Rundefeated

A Runner’s Hidden Gem in Japan: How I Stumbled into Sport Mitsuhashi and Found Shoe Heaven

As a runner, it’s practically a reflex to scan for potential running routes and sneaker shops whenever I travel. Temples? Cool. Local food? Love it. But show me a sports equipment store, and I’m suddenly Usain Bolt sprinting toward it. That’s exactly how I accidentally discovered one of Japan’s most underrated sports shops: Sport Mitsuhashi.

I was wandering through Gion, Kyoto — you know, that charming part of town where you’re supposed to be appreciating ancient shrines and maybe spotting a geisha. But my inner shoe geek was on high alert. And then, like a beacon of hope between souvenir shops and tea houses, I spotted a modest store with a sneaker logo on the sign. Cue dramatic entrance music.

Sport Mitsuhashi isn’t the kind of place you’ll find on the typical “Top 10 Shoe Stores in Japan” articles. Most tourists get directed to massive department stores or trendy fashion sneaker boutiques. Sure, those places have walls of Jordans and Yeezys, but what about real running shoes? The ones built to rack up sweaty kilometers, not just to match your jeans? That’s where this little shop quietly wins.

Inside, it felt like a runner’s version of a candy store. Walls of proper performance shoes, racks of actual sports apparel (not just athleisure), and staff who knew what they were talking about. No overpriced hoodies with random English words, no neon sneakers meant for clubbing — just honest-to-goodness running gear.

Then I saw them. Adidas Adizero Boston. One of my all-time favorite running shoes, sitting there like it was waiting for me. I gingerly flipped the price tag, ready to sigh dramatically… and then did a double take. It was literally half the price of what I’d pay back home in Indonesia. I checked for a hidden camera. Was this a prank? A limited-time glitch in the matrix?

Nope. All legit. The store had other solid deals too — Mizuno, Asics, even Nike racing shoes at prices that made me want to FaceTime my running group back home just to flex. Suddenly, my “I’m traveling light” promise was in serious jeopardy.

What made it even better was the vibe. The staff weren’t pushy; they didn’t hover around me like I was about to shoplift a singlet. One of them simply walked over, smiled, and told me in near-perfect English, “Good choice. Very fast shoe.” I almost bought a second pair just because of that.

It struck me then how underrated this store is. It’s not some massive chain clogging up Tokyo’s shopping districts. They only have seven outlets across Japan — and yet, here they were, quietly offering better deals and a more authentic running shop experience than the flashy places everyone talks about.

Since that day, Sport Mitsuhashi has become my go-to recommendation for runners heading to Japan. Forget the department stores with their lifestyle sneakers and designer athleisure. If you want real running shoes at shockingly good prices, this is your spot.

I get it — it’s not Instagrammable. There’s no neon sign, no sneaker wall with dramatic lighting. But what it lacks in hype, it makes up for in substance. It’s the kind of place where you leave with shoes you’ll actually run in, not just look at.

So if you ever find yourself in Kyoto (or near one of their other branches), do yourself a favor: hunt down a Sport Mitsuhashi. Even if you don’t need new shoes, you’ll probably leave with a pair anyway. It’s practically a rite of passage for running geeks like us.

And yes — I regret not buying a second pair. Don’t make my mistake.