Where to buy shoes

robinph

It's been a good few years since I did any running even slightly seriously and I think its about time I took it up again before I start spending too much time in the pub again. Is there any shop in Dublin though that might actually know something about the shoes that they are selling regarding actually running in them rather than just trying to sell me the most expensive/ daftest looking pair they have?

daymobrew

Mick Dowling Sports World in Dublin 6 is well respected. (66 Terenure Rd North, Dublin 6W, 490-4502).

copacetic

apparently a place opened in bray today as well that has analysis etc, might be worth a look. think a link was on irishfit a while back..

quozl

I was a bit unimpressed that Mick Dowlings wouldn't even let me run up the road and back to try out a pair of runners. Even if I offered to leave a deposit.

If the new shop in Bray has a treadmill and gait analysis I'd suggest going there over Mick Dowlings personally.

damianmckeever

Hi there,

We are offering full Gait Analysis. We have a running track in the store as oppossed to a threadmill gives us a much better idea of what your foot is doing. The track is 43 feet in length but if you'd rather go for a run outside as well to get a feel no problem we have a foot disc as well which will give us an imprint of your arches and a proper measurement device. Basically the customer is king.

Our address Amphibian King Egan Business centre Dargle road Bray Co Wicklow.

I trainned in Auckland New Zealand in Shoe Science so I've a good idea about the shoes and running Gait.

david72

Went in here on Saturday and found it really good. All the running brands were there and guy really knew his stuff. I had been running in the Asics Nimbus but when looking at it on the software they weren't such a good option. I ended up going with the Asics Kayano.

It's a similar set up to what I've seen in the UK having lived in London for some years. It's about time something like this came to Ireland.

jconn

Is there a specialised running shop providing these kind of services in the west of Ireland?

damianmckeever

Hi Jconn,

Fraid not, the irish running market is pretty small even in Dublin it's hard to justify a running specialist shop.

inigo

Just wondering if anybody else's been to the new shop in Bray... If so, I'd be interested to know your experience.

Cheers!

robinph

I did go to the new shop in Bray last week and highly recommend a trip there for getting your running footwear. He tried us out in several different pairs of shoes and then monitoring my running in each pair on the computer I definately feel as if I got the right pair for my feet.

jasonb

I definitely have to recommend Amphibian King in Bray.

Went there on Saturday, they were so friendly and professional, and clearly know what they're doing. Devoted a lot of time and energy to myself and my friend, finding the best runners for us. But there was never a sense of trying to get money out of us ( in fact, I didn't even buy anything, Damien's ordered a shoe for me to try ).

Such a difference from places like Champion and that kind of store. If you're looking for runners for any reason, definitely give this place a try, you won't be disappointed.

J.

MrJones

how much price-wise are you talking for a pair of runners in this new shop
in bray-would it be around the €100 mark?

jasonb

As always, it depends on what you're buying!

From the top of my head, I saw prices from about €80-€170, I'd say somewhere around €110 would be the average, but I wasn't memorising them all.

The prices seem to be good in comparision to other places, and the Gait Analysis etc. is free...

J.

damianmckeever

Hey cheers for the positive feedback, hope it wasn't too bad waiting. It can get busy on Saturdays and as we do take 30-40mins with each customer, so if we even have 3 customers at the same time it can mean a bit of a wait. I'm currently training someone else in but it takes about 4 weeks of training before they can do the Gait analysis.

Prices start at €80 for the Asics Kayano walker and the most expensive shoe in the shop in the Kinsei at €170 to give you a sample of some of the shoes and prices

Asics Kayano- €140
Asics 2110- €105
Asics 1110- €85
Mizuno Wave Rider0 €110

All of the shoes are at recommended retail price or below, which is the same price as you'll pay in Arnotts, Champion or lifestyle. You won't get the same range of technical running shoes in there.

Squirrel

Might I ask Damian do you stock the Nike Skylon?

damianmckeever

Hi Squirrel,

We don't do the Nike Skylon, there are three nike shoes we will be getting which are the Pegasus, Structure Triax and the Persus. All in the Bowerman range. I've read some good reviews of the Skylon and may look at it futher down the line, the nearest thing we would have to it is the Asics DS Trainer. We could certainly order in the Nike Skylon for you look at it on camera for you and no obligation to buy. Let me know what size if you want me to order in.

