Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods

I'm conflicted about "buying local"--I love the idea of putting money back into the community, but our student budget usually doesn't go very far in mom & pop specialty stores.  That's why I was so happy to find Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods.  I bought a pair of running shoes there, and we found out that anytime you buy shoes, all apparel (they have all brands of shoes; most of their apparel is Asics) is 50% off, so we bought some pants and shorts for my husband.  

The store is right across the Elmwood bridge from the U of R River Campus.  When I walked in I was surprised--it's twice as tall as it is wide, and it looked a little disorganized.  The real benefit of the store, though, is the salespeople.  They don't hover, but they're incredibly efficient and they know everything about running.  Basically, they sell all of their shoes for 15% off the ticket price. 

So--if you are already planning to spend the money on some nice running shoes, you should consider Jim Dalberth's.  You'll end up with good shoes as well as a good feeling about buying locally.