This is one of the many shops like these in the UK and one which specialises in running…read more It has a massive selection of different styles of running trainers, clothing for men and women. I like going to this place for my sportswear because it is a lot cheaper than other sports stores like JD or JJB. They have major sports brands here like Adidas, Nike and Reebok so you know you are getting good quality stuff. This shop has been running for over 36 years so you know it is a good place. The staff are excellent here and will help you in whatever you are looking for. In particular running shoes to suit your shape etc. Take a look at their website for more information and to order goods too.

It's called Run North West now btw. Excellent service which…read moreyou just don't get off the internet. Went to the trouble of getting the right size for my daughter. Was £1 more expensive than the cheapest on eBay, no brainier really. Highly recommended

I am changing the review to one star. It already happened at least two times, when something is…read morewrong with the product, but according to store manager it's ok (in one of the cases I was able to get money back from the manufacturer). So, according to Blacks manager of the store it's perfectly fine when water bottles are falling out of rucksack on somebody's head. While this store is closing, I have no doubt Blacks will re-employ this wonderful understanding woman.

There are just so many outdoor-type shops on Deansgate, it's an absolute miracle that they all…read moremanage to stay in business? How do they do it? There must be at least six or seven. Ridiculous. Anyway, Blacks is absolutely similar to the rest of them. On the ground floor is where you'll find all the expensive but amazingly waterproof hiking jackets. Not even an ocean of water could get through these heavily gortexed items. Unfortunately, for protection like this you're going to have to pay for it to, and a jacket from Blacks could set you back as much as £200. This is serious clobber for serious hiking action. They do have some cheaper options, you'll just have to search a bit for them. Just like all the other outdoor stores on Deansgate, Blacks has a humungous basement which is where they stock all of their speciality outdoor pursuit gear. Like climbing equipment, hiking boots and camping stuff. This is an excellent shop, but just as excellent as all the other outdoor shops around this area.

DW Sports was founded in 2009, owned by former Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan, which started…read morewhen Whelan purchased 50 JJB Sports stores, when they went out of business, and due to a lack of stores, I actually have not visited one of their branches in 7 years since they have been founded, so was excited to visit this store today. The store did look quite nice, it seems more of a Sports Direct type shop, and not a brand in particular, but still unlike Sports Direct it didn't seem to have any sort of sales on, which meant the prices were sky high, which left me not wanting to look around at all, which made it seem more like Harrod's but not of a nicer, luxary kind. For example a pair of Adidas pants could set you back by £40 - £50 when a similar pair could even be on offer, or at least 50% cheaper at Sports Direct, they seemed to stock sports gear and not many high end, designer gear despite charging the prices you would associate with them. The staff didn't seem too helpful, or to acknowledge me, there only seemed to be a few members of the staff at the till and that was it, even when I was looking right next to the till I wasn't acknowledged, this was a shame. The store does look quite nice and a big size, in the rater large Peel Centre Retail Park, with reasonable pricing I could go up to a generous 3 stars but due to pricing being high end for products which aren't, a lack of excitement around the store and staff being poor, I sadly feel this place only warrants a single one star.

DO NOT ORDER ON LINE!!! I paid 16.58 extra for 2nd day fed X. 3 days later they will not respond…read moreto my email request. Good luck Suckers!!!!!

It can and is often the case that with chain stores, of any nature, you lose identity. The brand…read morename just becomes the same old same old store and you get a bog standard experience, whether you like it or not, that you come to expect. Well Lululemon is different! Much different in fact, because although you are still shopping with a vastly successful Canadian athletic apparel company, you gain a sense of connection to the place. They do an unbeatable job of community engagement and offer loads of free activities and educational classes for people, not bad from a shop that sells Yoga pants. They do have a fantastic range of athletic wear and it is by far the best quality products I have ever worn. I've had a pair of their shorts for 3 years and they look and feel brand new. What I love most about this place though is the social vibe the staff exert. Whether you're going in looking to spend £1000 on leggings or just fancy a chat with a friendly face, they are welcoming and will invite you back for a coffee and a natter whilst you are amazed by the excellent products on offer!

Simon One is a small store in the Middleton Shopping Centre, in the same store as ISL, but they…read moreremain different shops, despite sharing a space which you can just cut through. They are owned by Loofe's Clothing, who have 4 stores in the Manchester area, which all have different names, this includes two stores in Bury, one in Warrington and this store in Middleton. They have a small range of sports-wear including trainers and football shirts of Manchester's major club, and a club from Trafford, who just share the Manchester half of the name. This store is only quite small, and with the new addition of SportsDirect and a similar store across the way, Branded and an increased number of clothing/fashion shops in Middleton, including a relocated Daniel Christian Menswear, there isn't really a lot here to look at. The staff seem okay, but they don't seem as helpful and as knowledgeable as larger stores, such as Clarks in the shoes department for example. The branding of this store is also a little strange, with the company owning 4 stores but having them all under different names, meaning people probably wouldn't know they are visiting a store owned by Simon One, if the go to a different branch and despite being a well known name to Residents of Middleton, if you ask anyone else, they simply wouldn't have a clue and brand recognition is important to succeed, even if there is only 4 stores in 3 towns, this could increase sales and people wanting to go to stores in the whole brand. Overall, this store over time has been getting worse and worse as the competition has been growing in Middleton and getting better, and better. At one point in time, this store could have got 3 stars but as competition improves, sadly this store doesn't and now compared to the rest of Middleton, unless a major revamp happens it just is another unneeded shop, and sadly deserves a single one star.

In my ongoing quest for a buff beefcake body I thought it was about time I fixed myself up with…read moresome super fly trainers to match my swanky new gym membership... seeing as the previous shoes I had really were not made for anything more than fashion and my ankles were buckling badly! So the good news is that with my wife's direction I made the visit down to Up&Running to go on their in house treadmill and video set up to get a full analysis of what sort of shoes I need for the way my legs move. Wow - what service, after trying about 5 different shoes on and being filmed each time - I found the perfect pair. Maybe slightly more than I was hoping to pay at £80 but they did throw in a free shirt, shorts and socks which was cool so at least I'm now Up&Running (if you excuse the pun...) A really friendly bunch of guys who were helping me and a very professional service. This is one thing I was pleased to not just do online as they really measured me properly and made sure I had the right ones before leaving the store. Definitely check them out if you're needing new kicks for the gymnasium!

Have been meaning to review these guys for a while ever since I bought my trainers here…read more Unfortunately due to having size 8.5 feet I'm pretty constrained when it comes to shoe choice in general and I in particular had very limited colour options which means I now have some horrible 'raspberry' coloured trainers. On the plus side they are good quality ASICS which the helpful staff member dug out of the sale rack - says a lot that they would point me in the direction of discounted shoes to ensure I had the best fit (8.5 being in scarce supply on the full price options). Overall there's limited stock here and I was a bit disappointed I didn't get more advice and use of the running machine to identify a suitable pair, which was basically because there was only one staff member on duty on a quiet afternoon when several people unexpectedly turned up at once (contrast my experience with Jonny's - it might be worth going back another time if you turn up and it's busy). Still you can't go too wrong with ASICS and I noticed when I popped back recently to get a sports bra that of the limited selection they have of bras they also basically just stock the best brands. So while the stock they offer is limited they do seem to have selected the best available, as far as I can make out. Again the (different) staff were extremely helpful and friendly and not at all intimidating to the beginner/intermediate level runner. It's also a very convenient location on Deansgate so easy to drop by if you're in town.