When Sarah and I were in San Diego we visited the Road Runner Sports store. This is the self-proclaimed “World’s Largest Running Store” and is most known for their website component, www.roadrunnersports.com
The place is pretty darn impressive. Most impressive was their process for evaluating stride and foot characteristics and prescribing the right running shoe. I liked that- it was quick and simple and yeilded good results for both of us.
The store occupies two buildings about the size of a Costco warehose store. It looked like a total of maybe 40,000 sq feet or more. Enormous. Most of it is shoe inventory.
They were having their annual clearance sale there and we both scored some very good apparel and shoe deals. If you are the San Diego area it is worth a visit as they are also across the street from an REI store and down the block from Hi Tech Bikes, a very nice bike shop.
Their online customer service is pretty good too but even with the membership unfortunately they do not have the largest selection and definetely not the cheapest.
When I’ve been they have one of those pressure mats linked to a computer that you run across barefoot. There may be some value to it but you tend to alter your stride because you’re barefoot, also to ensure that you hit the mat and also just because you’re thinking about it.
They also have video cameras attached to treadmills
Can’t speak to how they do it at the San Diego store, but the Seattle location did this:
Had me walk across a pressure pad barefoot, which then mapped out the max load map of my stride. That’s it. He then used this map to recommend a motion-control shoe for me.
So why do I have problems with this? (1) it was done walking, not running. (2) the max load map really doesn’t do anything to show you how the foot is MOVING during the stride. (3) I’ve always had ITB problems when I use any kind of motion control shoe.
To be fair, though, the newer Kent location uses a treadmill as well as the pressure pad…
“pronation” is not read or diagnosed via a pressure mat.
Pressure points/spots are shown on a pressure mat - this is just a small piece of one’s stride analysis. A good example would be a runner with a previous stress fracture of the 2nd matatarsal (for ex only). Lets say it healed back just a little dorsiflexed - now a pressure scan will show abnormal pressure under the 1st and or 3rd metatarsal on one side only. Using this data only, one could say that he is overloading the forefoot, supinating on that side, limb length issue, tight posterior muscle group, etc. Yet, a simple X-ray would show the real problem.
Running with rear facing video cameras is much better, but only if you know what you are looking at! Also, many runners alter their gait on a treadmill vs. the road (but there is really no way around that). Most runners change their gait at the 20 mile mark too
Well, in San Diego, it was similar to this with a few differences.
The “fit specialist” had us walk across a pressure mat. It mapped out the max load points in our feet. After this, both Tom and myself were instructed to run on a treadmill barefoot while our strides were being recorded. We had both feet measured and our arches assessed.
We then met with our individual fit specialists and watched our running styles on a computer. The fit specialists were very thorough and quite helpful.
They pointed out anything out of the ordinary and then went on to suggest a few types of shoes. It was quite the experience.
They had us walk across a pressure pad to map the foot strike areas- it looked like a weather map kind of- the highest pressure areas were red, the rest were yellow, etc.
The second part was simply running barefoot on a treadmill. They video taped that using a slow/stop motion software that I seem to recall was called “ASAP” or some such thing. It gave the shoe fitter the ability to stop motion and frame-by-frame the foot strike. Interesting. Paulo was right- I need to lose weight!
Based on those observations they made shoe recs. They put me in an Adidas stability shoe with green Superfeet insoles. I bought into it hook, line and sinker but found the same shoe next door at the clearance sale for more than 1/2 off the list price in the regular store. I’m a cheapskate.
I haven’t run in these yet except for a few practice up and back runs to see if I liked the way they felt and I did like them- especially on my knees.
In other news I am swapping my cushioned Newtons out for the stability Newton and am going to try a more gradualt break-in period (of me, not the shoes) to the Newton fit and feel. I spoke at length with the Newton inventor at Ironman Wisconsin and he let us try different shoes and different fits and I found something that worked much better for me- the stability shoe in a 1/2 size larger than my current cushion Newtons. I was very impressed by the customer service of the Newton crew. I know I was faster in the Newtons and they felt good, but they did take theri toll on the back of my feet in the achilles area. The trouble with Newtons is, once you get used to running in them, you don’t want to stop and go back to regular shoes for the break in period- you just instantly want to do all your miles in the Newtons since it is easier and faster. That unwillingness to follow their break-in (for the runner, not the shoe) protocol and the fact that **I **selected the wrong shoe and the wrong size initially are what did me in on the first attempt with Newtons. My fault entirely and I am giviing a second go based on my good impressions from the first attempt.
I’ve had this done as well. They do a pretty solid job, IMHO. Obviously, the folks working there are limited to what they can determine from the tools they have…but are fairly knowledgable, certainly as good as I’ve experienced in any other running store and better than most.
They do push Superfeet insoles pretty hard…seems like they recommend those to every person they talk to.
I love their return policy. 60 days no questions asked. When I started running seriously again about 2 years ago, I went through 4 pairs of shoes…took the first recommendation home, ran in them, took them back. repeated 3 more times before I ended up with Kayanos, which worked for me.
I also noticed that they push superfeet, but I think I may need them anyway. I have very high arches.
Overall, a good experience. Everyone there was very fit and obviously took their jobs seriously. It was very easy to take advice from those who appeared quite credible.
Interesting that they had you run barefoot on a treadmill. 99 percent of people who run barefoot on a treadmilll strike with their fore foot which is usually significantly different than their normal stride while wearing shoes.
I’ve also heard that after you reach (x) speed, it is impossible to run on anything other than your fore foot while barefoot, but I am not going to state that as fact only to have someone out there prove me wrong. The research folks at Mizuno are pretty knowledgeable though.
If they bought Superfeet then they must have done it quite recently since they did not offer Superfeet products for quite some time. I am a big fan of the Superfeet blue inserts - they have enough shape to support a medium to high arch but have some flex to the arch that is very springy. I don’t pronate much and dislike motion control shoes, so it seems like the green inserts with essentially a solid arch would be very stiff. The Superfeet inserts are also relatively light compared to some of the other inserts out there.
I tried their RRS house brand cushion inserts and thought they were very heavy and squishy. I am not surprised that they push the Superfeet instead.
I started using them because all stock insoles just feel so FLAT, even in shoes that are recommended for runners with high arches. I see the Superfeet Blue as a bridge between my feet (curved) and the bed of the shoe (flat). It is as much for the feeling of fit as it is for any support.
Like jpflores I move the Superfeet from shoe to shoe. The forefoot of the Superfeet are pancake flat when you get them, but a little running makes them conform to the balls of your feet, your toes a little bit, and the curve of your flexing shoe. I have not put in as many miles on one set as he has, but I also experiment a little bit with shoe brands sometimes so I will often get a new set if I am trying something with a different last.
The RRS near me, Concord CA, sucks. Lousy selection, over priced…way-y-y-y over priced, and poorly trained uninterested staff.
I took the spousal unit there recently for a new pair of shoes and the kid helping us kept trying to put her in a $130 shoe that wasn’t comfortable…because the pressure pad “analysis” said that was the right shoe for her…I kinda got the impression that his commission was telling him that it was the right shoe…but thats just me, I’m a cynic.
My best guess is that the place will be out of business in 6 months.