Damian.

inigo

Damian,

I remember you posted directions to the shop if we go either by car or DART in the irishfit forum, but their website seems to be down at the moment.

Could you please tell me again your address and how to get there from the DART station?

See you soon

damianmckeever

Hi Inigo,

From Bray Dart Station it's head towards the main street along florence road, when you get to the main street from here, go left (northbound) towards Superquinn. Once you go over the dargle river just before you reach superquinn turn left and head apx 1k up this road hugging along the dargle river. we are in a retail park with about 15 units all red brick on the right hand side of the road.

From town on the M50 take the turn off signposted Bray/Fassaroe. follow the signpost to bray town centre (first left at the roundabout) then head up that road apx 1k we are the redbrick units on the left.

Full address Amphibian King unit 4 Egan business centre Dargle road Bray Co Wicklow. We're open late on Thursday and if you like we can book apointments during the week (saves any wait!). Alternativly you can turn up on Saturday or Sunday we don't take apointments on the weekend. Just bear in mind that we need a good 40 minutes of your time to ensure we're getting you into the right shoe. If you have orthotics please bring them with you and if you can bring your current running shoes with you as well that would be great.

inigo

Thanks but I managed to find you yesterday. Got a pair of Brooks...

All in all, I must say I got an excellent and friendly service. Went away with the cheaper pair, "just" because they were the best fit.

If anybody is looking for running shoes, pay Damian a visit!

Thanks again!

slave1

Hi, think I can jump on this thread with similar query if that's alright

Started jogging to lose some weight and improve overall fitness.
Would appreciate advice on what running shoe would suit me.
I have a voucher for Staunton and they have a range of Asics but I'm ignorant of what's better for me.
5'9" just over 12 stone, 5 mile route either path or tarmac road.
Have no intention of hitting super fit levels, just want a good quality shoe to afford protection to knees/joints.
Not in Dublin so not going down a fitting route.
All advice welcomed.

quozl

Try and figure out what kind of foot you have. Mainly whether it over-pronates, supinates or is neutral. That's surprisingly easy to do by checking the footprint you leave when damp on the floor of your bathroom, your type of foot arch and to an extent checking the wear on your shoes. There are some good guides out there on how to figure it out, I can't remember the address of them now but a basic one I do remember is
http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/pronation.htm
or here's another simple one
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/184.shtml

You could rely on the person in the shop to tell you, but I went to dublin's supposedly best running store (previous to amphianking opening), told them i was pretty sure I was a supinator and they still convinced me to get a stability shoe. Fortunately I figured it out for sure myself afterwards and a physio recently confirmed it. The difference in aches I get between the wrong shoe type and a more suitable one for me is pretty noticable.

slave1

Howdy, normal feet from the wet test and Supinator feet from the wear/tear test, currently using an Asic TN411 (2E), also have a pair of Asics TN515 but not using these for jogging.
These purchases were pure, just buying runners not specific to jogging.

Can someone recommend a shoe, pref Asics?

damianmckeever

Hey slave1,

appreciate you can't come into the store, so I'll give you whatever advice I can for getting the best pair. The arch test is a good indicator of what your foot will do but it's not perfect. Probabaly works 75% of the time.

The Wear test is tough to work out. I've seen plenty of people who are chronic pronaters who have their shoe worn down on the lateral side (outside) this usually means they strike really laterally and roll in but obviously they don't wear down the medial side as bad even though they are rolling in.

We will have a quick look at the wear on your shoes then we'll place you onto a Gel pad to get your arches. Really it's the camera that tells us the most. However the breakdown of pronators supinators and neutral runners according to Asics is 70% of people over pronate 27% are neutral and only 3% will Supinate. Based on this I would suggest you get some kind of a support shoe and see how you get on in it. It's unlikely that you'll supinate Asics only do one shoe for a Supinator and thats the Nimbus. The Kayano is a bit of a fit everyone shoe so it might be the best one for you.

The reason we don't sell on line or over the phone is we have no way of knowing if the shoe will work for you.

Hope some of this helps.

Damian.

