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JJB Sports "Serious About Running" - they must be joking!
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However, if you want more than just a place to buy shoes, for example, you are looking for advice about the fit of the shoes then unfortunately JJB usually falls short, and the running shop justifies its existence!
(I work in a running shop, so am very biased here)
Sad but true. Running shops are pricing some people out of them who would benefit
Also this isnt so much of an issue with the sports shop, more JJB. If they want to claim to be serious about running they need to train their staff properly to advise and fit running shoes etc
If you box clever you go to the specialist to 'shop' and then buy discount........ I didn't say that!
Blaming it on 'slow' sales of shorts and t-shirts etc due to poor summer weather.
But I reckon it could be the influence of RW forum......
Last Saturday, went into my local JJB ("serious about running" store), where I noticed they'd got a pair of Nike Air Tailwind - I wasn't going to buy - I just fancied trying them on, & if I liked them, well that would be another shoe for the "what shall I try next" shortlist.
Anyway, the shop was full of chavs, and I had strongly suspected that the guy who served me was possibly a chav too. Anyway, back to the story. It started promising. The guy who served me, asked me what I was planning on using the shoes for.
"Running", I said guardedly.
"Do you run much?", he said.
"Yes", I replied. "I do anythig up to 30 miles a week".
Silence. Once I had them on though, he said, "there's a mirror over there mate, if you wanna see what they look like".
I said, "Thanks, but I'm not bothered what they look like, as long as they give me enough support, although it's difficult to make the right choice here as you don't have a treadmill in the store for me to run a few miles in them to try them out properly".
Slight pause, before the guy replied with, "Well, they look good with jeans!"
I made some excuse that they didn't feel right, and left the store.
i'll come clean first of all, like annajo i work in a running specialist store.
I would first question that JJB sells the same shoe for £20-£30 less that a running store, mainly because they don't normaly stock what the running companies regard as their 'technical running' shoes. That is not to say you cannot run in them, but they are not speficialy made for a running motion and impact forces.
secondly, if you are a beginner runner with no major mechanical motions to be support or corrected, you shouldn't be paying £70-£80 pounds for a pair of shoes at a running store anyway. something like the 765 from new balance is excellent and at £59.99
ttfn
'IZ WENT INTO A 'RUNNING SHOP' FER DA NU BLING BLING TRAINEYS. IT WAS PROPPA PLUMZ, MAN. DEY ONLY AD 1 CULUR OF TRAINEY, N DEY SED I HAD TO GET ON A TREDMILL TO TRY DEM OUT. FK DAT MAN, EXERCIZE IZ 4 DA PONCES INNIT MAN, EXCEPT WEN RUNNIN FROM DA BIZZIZ WEN U IZ DA GANGSTA LIKE ME. AIIIIII. N DEY DINT SELL NO BERBERRY BASEBALL CAPS NO NUFFIN SO I RECKON DEY WAS WELL WACKED, INNIT. STICK TO JJB FOR DA BLING, I TELLZ YA. N DEY SELLS ENGLAND FLAGS N ALL INNIT!'
I looked in JJB today (Leeds) and found for example Asics 2090s reduced from £75 to £60. Now I get all my shoes and kit from an excellent specialist running shop and the last pair of 2090s I got were £65 from memory. This was over a month ago now.
It is important to compare like with like because JJB did have lots of much cheaper Asics shoes in - but most of these are not proper running shoes.
(I don't work in a running shop!)
Berberry ban!
LOL
JJB only stock a couple proper pairs of running shoes anyway. 90% of there stock is cheap, crap, out of date or fashion trainers.
You get what you pay for - keep your local running shop going take advantage of the expert knwoledge and service they provide and bung the extra few quid their way. These shops contribute to the running scene - many of them help organises the odd race (or mine does anyway), and I personally dont find them overly expensive.
I dont work in a running shop, but even though I could get my runners cheaper through the internet I give my custom to my local running shop as I value them being there.
....and its not only JJB.
Went in John Lewis at lunch time. Now this place only really sells running shoes. No (well maybe one or two pairs)of fashion trainers to be seen.
Picks up a pair of Pegasus.
"Can i try these in a nine and a nine half please"
"Sorry, they don't come in half sizes, do you want a ten".
But.....even this didn't beat the other customer who asked for a pair of trainers "for off-road & trail-running", only to be pointed in the direction of Asics Cumulus.
Needless to say i gave him directions to RunnersNeed at Liverpool Street
I've found that unless you buy out of date models then Run & Become is as cheap as anywhere.Bearing in mind that you've got postage to pay mail order, plus the hassle of sending a pair back if there's a problem. You get advice and a chance to try on a few pairs before you decide to buy.
I support them because if R & B shut down then I would end up at JJB Sports wearing crap trainers and looking like a sad old skateboarder.
Buying out of date shoes if you know what you want is a good idea, but if you're new to running then I think you need some advice.
(Mind you we pay three times the price because there is not enough volume in the market and I'm not there to buy my shoes at the moment)
If it reaches double figures you get to be area manager!