There are many establishments that sell sporting goods and apparels. But when it comes to my…read morebadminton equipment, I usually go to Juego in Greenbelt 4. This store has a complete line of accessories from shuttlecocks and rackets to grips and badminton apparel. Based on my experience, this store carries several brands of badminton shoes, including Yonex, Babolat, Li-Ning, and Kason. Badminton enthusiasts, and even those who are just starting to play the sport, know the value of wearing the right kind of footwear. Badminton shoes need to be lightweight with ample cushioning, particularly in the ankle area, and with thinner non-marking rubber soles that have good traction and grip. So I really appreciate the time and guidance that the staff at this Juego branch gives to their customers, specifically to those buying their shoes for the first time. I also respect the fact that they sell locally-made shirts and shorts at very affordable prices. Although this store specializes in badminton goods and apparels, they also have items for tennis, volleyball and basketball. It is also worth noting that this Juego shop is small, so it could be quite difficult to try on badminton shoes for someone who's big and tall as me. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance from the staff.

Toby's Sports is one of the biggest retailers of sporting goods in Metro Manila. You will find…read moretheir stores in leading shopping malls here in the big city. Whatever type of sports and fitness apparel or equipment you need, there's a big chance that you can find them at Toby's Sports, particularly in their big branches at SM Mall Of Asia and Glorietta. If you're a die-hard UAAP fan, you can also get genuine UAAP apparel and accessories from Toby's. My branch of choice is in SM Aura Premier. Although the store is smaller compared to other Toby's Sports branches, I like it here because the display racks are clearly organized by theme or sport. The last time I visited was when I bought swimming goggles for the summer. They have a wall of different types, brands, and colors of goggles. The choices can be a bit overwhelming. It's a good thing that a salesperson approached me and guided me on what type of goggles would best fit my needs.

You can buy everything inside a health store and you still wouldn't be healthy without exercise…read more And if you're not naturally athletic and the thought of free running is making your joints ache then it's best to buy equipment that will help you achieve your goal. Welcome to Toby's- your one-stop fitness store filled with the latest exercise equipment in Manila. I've made a little home gym from buying their merchandise and so far it's been a worthy investment. I have a couple of weights, a yoga mat, a medicine ball and boxing gloves all purchased at reasonable prices. I wish somebody would give me a P10,000 gift certificate in this store because there's so much here that I want to take home. (Okay, maybe I'm being cheap, let's raise it to P25,000) I don't know what else to say except that I hope my wish comes true because Toby's is great and I'm a fan.

I've been looking all over Manila for Philippines fighting sticks, made from a special tropical…read morehardwood. I found them at Metro Department Store in Cebu, but figured they'd be just as easy to find in Manila. I'd been all over town, and finally found a beautiful set at Chris Sports. This is a small, but very complete sporting goods stores. The other ones I found were either outdoor gear or tennis shoes. And there were so many helpful employees, nine of them. Like I told them, in the US they'd be lucky to have 3 people working at a store of that size.

I've recently learned how to lead an active lifestyle. Because of that I found myself breaking my…read moreshoes, which is the first time that's ever happened. The usual case is that I outgrew my shoes, that's right, I use my rubber shoes so often that I actually outgrew them. Ever since I had to bury my last pair of shoes six feet under I found myself being drawn to to stores that sold rubber shoes. I'm a guy who likes distance running. I run at least four kilometers when I go out. I've been going to one store to another to look for something real good at a real nice price. Sports Central is nothing special in terms of what it offers. It offers basically the same brands compared to other sporting goods stores that have multiple brands. What I like about it though is the feel. It feels upscale and even has interactive touchscreen computers to give out info. on their products. It's a fun place to shop is my point.

We have the biggest NBA Store in Asia!!! How cool is that! Filipinos live, bleed, and breath…read morebasketball! There's no denying that, and it's nice to see that the basketball God's over at the NBA have noticed. The NBA Store is a must visit for any and all basketball fans! With merchandise for ALL the NBA teams you won't be left out even if you're a fan of the less popular franchises. Jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers, even signed merchandise! They have something for everyone! What's awesome about this place is that it's also very interactive for the fans. They have PS3s set up so you can play NBA 2k with a friend. They have a display of the hand size and foot size of some of the most famous players in the NBA. My hand looked like a 2 year old's when I compared it to Shaq's! But my favorite thing about the NBA Store is the gallery they have in the back with vintage jerseys, statues, photos, and signed merchandise that I believe are all for sale!