Raam

Hi Damien,
you mentioned that you are open late on Thursdays. What time exactly will you be open till?

many thanks

P

damianmckeever

Hi King Raam,

We're open until 8 on Thursdays.

Damian.

jasonb

Hi Damien,

Not sure if you got my email or not. Can you give me a ring, still have some problems with those runners. Thanks!

Jason.

damianmckeever

Hey Jason,

Sorry to hear the runners aren't working. I'll call you tomorrow get you back into the store and we'll have a look at some more options.

Damian.

PS I've sent you a mail.

jasonb

Just have to reiterate how professional and helpful Amphibian King is. After trying several shoes in store last week, I left with one pair, to try out for a run down in Cork. Had some problems with them rubbing, so I got in touch with Damien, and he's taking them back without any quibbles, and ordering a couple of other ones for me to try. I can't think of any other store in Ireland that would do this.

If you're looking for runners, and can get to Bray, I'd heartedly recommend them.

J.

P.S. It makes a nice change to be able to recommend somewhere, most posts are about how terrible some place / one is!

Redfraggle

I just popped into the "Amphibian King" store in Bray and I have to admit I was really impressed. No clutter in the place- there was the track on one side of the store for measuring gait and a selection of Asics, New Balance, Brookes, Mizuno etc on the other wall. Damien really knew his stuff and we were very quickly able to determine the best runner type for me. I got my gain analysed and found it very helpful, I will definitely be back for any future runner requirements.

Red

irlirishkev

Hi Damien,

Do you stock the Adistar Control shoes, by Adidas?
They were recommended to me recently when I had my gait analyzed. I'd like to get a second opinion however..

K.

damianmckeever

Hi IrishKev,

We don't actually stock Adidas. There are only so many brands that you can hold we have room for one more brand and are going to go with either Puma, Nike, Adidas or Reebok. In my opinion Asics, New Balance, Brooks, Saucony, Mizuno do some of the best shoes out there. As a neutral shoe the nike pegasus is great, but to take a brand on the strength of one shoe as the Structure Triax and persus are quite weak as stability shoes is a risk.

I've sold Adidas before in New Zealand and found them good they do a very good neutral shoe (adistar cush). Drop into the store anyway and we can have a look at your gait.

Damian.

Fast_Mover

Hey..
Going back to Track and Field Athletics after a year long absence.
Therefore, im looking for a good pair of comfortbale runners with a good fit..just for jogging, and warming up etc..
Can anyone reccomend any places to purchase runners in either Cork or Limerick?
Would love to travel to Bray with all the great reviews you'v been getting but its a bit to far away:(
Thanks!

damianmckeever

Hi Fast_mover,

Would love to have a store in Limerick the sports Capital of Ireland!

I know there is a good store in Cork, run by John Buckley he sells a good range of shoes and it's right opposite the Opera house in Cork.

Best of luck.

Damian.

Fast_Mover

Ya, i know John Buckley sports, get my spikes and what not there..but it sounds like more fun in yer shop in Bray..how ye get them to run on a small piece of running track, gel pads on yer arches, foot disks etc etc:D

ruprect

Hi Damien, what is usually the slowest times in your shops on saturdays & sundays? and what are the open-close times.

thanks

damianmckeever

Hey Ruprect,

Our opening hours are 10am - 6pm Monday - Wednesday and Friday
We open late on Thursday 10am- 8pm

Weekends we're open 10am-5pm on Saturdays and on Sundays we're open 1pm - 5pm.

If you can only make Weekends probabaly best to drop in as close to 10am on Saturday as you can. There are two of us working on Saturdays Darren who has studied four years fulltime in Sports Therapy and did his final year specialising in Gait Analysis helps out on Saturdays.

ruprect

I went in early on saturday and was very impressed. Tried on a good few pairs and got to jog outside in them too. Had the videos taken several times I could see exactly how my shoes always wear down in the same place, I could see what was happening on the camera and where I needed support.

frobisher

damianmckeever wrote:

From Bray Dart Station it's head towards the main street along florence road, when you get to the main street from here, go left (northbound) towards Superquinn.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I picture it as a right turn, not a left one. Either way, I'll be coming out to buy some trainers!

Raam

frobisher wrote:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I picture it as a right turn, not a left one. Either way, I'll be coming out to buy some trainers!

aye it's a right turn, not a left

damianmckeever

Hey my mistake it is a right turn!

