#99 The Running Retail Episode: Best Practice, Choosing the Right Shoe, and Advice for Retail Workers

Today on the podcast Matt & Andrea discuss the ins and outs of run retail. Before starting Doctors of Running and becoming a physical therapist, Matt got his start in at a running shoe store. Our hope with this episode and forthcoming resources on our webiste is to give running retail employees a framework to help customers find the right shoe for them. They'll give you resources and key questions to ask as you and the customer learn what's best for them.

Each month at DOR starting in 2022, a member of our team selects a charity of their choice to donate 10% of our monthly profits to. This month we're donating to The ALS Association. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure for ALS yet. Established in 1985, The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization fighting ALS on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. Learn more and donate at www.als.org.

This episode is sponsored by Running Warehouse. We've been loving gear the Vuori gear they have available, especially the Performance Tank and Kore Short. They're comfortable and stylish for both running and lifestlye. Running Warehouse also has the brand new Saucony Enorphin Pro 3 in stock, which is Matt's front-runner for racing shoe of the year. Head over to runningwarehouse.com to check out these and more!

The Subjective: What's your favorite local running store?

Chapters
0:00 - Intro
5:40 - The Subjective: What's your favorite running store?
7:02 - Matt's history in run retail
15:24 - The pitfalls of using pronation to prescribe shoes for runners
19:26 - Tips for run retail employees to help customers find shoes
24:54 - Ask key questions to help customers figure out what they want
34:30 - The difficulty of in-store gait analysis
38:20 - Helping customers learn about what they like in shoes
42:14 - The trouble with static foot tests
45:40 - Using the RUNCAT to find ideal shoes
54:42 - Asking the right questions to determine shoe comfort
59:02 - How to be a better running store customer
1:03:28 - The importance of building great relationships
1:09:11 - Wrap-up