Lafayette Hill Shoe Store Hones in on Local Running Culture

Ask most runners and they’ll tell you that outside of sufficient training, success is all in the shoes. That’s why the staff at , located at 428 Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill, prides itself on providing high-quality shoes and expert assistance.

Megan Shah, manager of Born to Run, indicates the right shoe could mean the difference between running one mile and running five, between comfort and pain.

“It makes a huge difference to have the right type of shoe,” Shah says. “There are a lot of different variables. Each shoe company has so many different types of shoes; it would be easy to accidentally get the wrong pair. It can result in injury over time if it’s not enough support or if it’s too much support. And if not an injury, it can definitely lead to unnecessary discomfort.”

For these reasons, Shah says Born to Run, a specialty store solely dedicated to running products, is a great place to shop, whether you’re an avid or a novice runner.

“The shoes we carry are all performance running shoes, and when you put that up against the offerings at a department store, it can make for an easier experience,” she says. “In a department store, you have to wade through shoes that look like running shoes but aren’t exactly designed to hold up to many miles. Many of the shoes you’ll find there are more fashion focused, but here we carry a higher-quality shoe, one that customers can be assured will hold up for hundreds of miles.”

To make purchasing decisions even easier, Born to Run also has a treadmill on site, which allows customers to try out running shoes and get a better idea of how they feel. “We try to make the process as easy as possible,” Shah says.

Born to Run offers shoes from all the major brands and for all different needs. Whether your looking for motion control, moderate stability, or lightweight cushion, or even if you have no idea what any of that means, the staff at Born to Run can get you in a pair that’s right for you.

“If someone comes in and doesn’t know what type of shoe they need, we have the experience and knowledge, so we can help them,” Shah says. “By hearing what they want to do as a runner and observing their gait and foot type, we can best advise customers on what types of shoes will work for them.”

According to Shah, the store also offers shoes that can be hard to find at other local retailers. Specifically, she mentions the Vibram FiveFingers and the Altra Instinct Zero Drop shoe, both of which are part of a general trend toward minimalism, with the idea being to allow a more natural type of running.

“It’s more similar to running barefoot, which can help to strengthen the muscles of the feet and lower leg and help to improve form,” Shah says. “The FiveFingers are almost the same as being barefoot, while the Altra have some cushion but the heel-to-toe ratio is totally even so you can strike more on your forefoot. Currently, we are the only area retailer carrying the Altra Zero, and we actually have people come from out of state to get them.”

In addition to shoes, the store also sells a variety of accessories, including GPS watchers, heart monitors, socks, water bottles, shoe inserts, hats, running bags, and even flip-flops.

“Often, people coming into the store have foot issues, and they want to be fitted for a sneaker that works well for their foot,” Shah says. “We’ve discovered there is a similar desire for a flip-flop that will provide relief for people with foot problems. So we do offer flip-flops that are along those lines.”

Born to Run has been a mainstay in Spring House, PA for over a dozen years and opened it’s second location in Lafayette Hill last November. Shah says the this area was chosen because it contains a “running culture.”

“There wasn’t anything like our store right in the area, and there were so many people running around in the area, because there are so many great places to run, whether it’s the trails in Wissahickon or the Schuylkill River Trail,” she says. “It seemed like a good fit, and so far it’s been going very well.”

In conjunction with Conshohocken Health and Fitness Club, the store hosts weekly group runs on Wednesday nights at 6:15 pm, followed by fun at the Lucky Dog Saloon and Grille.

“The idea is kind of just to have a presence in the community so people are aware we are here and are somewhere friendly to go to find out about anything related to running – shoes, clothes, races, whatever,” Shah says. “Every other week we alternate starting locations between our store and the gym, and it’s a great way to meet running partners and get a good workout.”

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