Marathon Sports — Local services in Brookline

Edit: 6/18/19 - I've been a loyal customer for years but was left really dissatisfied by my most recent experience. I think the is the first time I've ever had to edit a review with a negative update. The store encourages customers to take their shoes for a test drive outside the store before purchase. It's always been one of the nice things about the store. It allows you to get a better feel for the shoes & they assure customers that it won't affect their ability to make a return. The store is pretty limited in square footage and so while considering a pair of sneakers I took them up on the offer. I explained to the salesperson (who was knowledgeable and friendly, in keeping with my prior experiences here) that I was unsure about the shoes. We discussed the return policy, that I'd want to be able to try them on (indoors, of course) at home and that I might have to return the shoes due to increased joint pain & corresponding difficulty finding footwear. He reassured me that it would be fine - just to bring them back in good shape with the receipt within the return window. I later tried them in my apartment to see how they would feel after a little lengthier of a try-on. After ten minutes of moving around my living room it became clear that I likely needed more support/cushioning. After another ten minutes around the coffee table a few days later and five minutes of disappointed sighing later (don't judge- they were REALLY cute shoes. Stupid bad joints.), I placed them in their box. I brought them back to the store, with the receipt, within the return window. The salesperson looked at the bottom of one shoe &, pointing at a small slightly sticky smudge on the white sole, informed me that her manager wouldn't let her take them back. I explained that I'd only worn the shoes around briefly indoors after purchasing them, the soles looked the same as they had at purchase at which point they'd already been taken outdoors by myself and possibly by whoever else had previously tried the pair on. The manager came over and looked at the bottom of the shoes as we spoke, & commented that the store had been having problems with those shoes and made a disparaging comment about the amount of trouble they'd had with the easily marked white soles coming back. I can't say I found this amusing-- if the soles were so problematic why were they selling the shoes while also encouraging customers to take them outside or try them at home? I should have argued more I suppose, or demanded the shoes back. Since they weren't worn down or scuffed up, just that half inch portion of rubber seemed to have come in contact with something slightly sticky briefly, I suspect the whole interaction could have been avoided had I been more suspicious of the return policy & thought to wipe down the bottom of the sneakers with a damp sponge. My definition of reasonable wear & tear on shoes, especially in a store where customers are expected to take shoes for a run on the city sidewalk/street out front, is clearly not in keeping with the manager. I walked out having grudgingly been given a credit, which I do appreciate is better than being refused any sort of return, but none-the-less left me feeling perplexed and disappointed. I am not sure if a should have been pushier but I'm left feeling that the return policies are not being accurately honored or perhaps their strictures are being poorly explained. I still have a credit to use, but I don't feel confident in shopping there anymore. Original review: Go here, trust me. I have a terrible time finding shoes- I have bad feet and I loathe shoe shopping. This place make finding good athletic shoes painless and even...fun. I have been able to return to my normal workout routine because of the shoes the knowledgeable staff helped me pick out. They can analyze your feet, your stride, your various sports or just daily needs and guide you to the best choices. You don't have to run marathons to go either. Ten years of patronage and no...

I am really disappointed with my experiences at Marathon Sports in Brookline. Very awful and disrespectful customer service multiple times. I don't normally write reviews, but after my most recent visit, I felt that it was finally necessary to write one. When I entered the store, it was not a very busy day. There were 3 employees and I was the only customer at the time. A young, male employee approached me and I told him I was there to exchange shoes for a larger size and that I was also open to trying another brand if the larger size was not available or did not fit. When he brought out the larger size, he immediately took them to the register and was about to ring them into the system when I told him I wanted to try them on first. He handed them to me without saying a word. I had also brought my own inserts with me and asked if it was ok to try them on with the shoes? He said it was fine. As I tried them on, the employee stayed behind the register and continued to talk and joke around with the other employees, rather than helping me with the fitting process. When the larger size didn't fit well, and no one came to ask how the new size felt, I decided it was not worth asking to try other brands because I simply did not feel welcomed in the store environment. The employees honestly didn't seem like they wanted to help. When I approached the register and told the young, male employee that the larger size didn't fit and that I was just going to apply for store credit, he immediately responded with a condescending and judgmental tone, "why are you even wearing inserts with [stability] shoes?" and he shook his head with a pretentious look of disapproval. As a runner, I am fully aware that I over pronate and for many years have been running in mild stability shoes with inserts. Of course, I am no running professional or expert and am always seeking help or advice from other more knowledgable athletes - that is why I went to Marathon Sports in the first place because they're supposed to have better, and more personalized and trained customer service! If this employee had simply worked with me in the beginning (instead of chatting with his employees), he would have been able to ask me about my inserts earlier on and more genuinely suggest not wearing them with a stability shoe. Instead, he chose to directly criticize me without even having done his job of helping me with the fitting process. The pure lack of care, customer education, and respect at Marathon Sports (not just once, but multiple times) have deterred me from visiting again. I highly recommend Fleet Feet Sports to any one else looking for running shoes. Fleet Feet does a much better job training their employees to cater full attention to their customers throughout the entire fitting process. Their employees are trained to know the technology and features behind every shoe and they apply that knowledge to each customer's personal needs and preferences. They are much more professional and welcoming than...

These people know their $#!+ when it comes to fitting shoes! Seriously, physical therapists from Mass General who specialised in the foot, ankle and walking/running analyses referred their patients here and for d@mn good reason!

Expect to pay a small fortune (IMO) for most of the shoes they sell, like $100-$150, but it's worth the investment to prevent what therapists call "up the chain" injuries. Those that are caused by malalignment in say a foot or ankle and lead to hip or back pain or injuries later.

This location also carries a small collection of running attire, and fun memorabilia hanging on the wall 😉 The are some flip flops and clogs, obviously not for running; and a selection of socks, sunglasses, and a couple different types of headphones for your running/workout needs.

Hey guess what⁉️ THEY ALSO SELL REFLECTIVE GEAR OF VARIOUS TYPES, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT ALREADY GET IT FOR YOU, YOUR DOG, AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND THEIR DOGS! DRIVERS EVERYWHERE WILL THANK YOU! I really can't stress that enough, I have nearly hit so many pedestrians, runners and a couple bikers SOLELY because they were wearing dark clothes at night with no reflective gear or lights!

This place can also work with M.S. other stores to get sizes they personally don't have in stock, but say NH or Newberry St. does; or they can work with manufacturers to get in sizes they don't have. They can also hold things for you for a few days until you can get back in.... just don't forget to call or pick it up like I did. Then it will be put back in general stock and be hard to find, or...