Road Runner Sports — Attraction in North Brunswick Township

A running enthusiast's store run by running enthusiasts... A bit of a tongue twister there, but that is exactly what you will find at Road Runner Sports at the Shoppes of North Brunswick off of Route 1.

I would be remiss if I did not recall some personal history with this particular Road Runner Sports store at the Shoppes of North Brunswick. It was around November 2008, and I returned home from deployment. I remember driving up the highway to see this newly established development, and reflecting on how the town was changing. Not too long after returning home, I decided to adjust my lifestyle around a bit, and take running (which I was already doing with the Army) a bit more serious. In comes, Road Runner Sports.

While I don't remember specifically which pair of shoe and/or shoes I purchased that day (it was either Brooks or Mizunos), I recall having a pleasurable experience at the store - everything from the interaction with the store associate, to testing/measuring my stride and stance on the machines. Generally speaking, a customer venturing into a specialty store that is dedicated to a specific commodity will generally find really passionate associates on the commodity they are selling. For the most part, the passion and related emotions are genuine, however, sometimes it can be perceived as snobbish or arrogant which then becomes intimidating and disempowering to those who are exploring opportunities. The Road Runners Sports in fact did not exhibit these traits, but in fact made me feel welcomed and peaked by interests even more with how inviting and knowledgeable they were. I would say that this experience with Road Runners really catalyzed the following years where I became dedicated to running. I might have gone to the store one or two more times to replace worn out shoes before leaving New Jersey in 2012.

Fast forward more than a decade later, I'm back here with my family. My wife, not being from North Brunswick or New Jersey for that matter, happened to wander into the store looking to replace her running shoes. Her experience was almost a sincere replication of my experience as she was thoroughly satisfied - I believe she ended up buying two pairs of shoes her first time there. She subscribed to the membership program which offers great value and rewards to its members (she's already at enough points that gives her credit to purchase a brand-new shoe).

The customer service and relations are still as good, if not better than when I first visited in 2008. The associates truly know what they are talking about and go above and beyond to ensure that you have the right and best fitting shoe. Furthermore, any issues that we had with the sizing after the store visitation were resolved without hassle. The pricing points are what you can expect for quality running shoes, but there are great deals from time to time.

I would definitely recommend this Road Runners Sports to anyone who is looking for great service and products when it comes to running shoes,...

I went to this store for the first time ever so I could get new running shoes. I waited by the sneakers for 15 min waiting to be helped or even make eye contact with an employee. Finally an employee asked if I was being helped. I said no and I needed help. He then told me he would add my name to a list (a piece of scrap paper) to be seen for my proper fitting. From this moment, I waited about 45-1hr. This is extremely difficult to do with my small children who I had with me. There was one employee working the “fitting” area. Finally it was my turn. I was unaware that I had to take my socks off and walk barefoot on a treadmill that every other customer also had bare feet on. Then I was given their socks that I was told I had to wear. These socks were clearly used. I was disgusted. Keep in mind, I thought this was all to get properly sized for a sneaker. The employee working with me left me at left me at least twice to help other customers. Turns out I was getting fitted for $100 insoles that I never had any intention of getting. I mean, these things are clearly worth 15 cents. If I needed insoles, I’d get them made by my doctor. After this whole “fitting” process, I was measured for a size 6.5. I told the employee I normally wear 7. He said proper fit was 6.5. He then passes me along to another employee who would be bringing me the 4 pairs of shoes that their system recommends. This employee brings out 4 pairs of 6.5 sneakers. Naturally, they are too small. He then brings out size 7s. I try on their recommended New Balances, also small. He told me New Balance run small and he went to get me a 7.5. Now why did I waste 1 hr and 30 min of my time with this “custom fitting” process for all the results to be wrong? He also insisted I try them on with the insoles that I told him I wasnt interested in. I ended up getting the New Balance sneakers without the insoles. This employee was visibly SO mad that I wasn’t getting the insoles or that I didn’t want to sign up for their “membership.” He was equally as mad when I paid with gift card. There was no “thank you” or “have a nice day”. Not a smile in sight. This place is a joke and a money grab that feeds on senior citizens that dont realize what they are doing is a waste of money. I would’ve walked out after the first 15 min if I didn’t have a gift card. It was such a waste of 2 + hours on...

Sep 8th (originally I gave a 2 Star): I had high hopes for this shoe store, especially given their focus on helping people with ankle and foot support. Unfortunately, the customer service left much to be desired. We waited for about 25 minutes before being informed that we were next in line. But to our surprise, as soon as we were seated, the girl employee immediately began assisting a different customer who had arrived after us.

To make matters worse, another employee assured us we were next, only to turn around and help yet another customer who had come in after us. It felt like we were skipped twice, which was both unprofessional and extremely frustrating. Why have us wait so long just to allow other clients to be served ahead of us?

After such an unpleasant experience, we decided to leave the store immediately. We will not be returning, and I sincerely hope this store works on improving their customer service order. It's a shame, as they seem to have good intentions, but their execution was far from satisfactory.

Updated: Sep 10th I initially had a disappointing experience at this shoe store, which left me quite frustrated. My previous review mentioned the long wait time and confusion around being skipped in line multiple times, which made us feel unappreciated as customers.

However, after sharing my concerns, the store manager personally reached out to me to apologize and that they will most certainly be some improvement measures. I genuinely appreciated the effort they took to understand what happened and make things right. The manager assured me that they are taking steps to improve their customer service processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.

This proactive approach and genuine concern for their customers' experiences really changed my perception of the store. I feel reassured that they care about their clients and are committed to providing the best service possible. I am now willing to give them another chance, knowing they are working on making improvements.

Kudos to the management for taking customer feedback seriously and making...