Fitness Sports – Running & Walking Shoe Store

Fitness Sports - Running & Walking Shoe Store is a Sporting Goods Store in Ankeny, IA, located at 604 SW 3rd St. It specializes in personalized running and walking shoe fittings, offering foot and arch scans, slow-motion gait analysis, and a wide selection of brands including Brooks, Hoka, ASICS, Saucony, New Balance, Nike, On, and 361 Degrees. The store serves runners and walkers across Iowa, operating as part of a family-owned network with seven locations in Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. It holds a perfect 5.00 rating based on customer reviews.

The business began in 1984 when Steve and Nancy Bobenhouse opened a single storefront in Clive, Iowa. Over four decades, it grew into one of the Midwest's largest running and walking shoe retailers while remaining a family business. Jordan and Lindsey Andrews later opened Heartland Soles in Johnston and Coralville, bringing the same fit-first approach to those communities before the Andrews family acquired the original Clive store and unified the locations under the Fitness Sports name. The company operates seven stores across Iowa, including locations in Ames, Ankeny, Clive, Coralville, Des Moines, Marion, and North Liberty.

Every fitting is free and includes one-on-one attention, foot and arch scans, and slow-motion video analysis of the customer’s run. Staff help customers determine their correct size and width, which ranges from 2A (narrow) through B and D (medium) to 2E and 4E (wide and extra wide). The store emphasizes that a fitting is only finished when the customer is happy on the road, backing this with a promise to make things right if the fitted shoe is not suitable. Customers can order online for pickup at any of the seven Iowa stores, where every online shoe is also available on the shelf. The store also offers a price match guarantee and hosts weekly group runs and race day tents to foster a running community.

Customers have given the business a positive rating, reflecting the satisfaction with the personalized fittings and the staff’s approach. The store is recognized by KAYAK as Iowa's Top Shoe Store, a distinction attributed to the fitters who assist customers daily. The emphasis on listening rather than selling, and the ability to try multiple pairs until the right fit is found, has earned the business a reputation for making the fitting process effective and stress-free.

Fitness Sports - Running & Walking Shoe Store combines decades of family-owned expertise with specialized fitting technology to help Ankeny runners find the right footwear for their needs.

Located on SW 3rd St in Ankeny, IA, the store sits about 0.1 mile from the Ankeny Market & Pavillion and is near the Ankeny Fire Department and Wagner Park.

BizScoreAI awards the business a Discoverability score of 100 out of 100, ensuring AI crawlers can find every page of the website so assistants can recommend the store. The Content score of 90 out of 100 reflects substantial and relevant website content that search engines reward with better visibility.