So today I got my gait analysis etc done. Decision time now!

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kwb87
kwb87 Posts: 70 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OK so following some excellent advice on this forum I went to get fitted for running shoes at my local sports shop. He recoded me running and slowed it down and showed me how I over pronated and suggested some good supportive shoes. I tried several pairs on but my favourite and the ones which straightened my ankles up best were the Saucony Hurricane 16.

My question now is whether or not to go for these which I was offered at £100 (rrp £120) and support my local shop or get the previous model online for £62 inc. delivery?

I was expecting to pay around £80. Maybe this is a moral dilemma more than anything. I could stretch to £100 and would feel good about supported my local area but at the same time I don't want to be ripped off! Advice very welcome!

Thanks for reading.

Replies

  • glreim21
    glreim21 Posts: 206 Member
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    Support your local store that spent time determining the right shoe for you! Your next pair you can order online.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Support your local store that spent time determining the right shoe for you! Your next pair you can order online.

    That sounds like a good compromise.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Support your local store that spent time determining the right shoe for you! Your next pair you can order online.

    I agree with this but I would also consider the return option. Being fitted isn't a guarantee. I have bought sneakers before and ended up returning them (the running store had a good policy) because I hated them when actually out running.

    It isn't exactly a rip off. Its not uncommon for last year's stock to be much cheaper, in fact I try to wait to get mine then. Unfortunately your running store probably doesn't have any.

    I also don't have a "local" running store. I have to buy mine when I travel.

    (Saucony Hurricanes are "my" shoe too, I love them but so expensive).
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    OK so following some excellent advice on this forum I went to get fitted for running shoes at my local sports shop. He recoded me running and slowed it down and showed me how I over pronated and suggested some good supportive shoes. I tried several pairs on but my favourite and the ones which straightened my ankles up best were the Saucony Hurricane 16.

    My question now is whether or not to go for these which I was offered at £100 (rrp £120) and support my local shop or get the previous model online for £62 inc. delivery?

    I was expecting to pay around £80. Maybe this is a moral dilemma more than anything. I could stretch to £100 and would feel good about supported my local area but at the same time I don't want to be ripped off! Advice very welcome!

    Thanks for reading.

    What about talking to the local store about the price difference? Maybe they'd meet you in the middle.
  • Marlitharn
    Marlitharn Posts: 36 Member
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    When you order them online you're paying for some guy to grab them off a shelf and drop them in the mail. When you buy them from the store you're paying the guy that spent all that time with you helping you find the best shoe, not to mention the store's overhead. It's not a rip-off, it's just a different business model. I'd go ahead and get them from the store, and if they continue to work for you order the next pair online.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Saucony Hurricane 16.

    I have four pairs of Hurricane 15s, I'm not sure how the 16 differs, if at all, but they're a good shoe.
    I could stretch to £100 and would feel good about supported my local area but at the same time I don't want to be ripped off!

    This may seem harsh, but you've gone into a shop and they've invested time in analysing your running style, spent time going through a number of options with you and helped you select an appropriate shoe for your gait. That doesn't sound like you were being ripped off.

    Subject to the amount of mileage you'll be doing you'll need at least one, possibly two more pairs this year. I'd observe that you may get some form of loyalty discount going on, they may also have a returns policy that an online retailer won't have.

    If you don't support your local store, will it be there the next time you need some proper advice?

    Act in good faith, buy the shoes from the high street.
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
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    OK so following some excellent advice on this forum I went to get fitted for running shoes at my local sports shop. He recoded me running and slowed it down and showed me how I over pronated and suggested some good supportive shoes. I tried several pairs on but my favourite and the ones which straightened my ankles up best were the Saucony Hurricane 16.

    My question now is whether or not to go for these which I was offered at £100 (rrp £120) and support my local shop or get the previous model online for £62 inc. delivery?

    I was expecting to pay around £80. Maybe this is a moral dilemma more than anything. I could stretch to £100 and would feel good about supported my local area but at the same time I don't want to be ripped off! Advice very welcome!

    Thanks for reading.

    When I did similar in my mind the additional cost was for the time, help & advise I received. I bought my latest pair online but did buy my Garmin from the shop as I'd like it to be there for any future help and advice I may need.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    They stung me for £120.
    I did have money at the time and I had had three members of staff (two from store and one from another store that was visiting) spend an hour with me, trying to work out my wonky running. (My right ankle is a bit mashed up from a motorcycle racing accident - usable, but not at quite the normal angle.) So ended out handing it over - though, think I had a 10% discount off that, actually, as they had come to my gym.

    I do agree with supporting local shops when they offer a decent service I can't get online - when I was visiting Friends in Reading and looking for some more running shoes I noted they'd closed down anyway - too many people going online will mean these services not being available locally (and yes, 95% of my shopping is online.)
  • kwb87
    kwb87 Posts: 70 Member
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    Thanks for all of the help and advice everyone. I've made the decision to go back to the shop on Tuesday morning first thing and get the ones I loved. Hopefully they work out for me and then in future I can get them online. I kind of felt like this was a moral dilemma above all else. I knew the shoes I wanted but wasn't sure I could face not returning to the shop after the assistant there spent a good 20 minutes or so with me, trying on 6 or so pairs of running shoes and analysing my gait. They were also on sale for £108 but when I said I was hoping to spend around £80 he offered to knock them down to £100 for me. I live in quite a deprived and disadvantaged city too and felt like there would just be something wrong about buggering off and getting them online. Maybe I'm going too off track now but anyway I'm glad others agree that getting them in store this time feels like the right thing.

    All that aside - I'm actually strangely excited about getting into my new running shoes! So much so that I'll be picking them up as the shop opens on Tuesday morning :)

    Thanks again for all the help and advice.

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