As someone who buys running shoes more frequently than is sane, I shrugged at the news.
Despite their reputation, I found Queensway and Peninsula Plaza to be horrible places to shop for shoes. They may have the variety and the latest, but the prices suck.
For me, the best place in Singapore to shop for running shoes is actually IMM, near the Jurong East MRT station.
A close second is Changi City Point (behind Singapore Expo) on the other side of the island.
I love the outlet stores.
Even if you don't drive, it's now much easier to get to IMM from the MRT station by walking through Westgate Mall and using the bridges linking Westgate to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital to Devan Nair Institute to IMM.
Here's how to find most of the popular brands at IMM:
NIKE
I make my pilgrimage to the Nike Factory Store practically every week because the stock moves so fast, I can almost always find new stuff there. (However, I do feel that the similar Nike outlet at Changi City Point is slightly better.)
Look for great deals under $100.
ADIDAS
The Adidas Outlet at IMM is much bigger than the ones at Changi and Velocity@Novena, but the selection of running shoes can still be quite limited. For example, I have yet to see the Ultra Boost at any of the outlets. (UPDATE: In 2018, the Ultra Boost and its variants were discounted for the first time.)
NEW BALANCE
The IMM New Balance Outlet is similar to the Changi one.
PUMA
The IMM Puma Outlet is similar to the Changi one.
SKECHERS
The brand may be popular with housewives, but Skechers have been making some pretty legit running shoes in recent years.
The IMM Skechers Outlet is bigger than the Changi one.
ASICS
June 2017 update: An Asics outlet store has opened here that's bigger than the Changi one.
You can also find a small selection of Asics shoes at Outlet 360.
UNDER ARMOUR
July 2017 update: An Under Armour outlet opened here and I think it's the only one in Singapore.
SAUCONY, REEBOK, MERRELL
You can find these shoes at Royal Sporting House Outlet. (UPDATE: It shut down in June 2019.)
MIZUNO, SALOMON, HOKA ONE ONE
The World Of Sport Outlet has a respectable selection of discounted Mizuno and Salomon shoes.
The Hoka brand was just introduced to the Singapore market last year. So the range of Hoka shoes at the IMM World Of Sport Outlet is still very small but can only grow. (UPDATE: World of Sport stopped distributing Hoka and Salomon in 2019. You can find those two brands at Running Lab in nearby Westgate.)
BROOKS, NEWTON, INOV-8, ALTRA
Sadly, you can't find any Brooks shoes in IMM or even nearby Westgate/JEM malls, but Jurong Point has a Sportslink store with discounted Brooks shoes.
As for Newton and Inov-8, Key Power Sports carries those brands but doesn't have a store in the area.
I got my Altra shoes at Queensway Shopping Centre.
Remember my motto: Never pay full price!
THE NORTH FACE UPDATE:
