Second Sole

My husband recently received an email from Second Sole advertising a Cleveland Cavaliers shirt that he liked. This in itself was memorable because my husband rarely pays attention to clothing.
I offered to stop at Second Sole in Merriman Valley because it is on my way to the office. It was my first visit to the store (although I’ve patronized their booths at the area half-​marathons we’ve participated in).
I arrived just after the store opened. It is a small rather elite boutique-​type shop that is housed in a Plaza next to a bar. No one greeted me when I entered the store. I even checked the time on my cell phone to make sure the store was open because I wasn’t acknowledged.
There were two girls running up and down the sidewalk in front of the Plaza with four different shoes on their feet (they were obviously testing out running shoes) while an employee looked on. After I perused the merchandise looking for the Cavs shirt for 15 minutes or so a man came out of the back room and looked around the store. He looked at the employee (who was by this time fitting four other shoes on the runners) and then glanced at me. He turned and walked back into the stockroom.
Needless to say, I left the shop without having been spoken to or greeted by anyone after 20 minutes of shopping. The shop was empty and I felt unwelcome.
Incidentally, the shop did NOT have the Cavs shirt that they advertised in their email… it was nowhere to be found.
I will not return.

I walked in and I was instantly met with really knowledgeable customer service, and they were really patient to make sure I got the best shoes for me. Also, pretty great atmosphere inside.

To start out, I am still a total noob with all things running. All I know is that I like to run, my old sneakers were beyond dead, and I desperately needed help choosing the right new pair for my wonky feet.
So I walked into Second Sole, and was promptly greeted by Aiman, possibly the world’s friendliest shoe store employee. He asked me a couple questions about what kind of running I do, took a look at the shoes I needed to replace, and measured my feet. He did all of this while asking me about my day, a warm courtesy that seems rare these days, which was so appreciated!
He brought out a basic pair of sneakers, took me outside, and had me jog down the sidewalk while he watched my feet. He was able to identify the issue I have with my feet turning in, and proceeded to bring out 5 or 6 pairs of shoes to try that would address my issue. He encouraged me to go try them out on the sidewalk multiple times, and was so patient and kind as I stood indecisive in many pairs. All in all he spent a good 30+ minutes with me. I ended up choosing a pair, and walking out with them on my feet, ever so happy.
That should be the end of the review, right? Unfortunately, it is not. I went straight to the gym to run in my new shoes, and as I was walking into the gym, I realized with a sinking heart that my brand new shoes were pinching my foot in a place I somehow hadn’t noticed. I didn’t even have to run in them to know they weren’t going to work.
I sat in my car agonizing, I had already walked around in these shoes, the bottoms weren’t flawless anymore, and I felt so dumb. But I drove back to the store, shoes now in box, and red from embarrassment. I walked back in and explained this all to Aiman, and he just smiled and told me not to worry at all. He went back and pulled out more shoes and some different sizes of the ones I had liked, and was just as patient and kind the second time around. I found another pair and he exchanged them with no problem.
I apologies profusely for taking up so much of his time, and he brushed it off, making me promise that if these shoes didn’t feel great within the next two weeks, that I would bring them back and find another pair, even after having been run in. What an excellent and generous return policy!
I hope these new shoes are perfect, but even if not, I know I’ll be taken care of at Second Sole.

I came in looking for advice on a pair of shoes that I had purchased elsewhere. The staff was very friendly and helpful even though they knew that I wasn’t going to be purchasing anything. The store felt like a really nice place and I would go back again for my next running shoe purchase.

Highly recommend this location. Service is top flight. It came strongly recommended to me, and my visit didn’t disappoint. The salesperson took a lot of time to understand what I was looking for, and more importantly, what I needed. Every runner has different needs based upon their feet, their stride, etc. and you get a clear understanding of that during your visit. If you’re a serious runner or want to be, this is the place to go (period).

If you’re a serious runner in the Akron area you know about this place already and all it’s awesomeness. But if you want to get serious, this is the place to go. You will not find this kind of service and knowledge at a chain and their return policy is amazing. I will not buy my shoes anywhere else I’m Akron.