This place seems to have sprung up overnight. Located in premises that have housed countless…read morebusinesses over the last few years Sweatshop will be trying to catch the attention of Belfast shoppers. This is a specialist running shop that sells all sorts of running clothing, trainers and accessories. It seems pretty well stocked - with all major brands available. One thing I noticed they had which I liked was an in-store treadmill. I like the idea of slipping on a pair of trainers and trying them out before you buy them. Sort of like a test drive in a car - makes sense to do this really. I noticed that a lot of the stock had been discounted in the same style that Sports Direct discount - by that I mean that items are automatically applied with discount to appeal to bargain hunters. When I entered the shop the staff were keen to help me and I was asked on two occasions was I ok or 'just having a look'. If you're a keen runner get a jog on and head down to Sweatshop, you'll probably find something you need - remember the Belfast Marathon is only 3 short months away?!

This is a fantastic sports shop for any avid runner or gym bunny! They have an excellent range of…read morecurrent season trainers for great reduced prices. Quality brands like brooks, asics, new balance, karrimor along with the usual Nike, adidas. The staff are trained to fit shoes for fallen arches, stability, neutral running etc. They have a decent range of outdoor trek shoes too. Lots of snazzy gym gear for both male/female.

I used to run for a club before I discovered the pleasures of alcohol and nightclubs. I have…read morerecently joined a gym and discovered the joy of running once again. unfortunately my running shoes were a pair of converse boots and I knew this was not the right kind of footwear required to chase and catch Bolt and beat him to the post, so I headed up to Up and Running for a serious pair of runners. They sorted me out nicely with a new pair of Adidas, some lycra (never thought I'd be back in the stretchy stuff) jogging bottoms and a nifty little hand-formed water bottle. Decent prices, helpful well informed staff and a well stocked runners emporium. Catch me if you can!

Never been much into running myself though I did dabble a bit when I was (much) younger. This is…read morethe kind've shop I would have loved though had I the required budget. It's basically a huge shrine to everything related with running be it shoes, clothing or any number of accessories. It's in rather an unusual location in town, pretty much right in the middle of the main shopping area so that's testament to the fact it must do some great business. In fact the day I was in browsing there was a whole mob of Japanese tourist who seemed to be stocking up on a load of kit. Rather impressive and the guy behind the tills smile spoke volumes. Pros: Expert gear and advice. Cons: Pretty much just running stuff

I went to get a sports bag. I have difficulty with stairs. After 20 minutes of being ignored,…read morewalked away from and left standing at a till as staff attempted to find the price, I came away empty- handed. No one spoke to me unless I spoke to them first. Staff made me feel a nuisance. The only exception was the young girl near the lift who helped me operate it. I try to shop locally to support real businesses but I'm going online now to buy a sports bag.

Packed full of sports clothing and some sports equipment. Over packed in my opinion, like many…read moreclothing stores. Hardly room to get around. That aside, they do fit in a huge amount of product. Also, casual clothing, jeans, polo shirts etc. The staff are always polite and helpful. Unfortunately they did not have the item that I was looking for - an Arsenal polo shirt (definitely NOT for myself I hasten to add!), which was advertised as being in-store on their online site. Pricewise, it is usually great value for money and fantastic if you have a gaggle of children to clothe. I ended up buying an arsenal mug (again NOT for myself) and was unfortunate to end up at the till behind the customer who appeared to be buying every item in the shop! There is ample parking outside, being part of the Springhill retail park, and is very easily accessible coming off the Bangor bound carraigeway from Belfast.

This new Lifestyle has been fitted out to resemble an industrial underground rave rather than a…read moresports shop. Neon signs everywhere and a minimal exposed feeling, although to be fair it's still a great sports shop! Located at the Corn Market entrance to Victoria Square it's hard to miss. The store has been sectioned off in to fashion, a boot room, sports zone and shoe area. It's divided by the neon signs I mentioned. It's deceivingly large and stocks the largest range of EPL football shirts I have ever seen. There also seems to be a real focus on local sports too with Antrim GAA and Ulster Rugby tops among those on sale! When I was in it seemed well staffed - I was asked on a few occasions if I wanted help but I was just having a wee nosey! Nice addition to Victoria Square and a great look and feel about it!

New edition of sports clothes in Vic square…read more Huge selection of: Football kits Swimwear Tennis gear Gym gear Running trainers Fashion trainers Nice lay out with modern neon lights that split up the different sections. Treadmill provided for customers to try out trainer comfort which is helpful edition. Staff quite helpful.

O'Neills is a sporting goods shop primarily famed for its dedication to Gaelic Gear equipment and…read moresportswear. Located next to world-famous (kind of) Casement Park, this shop does a big trade from gaelic supporters which there are plenty of in Andersonstown. The shop has a typical sports shop lay-out, with displays and racks of goods stocked around the floor. There is always a problem with sports shops that they are all quite expensive and the majority of their products can be found if you shop around on the internet. O'Neills does have expensive enough tracksuits and equipment, but the gaelic jerseys are pretty much as cheap and you are going to find anywhere else. The staff are more than happy to let you browse about and are very approachable if you require any assistant. One particular member of staff was more than happy to look out the back to see if they had a rain jacket I was looking for in my size. Turned out they didn't but he was happy to order it for me. I told him it was grand and got it off their website instead but the staff are really nice and more than helpful. I can see why there are more and more of these sports shops opening up all over Ireland as it is a very well run, efficient, pleseant shopping experience.

