Second Sole Athletic Footwear

Everytime I come here, and I do often, I know I’m talking with experts. These aren’t people who work retail, they’re fellow runners who want to help you out with the absolute best advice.
Recently, I took my time talking to an employee and he found the absolute best running shoes for me. They weren’t the most expensive or the ones I thought I would even buy going in to the store, but I’m so happy I bought them.
This store is fantastic!

Great store. Super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. They really work for you and go the extra mile.

Nice store with a good amount of running shoes, apparel, etc. The staff has been friendly to me when I’ve gone over. They also have race handouts/​books etc for things happening in the area, which is good for when you’re in the area. It’s kind of hidden in a strip mall, but it’s definitely a good place to come to for running needs!

My father was a devoted and loyal customer here (Lyndhurst) for over twenty years (back when the store used to be where The Boneyard is today). So he referred me here in 2011 to get a pair of running shoes. The purchase was fine.
I wore them once and found them to be unbearably uncomfortable, so I returned to the store with my father to exchange them. We approached the manager, who was rude and gave us a difficult time with the exchange (claiming there was no return or exchange policy, even for shoes worn once). It took some nagging on our part, but finally he agreed to the exchange, with mild reservation.
I’ve been to my share of athletic shoe stores. The manager here was comparably surly, rude, and condescending towards both my father and I. He especially scoffed at the fact that I was looking for a pair of minimalist shoes and he basically told me that I «should have known better,» whatever that means.
Maybe Second Sole was a 5-​star worthy establishment back in its prime, but I speak for the typical buyer here when I say the disdainful customer service I experienced here far overshadows this place’s reputation as a quality running shoe store. I only hope things will improve.
**Note— Some may question: I don’t deny the importance of respecting return/​exchange policies. But is it really worth a manager, or a respected company for that matter, to sacrifice customer service at the minor cost of a pair of running shoes?

After becoming a pretty serious runner in the past year, I knew it was time for a shoe upgrade when my feet and legs began to feel the pain of 4 year old shoes. My dad suggested I go to Second Sole because they know everything one needs to know about running and what your feet need. I walked in, told the man who greeted me that I had no idea where to start, and he gladly measured my foot, watched how I walk, and fitted me with some awesome shoes. I really don’t know what I would have done without him. I was scared to spend a large amount of money for something I would inevitably wear out and get muddy, but when I came here, the detail and attention that was paid to my personal needs put me at ease. I will definitely come back when these shoes are worn out, because I truly trust them here.

Great store for athletes of all ages. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. You will not leave with the wrong shoes for you. Great service! Make sure you have time to try on your merchandise. They want you to be the best you can be. Did an exchange recently and they handled it the way you’d like it to be handled.

I have been running with the Second Sole Striders now more than 8 months. I don’t run every week, and a matter of fact I seem to miss more weeks than I run. I have found the group to be very friendly. I have found the group to have runners of all skill levels as well. Their are runners who are very fast and their are runners who are not as fast. I fit in with the latter group. I have never felt that anyone was trying to leave me behind, just the opposite it seems like people slow down just to talk with me while I run. Also the staff at Second Sole has always been very nice to me.

I have to respectfully disagree with Pamela’s review of Second Sole. I’m a big fan of the staff of the store — who helped me to find the perfect running shoe — and the Wednesday night running group.
I’m a newer member of the Wednesday night crew and I can honestly say I’ve never felt more welcome in a running group. I’m not an amazing running by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve found people to run with at my pace nearly every week I’ve been there. I’ve never seen a new person get left behind. I have seen many «fast» runners actually slow down to keep up with people new to the group to talk to them, get to know them, etc. Granted, the crew changes every week, based on who’s able to make it to the run, but I’ve consistently been surrounded by friendly, supportive people. Even as a newbie, I was welcomed into the group with open arms by people who have been running together for years.
The group is big on social interaction and frequently goes out after group runs, plans weekend events, and meets up before and after local races. I’ve really enjoyed running with this group and feel bad that others haven’t had the same experience. if you live in the area, are into running, and like running in a group environment, I’d really encourage you to check out the club for a Wednesday night run or on a weekend.

The best place to go for real running shoes. Great staff, they really know how to fit you in the proper shoe.

This review isn’t for the store, it’s for the running «group»…went here for one of their Wednesday night runs, advertised on their website as «all levels welcome». Well, to be frank, if you aren’t a speed demon or if you are a beginner runner or you’ve just moved into the city and were looking for a fun atmosphere to run in, this isn’t your group. It seemed more like a disorganized race where it was every man/​woman for themself to make it back to the store first. Never have I ran with such an elitist group of people (note, not «elite» runners) who decide to leave someone who is unfamiliar with the area behind to run all by herself and to ask complete strangers on the street the easiest way back to the store.
I’ve trained with a running group consisting of a member of the Canadian Iron-​Man team, sub-​3 marathoners as well as 5±hour marathoners and we all ran together and supported each other. Maybe this group hasn’t heard of the «check-​back» concept, but this allows faster runners to go their own pace and increase their distance while still supporting and encouraging their slower or just beginning teammates.
Or maybe this group of Clevelanders just had their heads too far stuck up their bum that they couldn’t be bothered to welcome new people to their city. All I can say is that I’m glad I didn’t go on one of their Sunday trail runs because I’m sure I would still be lost in the woods once they took off…
Didn’t bother going into the store after I managed to find my way back to it, probably won’t ever go there anyways as the staff is probably of the same mentality of the people who run out of there. And my search for a running group in Cleveland continues…

I have really wide feet, so it is hard for me to find appropriate shoes for athletic activity. The people at Second Sole are very helpful and they know a lot about what they do. This last time they put me into a different shoe after trying on about 12 pairs. I have never been to a store before where they had 12 different pairs of wide running shoes. Normally they have 1 or 2. It was like clockwork– I was in an out in under ½ hour and extremely happy with my purchase. Go here for any running shoe need you might have– leave Foot Locker and Finish Line to the suckers buying those Sketcher Shape Ups.

I did a review of the other Second Sole in Rocky River. This one is in Lyndhurst. The two stores are, in essence, the same, but the experience is totally different in this one.
First, it’s about four times the size of the Rocky River location. This is nice, not only because you get the idea that there’s more merchandise, but also because you can walk around and not feel cramped. (In reality, I don’t really think there IS more merchandise; it’s just spread out more so that you can actually see it all. The 50% off racks are also clearly marked, not hidden in the back, for those of us –myself included — pinching pennies.)
Plus, there’s the added «bonus» of being able to walk in, jet to the far side, and avoid talking to a salesperson right away if you don’t want to. This, to me, is a plus, because I’m not always in the mood to talk to a salesguy right away; I like to look for myself and see if I can find what I’m looking for. Sometimes I don’t even have a purpose for going in, but I just like to look, and I don’t want to have to feel embarrassed about that either.
That being said, when I needed help here, there have always been salespeople ready and waiting. They don’t really try to push stuff on you either.
I haven’t bought new running shoes here yet, but I probably will because it looks like they have a bigger selection than in Rocky River.
I went in the other day because I was looking for a pair of cool-​weather gloves (These were the greatest pair ever, and I had lost one glove — ARG!). They had exactly one pair left of the exact brand and type I wanted! Score!
And one more added bonus that puts this location a smidge above Rocky River is that they have a whole TOWER of PowerBar Gel. Like, not just one or two flavors but a whole cart devoted to my favorite gel! That was the one thing missing in the other Second Sole.
The other location does have the 10% off everything discount that this place doesn’t seem to have, though.