What a great experience I've just had this morning in Sweatshop Holloway Road. I was served by the…read moremanager I think and she was so accomodating to my needs. I'm a particuarly picky, bargain hunting shopper and at times I think must have been infuriating to serve. But the lady took it in her stride and was even prepared to look at other shops' websites to compare prices and stock! After looking at my gait and my barefeet she helped me find some trail shoes, gave me excellent advice on what to look for and was good at letting me know what wasn't good for me and what was rather than all pairs of running shoes being great for my running style and gait. I think the the 30 day return policy is an excellent incentive and because the sale was so good I also bought a new sports bra, which she also fitted me for. Additionally the amount of different brands sweatshop has in running shoes goes in their favour since I never got the impression (as I had done with other running stores) that they were pushing a certain brand on me and making it fit my needs. Even though I have subsequently found my new trainers for £10 less on another website (bargain hunter to the last!), the customer service was worth every penny. I'll be back here for all my future running needs and would recommend to anyone. Thanks Sweatshop Holloway Road!

Great local shop with all the required brands of fitness equipment. They stock great selection of…read moresports shoes and do a professional fitting. Highly recommend these guys for sporting goods. Also often have promotions that mean you're not paying dull price - fantastic!!!

So you need some running shoes First thing to do is find your way into the shop. Which means…read morewalking through the bike shop. Once in, forget browsing the shelves. You need help. No seriously. Fashion is out the window. All that matters here is that you get shoes that fit and suit your gait. The assistant will inspect your current footwear for wear patterns (so it's best if you wear something old). They'll then suggest a shoe. If you are very lucky you might even get a choice. But please don't comment on the colour. Next you get to try them out: maybe on the treadmill, maybe running up and down the pavement outside (yes, in public). If they do the job, you are going home with them. If they're ugly you'll just have to get them covered in mud quickly. Clean shoes are not cool in running circles anyway Seriously though, the point of coming to a place like this is to get properly fitted. Assistants in many of the chain 'sports' stores actually have no idea about the mysteries of gaits and arches, and could well sell you a shoe that can lead to injury. I have especially hard to fit feet (unusually small and broad) and they struggled to find me a shoe first visit. I ended up getting a discontinued shoe from another shop, but what I'd found out at Runners Need helped. Since, with my gait having changed somewhat as I've got fitter, they've been able to sort me out no trouble. Though it's strange coming to a shoe shop and being told only one shoe suits your foot! Certainly speeds things up for a terminal ditherer like me. Of course, you can also get other stuff here, like socks, bum bags, water bottles and sports bars. But it's the shoes that are the main thing

GREAT shop for anyone interested in or dedicated to running, from the complete beginner to the…read moreserious athlete. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable - they are all runners themselves and know their stuff! I came here to get my first pair of running shoes and was fitted for them very professionally. My gait was analysed on a special running machine so that they could recommend the correct pair of shoes for me. The products are expensive, but they are top quality and worth the money. Definitely recommend!

This place is great if you are a runner. It has everything you could need including running shoes,…read moreclothing and assessories. The staff are very knowledgable and helpful. I went here because it looked like a specialty shop and I wanted some running shoes. I was immediately impressed and distracted by the huge range of clothing. This store obviously likes Nike as most of the gear was by Nike. I did find the store to be abit pricey and did not actually buy my shoes as I wanted to compare prices on the internet first. Sweatshop boasts some great extras ie the following services are also available at this shop: In-store Treadmill Free Video Gait Analysis Must come back when I have more time to take advantage of this free service!

Ok, so I'm moving from reviewing coffee joints in London to sporting goods stores. Maybe I do have…read morea knack for the strangely odd. Anyway. Runners Need... Hmm.. How do I put this store. I've been to the Runners Need store in Victoria and the one in Canary Wharf. Maybe it's because today's just a hot day out and people are a bit more crummy, but today, at this store, I wasn't very well received. Grumpy attendants and this store strangely has never any of the stock that I want. If you're looking for a running store with better service try Suka just south of Oxford Street or the Kensington or Victoria stores close by. So much better.

