Fleet Feet Sports Store

Once I decided to commit myself to the sport of running, (and please believe me, it was not a decision that I came to easily), I was informed that a proper running shoe was in order. Knowing that not ever foot is created equal, it is important to have the proper fit. A local sports store is the perfect place to get that shoe. Fleet Feet Sports store is a specialty store that can help anyone and everyone decided what is best for their individual needs.

        Let me state for the record, I am not affiliated, nor do I have any vested interest in Fleet Feet. I just believe in telling others when I have “discovered” something or somewhere that I like. My daughter, whom had taken up the sport, had heard about this place from friends and touted its benefits. So I agreed to make the trek with her to check it out even though it wasn’t exactly close to us. Always up for an adventure we headed over the mountain to Jones Valley in Huntsville. It was a surprisingly small store in a new strip mall location among the scenic vista that is Jones Valley.

        Once inside, the staff was super friendly and helpful. Bustling with customers trying on shoes and checking out sports apparel, we blended in to see what all the fuss was about. It was on this first visit that we met a sales clerk named Matt. Little did we know that Matt would become our go-to guy all future questions about shoes and local races.

        I am convinced that Matt has a photographic memory because he remembers everyone and everything. He remembers the shoes we wear and the socks we bought. The races we’ve run and the times we’ve been there. No matter what the time span is between visits! He is amazing. Friendly, helpful and smart all rolled into one package. A shoppers dream!

        The first thing he did was have us run/walk a short distance on a treadmill in the shoe area. He was able to record our feet as we took steps to check for our foot stride and strike patterns. This helped him determine any special needs that we had when choosing the proper running shoes. Of course he questioned us about our goals and distances, etc to determine first what type of shoe we needed; ie: running, tennis, walking, cross training, etc.

        After trying on several pairs of shoes and getting encouragement from the sales staff there, we selected our shoes. I chose a pair of Nike Structure and she chose a pair of Brooks Glycerin. We both have been satisfied with these selections, though at this time after logging many miles I have found that my Structures are beginning to fray in areas and it is time for a new pair. I have been getting shin splints recently and think I need more support in my shoes.

My daughter has logged many more miles than I have and she is about to buy a new pair of shoes as well. As her shoe has aged (100 miles +) she is complaining that they no longer give her the support she needs. One other complaint that she had with this shoe is since she has been blessed with long toes, she has too much space in the front of the shoe. An orthotic support has helped this problem but she feels its time for a new shoe.

Fleet Feet carries over ten major brands of footwear. We have found running apparel in the newest styles that we haven’t found anywhere else. The prices are reasonable and sometimes less than other places (and sometimes more). They don’t have a huge inventory, but it is ample. They also carry all types of running accessories from watches to sunglasses to GU supplements to monitors. They also carry swimwear items and accessories as well.

What is so neat is that if you can’t find what you want there, there is a Dicks Sporting Goods next door.