New Balance Toronto

Stopped in the store 10 minutes to closing since we were walking to the parking garage after dinner in the area. I haven’t been into the store in years since I rarely come to Yonge & St. Clair area, but was pleasantly surprised to see the various selections.
Everything was nicely displayed and organized accordingly. It’s a fairly small store, but definitely holds a lot of merchandise without it looking crammed in.
The women’s clothing were on sale and they had some really nice tops, but I cannot justify buying more tops as I already have plenty.
The staff were friendly and they weren’t rushing us out because they were closing soon. Cashier was quite the funny character and helped put my friend’s husband in place because he was being mean to his wife. If only all store staff was as friendly and funny as he was, it’ll make shopping a nice experience every time.

I am not sure which one is better about this place: their excellent service or super comfortable shoes!

This place was fantastic. I had been looking for a new pair of running shoes for a while, but it’s always hard to find since I take a child’s size shoe (yet, I’m not a child…). In any case, I went in here on a snowy afternoon and came out with a fantastic pair of pink runners. Staff were knowledgeable and they didn’t try to push me into the latest trend either, as one tends to find with other stores. I definitely recommend this place!

I always find the service at this store to be very professional and quick, but without sacrificing attention and friendliness.
On my most recent visit, I was helped by Hassan. He had impeccable product knowledge. He identified the old NB shoes I was wearing right when I walked in. I asked him if he could show me those same shoes, as well as recommend some similar models. He immediately showed me 3 or 4 pairs to start, and brought them out for me.
I noticed while I was trying on my shoes that the other customers in the store (there were about 3), were all receiving attention from employees. I like that the store was well-​staffed. Sometimes companies sacrifice this area of their business and leave the floor woefully understaffed, leaving one or two people to deal with ten. This was not the case at the store, and I appreciate it very much. I imagine that the store can get pretty packed with people during rush periods, so this is a good way for New Balance to show customers that they really care about us.
Thanks, Hassan and Co., and thanks, New Balance, for always providing great customer service, as well as a fantastic product.

Toronto New Balance has multiple locations, including their online store
. Our first exposure was at the Oakville location. It is smaller and doesn’t not carry a complete offering of Colour choices. Ian was great at the Oakville store but the others were only semi interested in our needs. The website is very good but still had the same Colour limitations as the store. However, Christine at the other end of the phone for online ordering was wonderful. She spent time to ensure we got what we needed and when it was needed in a very friendly and professional manner. We have ordered two times now from the website and each time the order was processed and shipped same day or next day. Very happy and would have received 5* if they offered the full New Balance line.

I’m a runner but I don’t actually wear New Balance shoes. That said, I’m sure they have a shoe model that would match my Asics Gel Neo33 or Saucony Progrid Mirage.
What I do like about this place is that they do have not only an extensive selection of runners for whatever you foot-​type or running style and they also have shoes for comfort that you can use for walking or casual wear.
As far as gear, they are well stocked with shirts, shorts, pants, tops, jackets, socks and accessories for running, tennis or cross-​training. They also have fitness gear like stress balls, resistance bands, and dumbbells which are essential for «in between» activities.
They also regularly have sales so it’s good to get on their distribution list.
On a sidenote… They hosted a meet & greet session with Canadian tennis star, Milos Raonic so that was pretty cool.

I don’t wear running shoes, so I can’t comment on that. I love the NB casual sneakers though. Service is quite friendly, and they can figure out if other locations have your size very quickly in store.
The downside is that they almost never have sales, at least from my experience. The only time of year I know that they have sales is their boxing day sale, which runs for a few weeks straddling boxing day itself, I believe.
FYI — Selection in-​store is larger than online. Use the website as a rough guide, but don’t assume that it’s their entire inventory.

So many shoes, so worth the investment …
This ranks up with Office Depot or Staples in atypical stores you can find so many things you want here, granted at this store using those things are good for your health (as opposed to office depot items, which just encourage more computer time). The guys up at Yonge/​St Clair prioritize customer service to a ‘T’, an make the whole shoe-​shopping experience easy and enjoyable!

All the cool kids can keep their pumped up kicks. I prefer to kick it old school in my New Balance 574s.
Truth is, I’m a tough foot to fit. Wide of forefoot, narrow of heel, no arch to speak of. My feet are skis, they’re pontoons, they’re natural snowshoes.
So when I find shoes that work, I buy ‘em in bulk.
Judging from my closet (and storage locker), I’ve done pretty well at New Balance. I soothe my savage hipster with the aforementioned 574s in a range of colours, and lace up for the gym in sturdy leather cross-​trainers.
These shoes fit, they last, and what they lack in celebrity endorsements, they make up in the fact that I can cutomize my own pair. After all, I am the only celebrity I care about.
Service is generally pretty solid. Staff undergo rigorous training on the merits of different styles. Ask about materials, and they’re up on the latest sneaker-​geek technology. Looking for a proper fit? From gait analyses to pressure tests, they’ve got you covered. The return policy is reasonable as well.
I admit, the shoes can be a bit pricey at full pop, but on sale they’re a solid bargain. They must be, since I keep coming back.

