Local, independent running stores are the backbone of Canada’s running community. From product knowledge to community involvement, our local run shops shape running culture across the country. Together, ASICS Canada and Canadian Running are going from coast to coast, exploring Canada’s top running shops and bringing you along for the ride.
If you run in Saskatoon, you almost certainly have met Harvey Weber. He’s been a coach in town for 40 years, and, in addition to working with the Running Wild club, he’s a fixture at Brainsport Running Store. So when we asked for a tour of Brainsport, it made sense to do it with the most connected man in the Saskatchewan running scene.
“The joke is that when somebody comes to the store, I can walk up to them and find someone that we both know,” he says. “The province is pretty connected, especially if you’re a runner.”
I’m not in town, exactly, but I am on FaceTime video, and Weber flips the screen so I can watch as he walks into the big green building—the way they describe the building if you’re trying to find it in the Broadway area of Saskatoon—and starts introducing me to the staff on the floor. (Like I said, Weber is a super connector, even if you’re on a spotty Wi-Fi connection.)
The building itself, part of a lumber yard built in the early 1900s, is impressive, but what’s more impressive is the sheer volume of shoes they’ve managed to cram into the building. Behind the scenes (in the back) the shoes are stacked on shelves in a maze-like configuration that seems like a runner’s fantasy come to life: a never-ending shoe wall.
The store isn’t just your usual come-in-and-browse running shop. When you come in, a greeter will check in with you. Looking for a certain piece of gear or clothing? They’ll point you in the right direction. Need new shoes? If you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for, they’ll sign you up for a shoe fitting with a pro.
“So many people were coming into the store and wandering around, and we had no specific order or way we could help them,” Weber explains. “Now, we have anywhere from eight to 15 fitters working on the floor, and we have a running list of people who we’re helping. On a Saturday, we might go through 700 shoe fittings in a day, so we really do need a system.”
“I would say 50 per cent of the people coming here are looking for a specific running shoe, because they’re already running, but the other half are here because of a foot issue,” he says. The store now carries a wide range of shoes that are more accessible, like the BILLY shoe, which offers more support and an easy zipper closure system.
Whether you have a wide foot and an awkward gait or need that extra four per cent speed with carbon in your soles, the store has shoes for you. The stock is seriously impressive: 16,000 pairs of sneakers in-store means you will find a shoe that fits, even if you’re Cinderella. (Weber says most city running stores only have 2,000 shoes in stock at any given time.)
The staff are passionate about running. Weber may have been in the industry the longest, but Brainsport has staff who’ve been fitting shoes for more than a decade, an Olympic wrestler-turned-runner and plenty of young runners who are more than happy to spend all the time you need chatting about your upcoming 5K or marathon. “And because we all run, there isn’t a race we haven’t done in the area, so we have a lot of insider knowledge to share,” Weber adds. “We’re the place to go before an event!”
Beyond just being the go-to spot to buy shoes, Brainsport is entrenched in the community. They donate some of their overstock to local schools, shelters and other local charities. They also collect gently-used sneakers for the same reason.
The store also recently started awarding the Rick Hannah Leadership Award annually. “Rick moved here in the early 80s, and he was a extremely talented masters runner,” Weber explains. “He passed away about two years ago from Parkinson’s disease, but he was running until the bitter end, until he could barely run anymore. He was so determined not to let Parkinson’s to take him down. He put up an amazing fight. So we created this award in his honour, given to someone who does something wonderful for the running community. There have been many winners over the years for many different reasons.”
One of Weber’s favourite events that the store puts on is their annual Gingerbread Run: a local 5K to raise money for the YWCA. It’s a doozy: “We have two people who race dressed up in Gingerbread costumes, and the goal is to try to beat them,” Weber says. “We get some really fast university guys to wear the suits, so it’s not easy to beat them. Then at the end, everybody gets hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies.”
You really can’t beat that.