I only recently got into the NBA, and so it was around a year ago that started to appreciate the…read moresport, and it's incredibly deep, inspiring history. After all, how can you NOT feel just a bit amazed by basketball? Basketball is filled with awe-inspiring moments, and in every jersey, every action figure, every signed basketball and every commemorative keychain, there are years of a tremendous legacy from the most incredible franchises in history. As someone who's fairly new to the sport, the NBA store is basically a museum. It's a look back into the moments of the past, and a picture of what's happening in the present. For example, there's a fascinatingly eclectic mix of current players that are included in their series of action figures: from all-stars likeSteph Curry and Kobe Bryant to role players such as Kyle Korver and Isiah Thomas. There's also a wall adorned with signed basketballs from a variety of legendary names such as Allen Iverson and LeBron James. Best of all, there's a hand-size and foot-size measurement station, where you can compare your tiny hands to Shaq's Mickey Mouse sized gloves. In the comprehensive selection of merch and commemoratives in the store is a fascinating experience for old fans and newbies alike. There's no doubting the NBA Store is the ultimate destination for everyone who appreciates ball.

ROX is basically an outdoor lover's playground. Three floors of serious gear, an indoor climbing…read morewall that goes up multiple levels, and everything from bikes to hiking, camping, snow, and motorcycling essentials. The brand mix is solid, Birkenstock, Allbirds, Reef, Billabong, Roxy, Columbia, Garmin, Camelbak, New Era, Nike, Fox, Deuter and more. It's rare to find this range in the Philippines, which makes this place feel like a real destination, not just a store. Even if you're not shopping, it's fun to walk through and explore. If you're into the outdoors, this is the kind of place you could easily lose an hour in. Great value coming here

One day, I decided that I wanted to try Rock/Wall Climbing so I wrote it down on my bucket list…read more After a few days I started googling places that had Rock Climbing gyms. I found really good ones but they were in Quezon city, a bit far from me. Fortunately, I found one that was just a few minutes away. I found out that R.O.X., a one stop shop for anything outdoors, had Rock Climbing facilities. What's great is that their shop is in the heart of the city: The Fort, and they are just in Bonifacio High St. They're literally inside a mall. How convenient! So I skedaddled to their Rock Climbing facility and signed up for a class. The thing was, there are no classes. There's just a quick briefing about the activity, plus a few tips. A few warnings and advices later, I found myself with a harness, a wall to climb, and zero experience. The coaches were very friendly and supportive. They guided me at the start and when I got the hang of it, I just found myself at the top of the wall tired and sweay. When I was done, I had climbed three walls; one easy, one intermediate, and one difficult. The learning curve for rock climbing isn't that steep. All I needed was myself, the desire to learn, and I had fun with it. Rock Climibng was a bit challenging but it was a very awesome experience for me. I really had fun traversing the walls with just my arms, legs, and a harness for safety. It's a bit expensive though, but a good price for this kind of activity (considering that the coaches also help you if you're a beginner). You might spot famous rock climbers in this place! When I went there, I had the privilege of seeing one of the female Filipinos who climbed Mt. Everest. And yes, I was very intimidated and honored at the same time.

