Why Sports Direct’s new flagship store is a one-stop shop for runners

We got to have a sneaky peak at the revamped Sports Direct flagship store in London last week – and we were properly impressed. The store itself is vast, and beautifully decked out. And for us runners there is plenty to get excited about – not least the ASICS gait analysis – but we’ll get to that in a mo.

On the ground floor, you need to head straight for the Bra Studio, which is truly ace. This fantastic innovation is more than just somewhere to buy a bra. Tooled up with their bespoke app, you can use it to add in not only your size, but the sports you want to wear it for, the style and fit you prefer, as well as other requirements, such as post-surgery or a nursing bra. And once you’ve entered all your details, it’ll list the very best bras based on your choices, all available in the sleek studio. We LOVED this feature. Finding the right sports bra is a bit of a dark art, and this has taken not only the guesswork out of it, but it’s also made everything so user friendly. Bravo!

Run upstairs immediately after you’ve chosen your bra to get that gait analysis done: this is with the friendly team at ASICS. Every runner needs to do this, no matter how experienced you are. After a short run on a treadmill you’ll be shown a video of your running form, and various styles and brands will be suggested. And the reason I say it’s worth doing is because the shoes recommended to me were a total surprise! I had my gait analysed two years ago, using very similar technology and in the interim my needs and form have adjusted (for the better, might I add!) so the shoes recommended to me were very different. Mind actually blown.

Then you have your pick of the best shoes to drool over – Nike, Asics, Adidas, Under Armour, Reebok, you name it, they’re there. And to top it off there are plenty of fun interactive things to do (you can try and jump as high as Michael Jordon if you so wish – and if your pelvic floor is in better shape than mine), there’s tons of kids clothes, and the changing rooms are properly lush. Take your besties and pick up a bargain to boost your summer running.

About Sports Direct

Sports Direct is Europe’s biggest retailer of sports and fitness footwear, clothing and equipment. A brand driven by purpose, our mission is to use the powers of sports to champion the legend in every body. Whatever your sport, whatever your style and whatever your ambition, we offer the quality and choice to make anyone feel like a winner.

Visit Sports Direct in-store or at www.SportsDirect.com