Yesterday morning I made my first trip to Jack Rabbit.

On the one hand, I can’t believe that it took me so long to go there.

On the other hand, I know myself and as a former salesperson I have almost no patience for people who aggressively try to sell me on things other than what I want.

For that reason, I shop almost exclusively online.  And when it comes to buying new running shoes, I do all of the research online and then go to Modell’s, a store that I love for its affordable pricing and uninvolved sales staff.

I have been to other running stores in the city.  I have gone to the good ones where all of the sales associates are frequent racers, where they videotape your stride and make you try on a plethora of brands and styles to find the very best shoe for you and then pay top dollar for it.

Maybe someone else would enjoy all of that individualized attention, but for me it is a little overwhelming.

I want to browse the racks and make a choice for myself based on aesthetics, practical features and comfort.

I went to Jack Rabbit to meet someone who is involved in a program that I was rather fortunately asked to be a part of, and to try on some gear from a running brand that I absolutely love.  I will soon share more details.

At Jack Rabbit, the sales staff was supportive but did not overwhelm the experience.

I was there to try a specific brand and knew that I wanted a lightweight shoe but nothing too minimal, since these will be my marathon training shoes (and possibly even my marathon race-day shoes).

The young woman who helped me was the assistant store manager.  She brought me a variety of options in two different sizes.

She didn’t push one style or another on me.  She made recommendations, but otherwise took a step back.

When I found one that felt right, we headed over to the treadmill so that she could check my stride.  The video monitor was in front of the treadmill, so I could see for myself how I was running in the shoe.

The Saucony Ride won me over.

It met all of my personal criteria, and it wasn’t forced on me.

The shoe sold itself.