Went here on a serious runner friend's recommendation, and was not disappointed…read more Friendly staff, very happy to do a gait analysis on the treadmill and explain what was going on and what it meant. I've just started running more, and was going to upgrade from everyday trainers to "real" running shoes -- but the guy there looked at my shoes and said that actually they are ideal for what I'm doing, no need to buy new ones. Staff that tell you when you don't need to spend money? Brilliant.

I had outstanding service from Nike at Oxford Street. I was looking for an England jersey where I…read morecould personalize the top with my own last name and the number seven. Every location I went to around London was out out of a letter or out of a number which made up the formation I wanted. I went into the Westfield location and was helped by Dan who recommended I go to Oxford Street, but he kindly checked in advance, as it was very hard for me to contact any of the local stores if they had the letters and numbers I was after after he confirmed that with Kayla I went to Oxford Circus, where I got the Top and the Service I received from Gaby and Damani was outstanding. They personalized a top and while they were making it, I ended up buying 23 more items and all the stuff who helped me were extremely helpful. Excellent service.

They didn't really have much of a selection that interest me. I will say they are in a good…read morelocation that is very busy.

I am not at all clued up on most sports gear, but I came to Runners Need looking for inspiration…read morefor my New Year resolution. Yes that old chestnut: exercise. Although the shop is pretty small, they stock quite a selection of mens and women's clothes and running shoes. Brands such as Gore, Sportjock and New Balance are to be found, whilst all of their clothes involve some kind of specialised high-tech designs to make running more comfortable and well (I'm hoping) more successful. Or was that easy... eh hem. There are also lots of accessories including bags, light weight drinking flasks, heart rate and distance/speed monitors, insoles and supports on offer. I was particularly interested in the number of protein mixtures and intriguing supplements they sold and the staff were brilliant on advising which might benefit a novice like me. Mmmmmm food. Oh sorry, special performance enhancing work-out snacks. I left the shop fully kitted up and ready to get running looking like a neon tic-tac. Job done.

A really great sport shop…read more One of five branches in London, this shop is great for every sportsman, woman or youth. A seasoned runner, a novice cyclist or a fields player. Runnersneed is the sort of shop where you don't just walk in, look around and maybe buy something, it's the kind of place where you can have a great discussion about your needs and preferences. This sort of store should be able to measure if you have pronation or supernation, advise you about any therapy and therapists if you suffer an injry or have a weakness. This is the kind of sports store I trust and look for, because it knows things about the body that I might not!! If you cycle, please wear a helmet!

This is a big sport shop at Southside Shopping Center. All kind of sporting goods and accessories…read more A lot of choices to choose from. Very good price too.

Prior to its arrival at Southside, I was unfamiliar with Decathlon. It had been there for a couple…read moremonths, before I ventured in to peek around, wary from most all previous life experiences with sporty/outdoorsy stores. I was surprised. It was different. A mecca of own-brand + nice branded items for all sorts of athletic pursuits from walking and running to cycling, yoga, all sorts of sportsball apparatus, etc. for women, men, & children. It's a bit like a Lidl, but nicer, for sporty stuff. When shopping for a helmet and lock for my new foray into biking in the city, the cycling department staff were really helpful and kind. Even though I had lots of questions, they happily helped. Each department seems to have knowledgeable staff. Prices here are great. Very affordable and incredibly competitive. The store is quite big, spread over 2 floors. My only complaint is the checkout staff seem to always be aloof and the opposite of the helpful staff from the rest of the store. But, apart from that, I think this shop is a keeper.

Splendid customer service with positive energy attitude . Always appreciated the great serviceread more

I love you Decathlon!…read more Decathlon makes me sporty. OK - so I am (was) anything but sporty. But living next to Decathlon has forced me to become a (half) Marathon runner and a regular hiker. Decathlon does a great job of selling. Products are among the most competitively priced and the quality is not too compromised on either. For some reason, I always thought otherwise. Maybe because it's French? They never run out of stock for some reason. Good inventory management. The staff is very friendly. I have almost never had trouble finding what I need. They've always gone that extra mile to make sure I get what I'm looking for. Really glad to have Decathlon for a neighbor.