The Best Place to Get Footwear in Philadelphia

Walk down Chestnut Street and Market Street in Philadelphia's Center City and you will have your plentiful pick of footwear retailers to purchase your sneakers from. You have the five Foot Lockers, Sneaker Villa, Samsung, City Blue, Unica and many other mom and pop sneaker shops to choose from. Many of them have a wide selection of fashion footwear such as country edition Air Force 1's, Kermit the Frog and Ms. Piggy Adidas and other things that cater to the young urban crowd. Yet none of the stores listed cater to people of all genders, tastes and athletic needs.

Then recently two Finish Line stores have opened up in Center City, one on 16th and Chestnut and the other in the Gallery Mall on 8th and Market Street. Since I work right around the mall that is the Finish Line I have been to four times since it's opening in April. What makes the Finish Line the best place to get footwear in Philadelphia is the immense selection of footwear they carry, let me explain. The Finish Line has the fashion-based footwear like you would find in Samsung, City Blue and Unica and they carry the running footwear you would find in Philadelphia Runner on 16th and Samson Street as well as every other style in between.

What separates this store from the rest along with the footwear is their level of service, which good service is hard to find in the Gallery Mall. You are greeted when you first walk into the store and no matter what side of the store you are on there is someone there to help you. Another good thing is unlike other footwear retail stores the associates are not pushy at all; they don't force or try to trick you into buying anything. One incident in particular was when I went in 4th of July weekend to get a pair of running shoes. I wanted the Adidas Goodyear sneakers, which they did not carry. The female associate informed me they did not carry that particular shoe but asked me what I would be using the shoe for, how far I would be running and plenty of other questions to determine my needs along with if I had an iPod nano or not which I found kind of odd at first. Then she chose the $130 Nike Air Max 180 shoes. I first thought the young lady was trying to get a big sale from me but before she went to get the shoes she outlined all the features and benefits of the shoe and how it could be beneficial to me. I obliged and we tried the shoe on and I must admit it fit like a glove and felt comfortable. She stepped back and let me bounce around, run around the store to try out the shoe and wasn't pushy in any way.

Once I decided to purchase the sneakers the young girl told me how the shoe was compatible with my iPod nano and how it worked with my shoes and I was sold. Unfortunately the kit that went with the shoes they didn't have so a female assistant manager called another store to have it shipped to them. I then walked around the store and saw other items to purchase in the future. The young woman then showed me socks that'll keep my feet dry while I ran and I purchased three pair for fifteen dollars. The whole time I was in the store she was patient, informative and sweet she even talked to me about what I would be doing for the holiday. I figured out who the manager was by the way he commanded his staff and the way he spoke to a few of the employees there. He was smiling, pleasant and full of energy the whole time I was in the store and he was that way the other two times in the store, the fourth time the female assistant manager was there.

My other three visits were in similar experience and the service never slacked off. Along with the footwear selection in the store if there is an item listed on the company's website I can bring in a print out of the item and they can order it for me and have it sent to my home for free, an option I have taken once before. The store is always well lit, the music is suitable for shopping and the selection of merchandise is awesome. I can get my shoes, socks, jeans, t-shirts, polo's hats and jackets all in the same store and the selection is the same for women's and the footwear selection is great for children too as well as having a great amount of backpacks when it was back to school time. The store is upbeat, neat clean and organized and the staff's knowledge about the product is exceptional.

I make Finish Line my only stop when I want sneakers, or something as small as a pair of shoelaces. Last Saturday I was in the store and they had a live DJ and when I asked the manager why was he here and his reply was he wanted to create an atmosphere where teens can hang out Saturday afternoon to keep them occupied, I don't know how many retailers care that much about the kids in the community. That is another reason why Finish Line is the best place to get footwear in Philadelphia. It is the best place for additional items such as clothing and accessories; it is even the best place for teens to hang out on a Saturday. So whether you need a pair of shoes to run the Broad Street Run, or an outfit to go out on a Saturday night you can definitely find it at the Finish Line located on the lower level of the Gallery Mall on 8th & Market Street in Philadelphia. Tell them Shaun sent you!