” he said. “I want you to feel comfortable in your decision. All of these sneakers that we sell are good. As a matter of fact, if these don’t work for you, come back to the store and we will take them back.”
Now that’s customer service!
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