Why You Shouldn’t Run Away From Buying Running Shoes Online 

Buying Running Shoes Online 

When buying your next pair of running shoes, online might not be the first place you’d choose to shop. How can you check for fit? Can you be sure they’ll be right for your gait? What if you need your shoes straight away? It’s tempting to shy away from digital shopping, especially when looking for footwear. However, there are a great many reasons why buying running shoes online makes perfect sense.

Easier to find the perfect shoe for you

When looking for new or replacement running shoes, you will probably have certain requirements in mind. Online shops are designed to be searched and filtered, so that means that those key features are easier to track down. Specialist sports shoe shops allow you to zero in on trainers by gait type, weather conditions, or material. And if you suffer from a foot condition and need special insoles, you could check the specifications or the comments by other customers to see if you can replace the inserts of your favorite shoes.

Convenience

Does anyone really love going to the big warehouse-style stores for new running shoes? Probably some of you out there love the smell of foam rubber and shoe freshener, but for the rest of us, there’s shopping online. It might seem like simply heading to a physical store would take less time, but when you never know when you might find yourself in the midst of a back-to-school rush or simply have to wait for a sales assistant to find your size in the stockroom. E-commerce has come a long way over the last few years, and digital businesses know that they need to offer excellent customer service and smooth delivery experiences to keep ahead of the competition. It goes without saying that there’s never a queue for the checkout when you shop online.

More choices

Without the constraints of a physical store, a good online shop can carry more brands, lines, and sizes than a bricks-and-mortar company ever could. While one of the advantages of the local sports shop is that you can try things on before you buy them, that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have access to the pair you’d like to wear in the first place. Finding the right fit can be a far more streamlined process when superior range is coupled with an efficient delivery and return system, something a good online store will have as standard.

Reviews

One of the greatest advantages of shopping online is that many companies have an in-built review system, so you can see what other customers make of the product before you purchase. You can use feedback to gauge whether a certain pair of shoes will be right for your run, whether they offer good value for money, and many other things. Of course, when you’ve found your perfect running partners, you’re free to leave feedback of your own and let other shoppers know what they’re getting.

Information

Even if you can find a shop with people that have the kind of expertise you need, there’s no comparison between this and the amount of information provided in online product descriptions. You don’t need to dig around under the tongue of the shoe to find out what it’s made from: information like that is just a scroll away. Data such as sizes offered, similar products, and colorways is usually on offer right there on the same page.


If you like what the brand offers but not the features of an individual shoe, many sites will show you what other models they carry. This means you can make a far more informed choice when you finally ‘add to basket’.


Product information isn’t the only kind of knowledge on offer at reputable online stores; many will have a raft of helpful articles on hand to connect you with the right shoes. They may offer tips on analyzing your gait at home, or what kind of tread to look out for based on your usual running terrain.

No pressure 

Attentive customer service is a wonderful thing; intimidating sales strategy is not. Bearing your feet in public is not something everyone likes to do; add the presence of a target-focused selling machine, and you have the recipe for a truly uncomfortable experience. Buying online from the comfort of your own home means the most persistent up-sell you’ll have to dodge is a pop-up. You can take your time browsing without worrying about getting in anyone else’s way. You can even have a coffee without any risk of staining the merchandise. Instead of having to persuade a pleasant sales assistant that you ‘do really want last year’s model, thank you’, you can stick to persuading your bank balance that it’ll all be better next month.

Lower prices

An obvious attraction of buying online is the (usually) lower prices. Online shops usually have lower overheads that traditional stores and they tend to pass their savings onto their customers. It’s easy to tell whether you’re getting a good deal too, with plenty of comparison sites out there; even just using a search engine’s shopping tab will give you a good idea of how competitive the price point really is.

There are certainly some good arguments for shopping in physical stores, but with all the advantages buying online running shoes can offer, the face-to-face experience is just one way to purchase your next pair. Shopping online makes for a smooth, efficient experience with bigger choice and better value. Best of all, it is quicker, leaving you with more time to do what’s really important: go running.