I have been running fairly consistently this year, and last week was ready to buy another new pair of shoes to add into the rotation. I have been a solid Brooks Adrenaline women’s size 8.5 for the past … 10 years? … so I knew I would be able to just pop in and pick up a pair without needing to try them on.
I live really close to the Portland Running Company on Scholls Ferry (Beaverton), and I think they are a great place to buy shoes, so that’s where I always go. I parked, put on my mask and helped my little one with his mask, and we headed in.
My husband and I took a selfie in front of PRC for the Go Beyond Favorite Places 50k a few weeks ago.
Upon entering, you’re greeted by employees and just steps away from a table set up right in front of the door, where there is a hand sanitizer dispenser and a basket of masks for those who might have forgotten theirs. There’s also a sign asking you to wait there until there is ample room for the service staff to safely help you.
At the time we stopped by, there was only one other customer in the store, so we were ushered in right away. Since I didn’t need to try anything on, I just asked for my size in the Adrenaline and the shoe expert brought me out a few color options. I picked out this forest green and copper pair, which I hadn’t seen before, while my 5-year-old zoomed around the store. (Note: If there’s a certain color that PRC doesn’t carry in a shoe they have in the store, they’ll order it for you and it can be sent directly to your house!)
The whole thing took only 5 minutes and we were out the door. If you need to try shoes on, the store is laid out in a way for you to do so with plenty of space to yourself, and you can try them out on the low-traffic sidewalk.
I was really impressed with the atmosphere in the store and the matter-of-fact way PRC is handling social distancing measures. None of what we’re being asked to do is difficult, and knowing that it’s important to keep others safe is motivation enough to follow instructions to the letter. And if you’d rather not shop inside, you can shop online and have it delivered or pick it up curbside.
Our running community is so lucky to have multiple locally-owned running stores that are staffed by people who understand running, walking, and racing. If you’ve had a good experience and want to tell others about it, email us and we’ll post your comments on Run Oregon!
