Why get fitted at a running store instead of buying online?

Shoe sizing isn't consistent between brands, and the way you run changes what works. A good shop watches you run, has you try several pairs, and takes them back if they turn out wrong. Nobody selling through a screen can do that.

Are running stores more expensive?

Sometimes by a little, and most run sales, price-match, or discount last season's model. What you're paying for is the fitting and the returns policy, which is worth more than the difference the first time a shoe doesn't work out.

What should I expect on a first visit?

Bring the shoes you run in now, and your orthotics if you use them. Expect to walk or jog a little, try three or four pairs, and answer questions about distance and any recurring aches. Budget 30 to 45 minutes, and don't turn up five minutes before closing.

Do these shops run group runs?

Many do, most are free, and they're one of the easiest ways into a local running community. Ask in store or check their site — group runs are usually weekly and genuinely open to any pace.

Local running

Running stores in Canada

176 shops in 91 cities, 102 of them independent. Find the one near you, go get fitted by someone who watches you run. Listings are free and we take nothing.

The map

Every shop we've verified, coast to coast. Filter to independents to see who's actually local.

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176 shops shown · tap a circle to see what's in that city · scroll-zoom is off so the page still scrolls on mobile

Biggest running towns

Toronto · 12 Calgary · 10 Vancouver · 10 Edmonton · 7 Ottawa · 7 Winnipeg · 5 Halifax · 4 North Vancouver · 4 Victoria · 4 Kelowna · 3

Why this page exists

I bought my Hokas from the owner of a run shop. Before that I'd bought a pair of New Balances that didn't work out — I brought them back, he said no problem, took them back and pointed me at the Cliftons instead. They've been great. I left him a five-star review.

That's the whole argument. No affiliate link is going to watch you run, admit a shoe was wrong, and take it back. RaceFinder has a gear section and it will keep telling you to buy your gels and safety pins wherever is cheapest. But shoes get fitted, in person, by a human — so this page is where we send you for those.

The same thing is true of the sport generally. I ran my first organized half marathon recently and spent most of it trading places with a guy I'd never met — I'd pass him, my calves would cramp, he'd pass me back, and we fist bumped every time. At the finish he came and found me just to ask how I did. That doesn't happen in a shopping cart. It happens at start lines, and in the shops that host the Wednesday night run.

Common questions

Why get fitted at a running store instead of buying online?: Shoe sizing isn't consistent between brands, and the way you run changes what works. A good shop watches you run, has you try several pairs, and takes them back if they turn out wrong. Nobody selling through a screen can do that.
Are running stores more expensive?: Sometimes by a little, and most run sales, price-match, or discount last season's model. What you're paying for is the fitting and the returns policy, which is worth more than the difference the first time a shoe doesn't work out.
What should I expect on a first visit?: Bring the shoes you run in now, and your orthotics if you use them. Expect to walk or jog a little, try three or four pairs, and answer questions about distance and any recurring aches. Budget 30 to 45 minutes, and don't turn up five minutes before closing.
Do these shops run group runs?: Many do, most are free, and they're one of the easiest ways into a local running community. Ask in store or check their site — group runs are usually weekly and genuinely open to any pace.

Own a shop? Missing one?

Listings here are free and always will be — nothing to buy, no placement to pay for. If your shop is missing or anything is wrong, email hello@racefinder.ca and it's fixed the same day.

All 91 cities with a running store

Ontario

Toronto, Ottawa, London, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, Markham, Oakville, Peterborough, Sudbury, Waterloo, Windsor, Aurora, Barrie, Burlington, Clinton, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orleans, Oshawa, Pickering, St. Catharines, Stittsville, Stoney Creek, Thunder Bay, Whitby