Jason_77

Hi Damian,

Is there a cost associated with the gait analysis? Just wondering, won'y sway my decision but would like to know.

At the moment I am wearing a pair of Asic's Kayano, but they just don't feel right after about 7 or 8 miles, so I think it's time I got some proper analysis.

Is the shop generally busy on a Sunday?

Cheers,

Jason.

damianmckeever

Hi Jason77

There is no cost for the Gait Analysis, the shop is generally quiet enough on a Sunday. The shoes are priced at or below RRP.

We also offer customer loyalty whereby once you've bought the first pair from us you get €10 of your next pair.

If you want you can ring for an appointment on Sundays we're open 1pm-5pm
(01) 2761525

Krusty_Clown

Hi Damien, quick question for ya.. I picked up a new pair of running shoes from you on Sunday.. It was a grab and run as I had to leg it out the door (you'd done a gait analysis a couple of weeks previously). But you mentioned something about breaking in the new footwear around the house etc..

Is that necessary for modern shoes, or is it just for your try and return policy?

I broke them in over a 10 mile run, later that afternoon, and they fit fine and are very comfortable..

Great service by the way.. I'll be referring a few potential customers your way!

damianmckeever

Hi Krusty,

Breaking in the new footwear is something that we advise. Some people can take a little while getting used to new footwear so we recommend they wear them round the house run up the stairs and everything. If something is not quite right we ask them to drop back into us and we'll have a look at it sometimes it can be something as simple as lacing.

Great to hear the shoes are going well for you, sorry it got a bit busy on Sunday alright. We don't sell the shoes without doing the Gait Analysis first that's for our own piece of mind so we know we've got you in the right shoe.

Krusty_Clown

No no, the rush was all mine.. The gait analysis was incredibly useful. Shoes are great. Happy customer..

Fergal C

I travelled from Dundalk to Bray to get a pair of runners from Amphibian King. For me it was well worth the trip and I would strongly recommend them. The service was excellent and they gave me all the time and attention I needed to get a pair of trainers just right for me.

Thanks to Damien and staff for an excellent service!

Dj shaft

@ damianmckeever - What time you open to each evening???

Also do you have to book a gait analysis?

damianmckeever

hey dj shaft,

Ideally if you know when you're coming up you can book in (01) 2761525. This just means we can put 20-30 mins aside for you rather than have you waiting. We don't take bookings on Saturdays as it can get a bit hectic but we are open on Sundays and late opening on Thursdays.

Mon-Wed & Friday - 10am-6pm
thurs 12 noon- 8pm
Sat 10am-5pm
Sun 1pm-5pm.

OCD

Hi Damian,

You seem to be the man in the know about all things foot-related and as seeing as I'm from Bray myself I thought you might be able to help me out ...

I'm not a runner nor a fitness person but I did play a lot of basketball when I was younger and now play indoor soccer and lots of walking but I get lots and lots of foot, knee and lower back pain and reckon my arches are knackered. I was just wondering if you could recommend someone in the orthotics field that wouldn't try to baffle me with sales speak. I have no problem in paying for a good service and always wear good footwear but I know the insoles I have are just not doing the job and I need some help.

I have been to physios but generally they only provide me with pain relieve and not prevention from the problem. Any advice would be most appreciated.

D

TheJoker

Damien,

What sizes do you do up to, I am asking because I got running about 3/4 time a week but its very hard to get proper runners in my size, normally I would get them in Heathers (on the quays) the last time I was in there they happened to have a pair of Asics Gel Kayanos (size US 15) for €100, I was very lucky.

Do you do upto this size?

damianmckeever

Hey OCD I've sent you a pm re some suggestions for Orthotics.

the Joker, we generally go up to size US 13 in most brands but in some of the more popular shoes we will stock US 14 and even 15. At anyone time we would usually have at least 5-6 size US 15's in stock. At the moment we do have the Asics Kayano US 15 in Stock but also have the Mizuno alchemy, Brooks Beast and Brooks Addiction in stock. In large Neutrals we have size 15's in stock of Saucony Truimphs and Asics Nimbus.

Drop in and we can have a look to see which shoe would work with your foot.

Damian.