Five Star Athletic Shoe Shopping
If you're a woman like me in respect to your pedal extremities, you might be really happy to hear about this store. The establishment I'm talking about is the "New Balance" store at Delisle and Yonge, here in Toronto.
I'd like to give a few background details to my delight in finding this place, if I may. I am a tall woman. I exceed the Canadian average in height, and so my foot size is proportionately larger, too. I need a size 11. Trying to find one is often more hard work than you would believe. My last attempt to do so took me to the "Foot Locker" at Yorkdale Mall and included every negative aspect of the shoe shopping experience I have ever encountered.
I entered and was immediatley approached by a sales clerk who asked if he could help. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to size eleven and was told that one did. (One whole pair to choose from. Now there's a great selection.) I asked if I could try it on and he told me that since it was "oversize" I would have to pay for it to be ordered from the warehouse; come back another day when it had arrived; try it on and either take it or do the paper work to get a refund if it didn't fit. Foot Locker is obviously not a chain that has a good grasp of the concept of pleasing customers. The moron who works there has no understanding of it either. When I expressed dissatisfaction with the drawn-out process he was saying I would have to go through in order to try on that one pair, the mental midget then suggested I try men's shoes. Since he probably didn't know, I informed him that the average last for men's shoes is wider at the heel than it is for a woman's, and that was not going to be my best shot at a shoe that would actually fit me well. Then I walked out in disgust.
By chance a couple of days later, I was walking down the stretch of Yonge that boasts the New Balance store and in I went. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to a size eleven and was told that most of them went up to a 13. First my jaw hit the floor and then I regained my composure and began to look at the displayed shoes like a kid with their nose pressed against the glass of the candy shoppe. The fun wasn't over yet, however. The next treat came in the form of the sales rep who helped me find the pair of shoes I bought. If you go there, you want him to help you, too. Just ask for Gary and you'll end up walking out in some of the best-fitting footwear you've ever had.
Of course the brand is well-made, but unless you're trained yourself in how to fit athletic shoes, and the salient points of each different pair, getting the right one for your needs can end up a crap shoot. Not with Gary helping you. The man is a gem of a salesman. Even if you don't buy, he can help you reach your smile quota for the day. He's just that personable.
They carry men's shoes and kid's, too, but if you're that Toronto woman I was talking about at the beginning of this entry, you owe it to yourself to visit 1510 Yonge Street. If you simply just can not make it there, you can check out their website. You'll find the listing and maps there for other Toronto locations, as well as their online shopping. You'll also find that it is indeed an information-packed site, with everything you need to make yourself an informed consumer. Their "achieve more" campaign is a series of foot and ankle health-related articles that will give you an explanation of pronation and the running gait; interesting stats from the American Podiatric Association; and info on the 5 most common injuries sustained by runners. You can even "ask the expert" at their site.
If you do order online, you'll get free UPS shipping anywhere in Canada. It'll just be a shame to miss out on Gary's helpful, friendly style.
I'd like to give a few background details to my delight in finding this place, if I may. I am a tall woman. I exceed the Canadian average in height, and so my foot size is proportionately larger, too. I need a size 11. Trying to find one is often more hard work than you would believe. My last attempt to do so took me to the "Foot Locker" at Yorkdale Mall and included every negative aspect of the shoe shopping experience I have ever encountered.
I entered and was immediatley approached by a sales clerk who asked if he could help. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to size eleven and was told that one did. (One whole pair to choose from. Now there's a great selection.) I asked if I could try it on and he told me that since it was "oversize" I would have to pay for it to be ordered from the warehouse; come back another day when it had arrived; try it on and either take it or do the paper work to get a refund if it didn't fit. Foot Locker is obviously not a chain that has a good grasp of the concept of pleasing customers. The moron who works there has no understanding of it either. When I expressed dissatisfaction with the drawn-out process he was saying I would have to go through in order to try on that one pair, the mental midget then suggested I try men's shoes. Since he probably didn't know, I informed him that the average last for men's shoes is wider at the heel than it is for a woman's, and that was not going to be my best shot at a shoe that would actually fit me well. Then I walked out in disgust.
By chance a couple of days later, I was walking down the stretch of Yonge that boasts the New Balance store and in I went. I inquired if any of their women's shoes went up to a size eleven and was told that most of them went up to a 13. First my jaw hit the floor and then I regained my composure and began to look at the displayed shoes like a kid with their nose pressed against the glass of the candy shoppe. The fun wasn't over yet, however. The next treat came in the form of the sales rep who helped me find the pair of shoes I bought. If you go there, you want him to help you, too. Just ask for Gary and you'll end up walking out in some of the best-fitting footwear you've ever had.
Of course the brand is well-made, but unless you're trained yourself in how to fit athletic shoes, and the salient points of each different pair, getting the right one for your needs can end up a crap shoot. Not with Gary helping you. The man is a gem of a salesman. Even if you don't buy, he can help you reach your smile quota for the day. He's just that personable.
They carry men's shoes and kid's, too, but if you're that Toronto woman I was talking about at the beginning of this entry, you owe it to yourself to visit 1510 Yonge Street. If you simply just can not make it there, you can check out their website. You'll find the listing and maps there for other Toronto locations, as well as their online shopping. You'll also find that it is indeed an information-packed site, with everything you need to make yourself an informed consumer. Their "achieve more" campaign is a series of foot and ankle health-related articles that will give you an explanation of pronation and the running gait; interesting stats from the American Podiatric Association; and info on the 5 most common injuries sustained by runners. You can even "ask the expert" at their site.
If you do order online, you'll get free UPS shipping anywhere in Canada. It'll just be a shame to miss out on Gary's helpful, friendly style.
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