If you’ve got a thing for New Balance footwear, clearly, this is where you need to be. Selection is good; sale prices are reasonable.
I had a perfectly non-​offensive shoe-​buying experience here recently, capped by the gracious staff allowing me to exchange my too-​small new shoes sans receipt and despite having already worn them on a few punishing runs. Much appreciated guys.

I’ve bought a couple things here lately and the service is great. Location is close to St. Clair subway in midtown, yet the store isn’t part of a mall and has a boutique feel. They’ve got a good selection of shoes and exercise accessories for a small store. Good return policy — though I’ve never used it, you can still apparently return shoes for (I think) a couple of weeks even if you’ve worn them outside, as long as they are still saleable.

It was my birthday last week and there were two distinct events that made me feel old. Number one was how I felt when I woke up the day after my birthday (horrible, thanks Mike S!) and number two, was how my feet and knees felt after I walked a paltry 5 km the day of the Trinity Bellwoods coffee crawl (horrible, thanks old joints). I made Kat take me on the subway (which was horrible) to this store where we met the greatest shoe salesman of all time. I am talking greater than Al Bundy great.
Mike D.
From the moment we crashed through the door like over caffeinated elephants to the moment we left with 2 pairs of shoes, Mike D was bringing stuff out, putting stuff back, measuring our feet, telling us about the Ukrainian food his grandma makes and generally showing us a good time. He knew the ins and outs of the shoes, he knew which ones would be best for my ‘casual athletics’ (read: walking to various food destinations) and he went back and forth to the stock room 5 or 6 times for us.
I left with a versatile pair of New Balance shoes, the only brand of athletic shoes I have ever owned, and they didn’t even require a breaking in period.
I think this will be the only place I ever buy running shoes.

Add this to the list of Places Where I Had A Great Time. Shoe shopping… what?! Yes, it’s true. While on the hunt for a great pair of new athletic shoes, New Balance was the first to come to mind, and any ol’ retailer just wouldn’t do. We had to trek to the mecca: an actual New Balance store. There are only two centrally located New Balance stores — this one and Bloor West Village, and both are right on the subway line, but on Saturday I didn’t dare drag Sarah L to the west end location.
After five espressos and a toasted butter bagel, we waltzed into New Balance with our feet in prime shoe-​trying-​on condition (ie: end of day). We were greeted, as expected, by Mike D., our friendly and enthusiastic (but not in an overbearing way) sales associate. He took the time to interrogate us about our shoe needs and woes, measure each foot (important) accurately and encouraged us to try on different sizes. Seriously, give this guy a raise — hardest working/​most patient sales associate ever, especially for putting up with the likes of the espresso crawl aftermath. I’m pretty sure he was terrified by how caffeinated and inquisitive we were being, but hey, we were eager shoppers.
Walked out with new sneakers, a snug running shirt, some breathable socks, and a renewed motivation to hit the damn gym!

So I can be forgetful. Like, I bring my gym bag to the gym, get a locker and start getting dressed only to find I forgot to pack my gym shorts/​pants. Yup. This has happened to me twice in the past 4 months. I have also forgotten socks, my lock and extra undies, but these are easier to deal with than forgetting pants. Both times this has happened, I have returned to my street clothes and headed up the block to New Balance.
Ahhh New Balance, an amnesiac athelete’s savior. Sweet oasis of gym clothes, New Balance. The store itself has a pretty decent selection of sportswear, but it’s the people employed there that garner the 5 stars. It always happens the same way: I walk in, start looking around, and an extremely nice New Balance employee offers to help me find what I need. I tell them, they find it, I pay, and I return to the change room to put it on, and I walk out minutes later ready for my workout, with a new pair of reasonably priced shorts or yoga pants.
If New Balance did not exist in this location, I would be minus a couple of workouts. Or maybe, I would double-​check the contents of my gym bag before leaving my house.

While my footwear may vary greatly in color, it does not in style. 99.8% of the time I wear one of two things: chucks or flip flops.
So when I signed up to go hiking and ziplining on a recent trip to Mexico I was in desperate need of some suitable shoes, so I popped into the New Balance store down the street.
The staff was very, very friendly and helpful. The guy that helped me asked a lot of questions about what I needed and was looking for and then gave me options of shoes to choose from (and didn’t even push the most expensive ones). He measured both of my feet (and told me what I already knew — that one foot is a full half size larger than the other — truly inconvenient), picked out shoes (which fit perfectly), had me try them on and lace them up properly, and walk around the store a few times to check for slippage or toe bumps.
Despite being pretty busy while I was there, everyone got individual attention and I never felt rushed at all. I left with my shiny new shoes that make me feel like I’m walking on clouds (I had long forgotten what «arch support» meant!)