Like the name says, you'll find plenty of equipment designed to help you survive at SOE- Survival &…read moreOutdoor Equipment, whether it's for surviving the great (and not-so-great) outdoors, or the urban jungle. I call it the "ultimate man-cave" because it's here you'll find many, many kinds of sharp objects - knives, and yes, swords. The knives are mostly the more practical blades they stock, but there's also the flashier, more-for-zombie-apocalypse kind of swords and machetes. You won't find any guns, though, but you will find all the accessories for gun carrying, maintenance, and enhancement, meaning, there are pistol holsters, concealed-carry holsters and bags, bug-out bags, tactical lights, and weapon cleaning equipment. That's all good for "doomsday preppers". If you're not into that, you will still find the usual camping necessities like compasses, MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat vacuum-packed food), paracord, protective eyewear, survival knives, flashlights, head-mounted lights, the "Lifestraw" that can literally filter drinkable water from ANY source, no matter how foul, and a few odds and ends that will please almost any outdoor aficionado. Collectors of movie and military memorabilia will like SOE as well. Remember the knife that Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland's character in the hit series "24"? They have it in stock, and the brand is known as "Microtec"; made of titanium with a blade, be prepared to pay a premium for this awesome knife that is Jack Bauer's. There are also some self-defense implements like pepper spray, collapsible batons, tasers, and other non-lethal personal defense tools. Check out the webpages of companies like Cold Steel and you'll see what I mean. And before this review gets way too long, you should know about SOE's "manly" offerings (ok, more like "big kid", but cool nonetheless), which are the 1/6th scale collectible action figures. They're mostly only for display, but if you ask nicely, the owner of the figures might be open to parting with some of them for the right price. You can see mostly rare, discontinued Military figures from world-famous HongKong brand "Hot Toys", but SOE stocks more of Hot Toys' movie action figures. Virtually all the Iron Man figures are there, alongside those from Christian Bale's Batman, and the Terminator, and Predator franchises. There's even some custom-made figures of Manny Pacquiao, FPJ, Dolphy, and Efren "Bata" Reyes(they're not Hot Toys, but made by a local sculptor)! All fully detailed and in perfect condition, you can ask which ones are "on sale". Also, if you're a fan of Japanese robots, there are also a number of classic robots from the cartoons we used to watch as a kid ("we" being kids of the 80s); Transformers, Voltes V, Mekanda, Mazinger... they're all there, and some are on sale. Another thing I should add about SOE is that their staff--the owners, actually, are friendly, always accommodating, and will gladly answer all your questions about their merchandise. If they don't stock something, they'll even point you to the shop that does. SOE is, by far, the ultimate source of all manly things, so if you're looking for something awesome for your dad on Father's day or want to give your favorite survivalist, outdoorsman, or collector something they'll really appreciate, you'll likely find it at SOE - Survival & Outdoor Equipment.

Urban Athletics is an athletics store that doesn't really focus on one particular brand or sport…read more It drew my attention cause I've been looking for a new pair of shoes to repair the old ones that I ruined. They have a lot of different shoes to choose from. I saw basketball shoes and shoes for skaters when I walked in. I didn't have the time to check out what else they had but I bet that they have a huge collection. I was drawn to the store because they had this huge TV that greeted passerbys. I got to see one of the shoes that I was looking for and decided to walk in. Effective marketing I would say. That said, the staff was friendly enough and knew enough to give me good answers when I asked questions. If you're on the search for a particular shoe and you can't seem to find it anywhere else, then Urban Athletics would be a great option I feel. The price of their shoes are the same anywhere else, or at least I didn't notice a difference.

Urban Athletics was the shoe store I would frequent before becoming a patron of Sole Academy…read more Located at Greenbelt 3 in Makati, I would make sure to drop by their store and check the latest sneakers available. I love that they have a wide range of stuff in the store compared to Sole Academy that has limited goods. Urban Athletics doesn't just sell sneakers, but goods like bags, sunglasses, flip flops, headgear and many more. They have stocks of famous brands all over the store. I usually drop by here when they have new arrivals since the chances of me getting my size is still high. The staff is accommodating even if I fit a couple of pairs before deciding which pair to get. Urban Athletics has limited branches though in the city so if you want to check them out, do drop by their Greenbelt 3 branch instead.

Staff at this branch are very helpful. Following you around the store asking you questions about…read moreevery item you take a look at. Selection is quite Nice to. They have a nice selection of workout gloves with wrist protection. They sell lower end versions of hayabusa boxing gloves.bulls boxing gloves and hand wraps. For any of you looking for training gear for basketball or soccer they have a wide variety of skillz gear. If you're in the area this is a good sports store. Small but has a good amount of gear