Has anyone worked at a running store?

[Deleted]

If you've worked at a running store, did you perform the shoe fitting? Do you know what the education process is for those who fit the shoes and exactly what it is that they are analyzing?

Why I ask: I've always been a big advocate of being fitted for shoes but right now I'm reconsidering. I'm working on my doctorate in physical therapy and we just started doing gait analysis. My professors talked a lot about how pain while running/walking is more due to improper body mechanics rather than what shoe you choose to wear. Which makes a lot of sense to me - but I also know how much better I felt when I switched to a different kind of shoe. 

So if you've ever been a shoe fitter person, how do they teach you to analyze gait patterns? 

[Deleted]

Bumping this for people who might have missed it on the weekend.

Thoughts, anyone?

[breezy8407]

I could be mistaken, but I think shelbyann has worked at a LRS before. 

[mainewifey]

I would think that certain shoes can make up for improper body mechanics, to a point anyway. Also, maybe there's a correlation between having a gait analysis done, and therefore becoming more aware of your gait, and then making corrections.

The mechanics of running fascinates me, so I'm interested to hear other people's thoughts as well.

[gumi]

I think pain is related to body mechanics, but that can be somewhat corrected by the shoe. If your foot hits the ground wrong, you are going to run wrong. It doesn't mean that the right shoe = no injury, though. There is more to running than foot strike.

The best gait analysis I have had did not even involve running - just looking at how the bottom/sides of my shoes were worn down.

[shelbyann]

Hey! I'm a little late to this (just finally got my computer and the rest of my luggage back from Boston this afternoon - hooray!) but yes, I have worked at two different LRS in the last few years. (But don't currently.)

At the first one, my training consisted of shadowing more experienced employees for a few months before "graduating" to taking customers on my own. We had a treadmill with a camera and some software that you could use to slow things down frame by frame, draw lines on the screen, etc.

At the second one, it was more low tech, we just watched people run or walk as well as some basic stuff like looking at arches, watching what happens to the arch when weight is put on, etc. I pretty much jumped right in to helping people on my own since I had some experience and was deemed competent after fitting everyone else on the staff. There wasn't really any formal training program there either, but we did attend continuing-education type events taught by healthcare professionals and industry reps.

I know I've said this before but I really don't think the whole fitting thing is rocket science; at least for most people, it's pretty straightforward. You watch a lot of feet and it's usually obvious when someone is pronating too much. (In the winter, go to the mall and watch peoples' feet in their Uggs, many of them mash down on the inside of the shoe in a very obvious way!) If it were possible to observe one's own gait, many people could probably figure it out for themselves.

However, I will say that for a LRS employee who is good at their job, determining which of the two major shoe categories someone fits in is just one part of providing a valuable fitting service. A lot of it is knowledge of the products too, and on that point, LRS employees get a LOT OF INFORMATION. Granted, much of it comes from the sales reps for the major shoe brands, but it's experience too. People who like tons of cushion tend to like this shoe. That one works well for bunions. Etc. Maybe its because this is also a hobby of mine, but I always think of it as being similar to going in to a wine shop. I'm probably paying a premium versus going to the grocery store, so I expect better selection and more knowledgable employees, and I expect them to be able to "fit" me (as in, guide me to two or three bottles that fit my needs) if I tell them what I'm having for dinner and explain my general preferences and desired price point.

Also, I always viewed my role as a "fitter" to be to help the customer find a shoe that meets their needs. "Do you need stability shoe or not" is just one part of that. People have all sorts of preferences and experiences and while being in an appropriate shoe category is important, so is being happy and enjoying running! There are very few runners for whom "YOU NEED THIS SHOE AND THIS SHOE ONLY" is the only answer. When I was fitting people, I considered it my job to help them narrow down their choices from a broad set of products to a smaller one and then make recommendations based on my knowledge of both the products and their preferences.

I wrote a novel but I'm not sure if that answered your question about training! Haha. I do know that some of the franchise-based LRS have more formal training (i.e. Fleet Feet) but I've never worked there so IDK what all it involves. I have purchased shoes at a Fleet Feet recently though and their employees were great, but definitely didn't seem to have any different knowledge/training than any other LRS.

I am happy to answer any other questions you have!