A lot of visitors to Belfast like to bring back souvenirs when they're going home. For many of…read morethem, if they have friends or relatives who originally hail from here (or, indeed, if they hail from here themselves) they like to bring back items that are specific to a particular area or region as a symbol of their roots or ancestry. That's why the souvenir of choice for a lot of people is GAA shirts. Most opt for the county tops, with some even going as far as getting local club tops. O'Neill's is a stockist of such items, and sells county jerseys for around £25 - £40 (depending what time of year you buy them I think - if you can leave it until late August, which is near the end of the GAA season, then they're at the lower end of this price range). It also supplies some sporting equipment, including hurling sticks, as well as some rugby and soccer items.

SS Moore is as much part of the Belfast landscape as The City Hall itself. For as long as I can…read moreremember it's been there. This is no accident or fluke, you need to be on top of your game to hang on to such a prized retail location and these guys have been. SS Moore specialize in real quality sports equipment and wear. This is the first place I visit when I need a new pair of football boots because I know the staff are knowledgeable and will provide a genuine insight in to your purchase. This was the case yesterday, I went in with the aim of getting a pair of football boots with thicker leather and while I was caressing (that makes it sound creepy) the various boots on display a helpful member of staff approached me and asked what I was looking for (or maybe it was 'what are you doing!?'). When I told him my plight he brought me out a whole host of boots that had thicker leather, unfortunately none of them were in my size! That's my only tiny niggle with SS Moore, they don't have a huge stock and tend to sell out quickly. If you're looking for regional sports kits like Linfield, The Ulster Rugby Team or the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey Jersey this is one of the few places, excluding the official shops, that you can get them. There aren't many better sports shops around in my opinion - if you're looking for something specific or niche make SS Moore's your first stop.

SS Moore is an Athletics Store right across the road from Belfast's City Hall. So it has a prime…read morelocation within the city. Unlike most other sports stores, which just deal in replica football shirts and clothes that make you look suspicious on a street corner. SS Moore sales sports equipment for a wide range of sports, both mainstream and the smaller sports. Their staff have a great knowledge of the equipment they sell and will always help you make the right choice. My experience of this shop and their great staff was when I was looking for a new football kit for the Sunday league team I play for. SS Moore have a wide range of catalogues to look through and they are always willing to recommend which offer they think will best suit you and they don't charge extra for having the kits delivered to their shop! They were a great help and I'll be going here more often for anything remotely sporty!

Ringsport on the Antrim Road sells a wide range of boxing equipment for both the professional and…read moreamateur styles of the sport. It's on top of another shop which is quite strange, I always feel strange walking up some stairs that seem like they could be anyone's home into a shop. The guy who owns the store knows all there is about boxing, so you can just ring off vaguely what your looking for and your budget and just sit back whilst he gathers everything you need. Whilst I was there he informed me that a lot of the stuff they sell in the shop is cheaper in their online shop which was frightfully honest of him considering I could have just left and did that. Really friendly, knowledgeable staff which is great for the epic novices like myself.

Ah haaaaa.... yet another sports shop in the city. I really do not know how they all seem to…read moresurvive with such intense competition between, what are more or less identical stores. JD Sports in my opinion is a bit of a runt compared to the larger and perhaps more prestigious JJB chain. For a start it's smaller and has a much denser range. It also focuses primarily on the clothing aspect of sport rather than the accessories to go along with it. This store hasn't been open all that long but when I called in today it was absolutely heaving with families and youngsters eager to get the newest football top or a new pair of boots.

Liberty Blue used to be the shop indie boys would go to for their t-shirts and cord trousers. These…read moredays, it's where the hipster teenage girls go to get their fix. Basically, if you're an Urban Outfitters fan, you'll like this place. Hell of a transformation, no? Well, Liberty Blue pulled it off with aplomb, becoming one of Belfast's favourite boutiques. In fact, it's one of the only independent shops in the city centre these days, which is nice. It's a great place to go for a funky dress or a vintage-inspired top and while it is slightly more expensive than its high-street counterparts, sometimes you just have to be prepared to pay for something less ordinary.

I love this shop. It is a treasure trove of all things lovely!…read more It really reminds me of what used to be my favourite clothes shop in Dublin, Sabotage, on Wicklow Street in that it is quirky, fun, individual and stocks some classically stylish clothes. Liberty Blue tends not to follow any trends and instead trusts their customers discerning eyes. When I was at college in the city, I used to come here and browse through the rails of clothes hoping that all the studying would pay off and I would land a top newspaper job so I could buy all these lovely clothes. Seriously, I used to motivate myself to work harder by lusting after clothes I couldn't afford. It works! The window displays are usually very striking and are the thing that draw most punters in off the street. Inside the store is beautifully laid out, it's the kind of place which is a pleasure just to come in and browse around. There are cutesy skirts, cool Edie Sedgwick t-shirts, gorgeous dresses, both casual and fancy, Audrey Hepburn style cardigans and good music to boot. On display in the middle table there are some handmade broaches, rings and jewellery trinkets, funky tights and a battered old suitcase with some vintage belts in every imaginable colour- a snip at £4 each or 3 for £10. The jewellery also deserves a special mention, the necklaces are really cool, chic and very charming. Long gold chains with bird cages or little gold Eiffel towers. These necklaces have done me for many birthday presents this year, they all come moderately priced too. The assistants are really friendly and always make a point of saying hello, which is a really nice touch I think. Check out the sale rail down the back for some bargains. Prices vary and should suit all customers. The more expensive party dresses range from £50-£70 and there are really good quality dresses from about £20. Definitely cheaper than their contemporaries Topshop and Urban Outfitters. I don't mind paying money for something quality that looks unique and it's always an added plus to be supporting such a fabulous and unique local business.