The 9 Best Stores for Workout Clothes and Gear in the Philadelphia Area

Photo courtesy of Sole Active.

If you work out more than twice a week, chances are you have a sizeable closet or drawer of workout clothes. It’s kind of totally necessary to support your hobby — some people have their craft table, others have an entire drawer devoted to sports bras.

That said, the elastic on your sports gear can only make it through so many wash cycles before you start wondering, “Where can I get some cute workout clothes that will last?”

It’s funny you ask, because we’ve rounded up a list of local spots that create and/or sell workout clothes and gear. Because these spots only sell products — from clothes to shoes and accessories — that are in the fitness realm, you know their stuff is high quality — and you’d better believe it’s cute, too. Read on for the nine best stores for workout clothes and gear in the Philadelphia area.

Adidas

Where: Multiple locations in Cherry Hill and outlet stores in Pottstown and Blackwood.
Go here for: Cool, trendy sneakers.

The Adidas stripes, which grace everything from their matching tracksuits to their shoes, are a total throw back design that is 100-percent back in style. Their classic Samba sneakers are still adored, and their “Boost” technology is the must-have sneaker base of the moment.  Plus, you can score these styles at a discounted rate at their two local outlet stores.

Athleta

Where: Multiple locations in Rittenhouse, Glen Mills, Bryn Mawr, King of Prussia
Go here for: Complimentary in-store hemming.

Athleta is commonly thought of as Lululemon’s more affordable counterpart — a statement that has some merit. Where the two stores differ more so is in Athleta’s wider selection of clothing, which includes everything from work-appropriate sweaters to dresses, which means that you can 100-percent pull off wearing comfortable, athletic-leaning wears outside the gym. Plus, for the petite folks out there, Athleta comes in clutch by offering free hemming on your purchases — which means you no longer have to swim in the bottom of your leggings! Aside from the workout gear, Athleta has a kickin’ calendar featuring a whole slew of fitness (hey, glute camp!) and wellness (skincare pop-ups, yes please!) events. The kicker here is that there are no men’s options available.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Where: Multiple locations in the Northeast, Plymouth Meeting, Willow Grove, Cherry Hill and Deptford Township
Go here for: The price-matching guarantee.

Remember as a kid, you’d head to Dick’s at the start of every new sport season to score some new gear? It was kind of exciting, right? Well now that you’re a grown up and have to pay for all the gear yourself, it’s slightly less exciting — but Dick’s price-match offer certainly helps ease your expenditures. If you find a cheaper option of the same item at Dick’s at Walmart, for example, they’ll match Walmart’s price. This certainly helps with the mark ups on your favorite brands. Plus, they carry a ton of gear here, in addition to clothes. So from sports bras to tennis racquets, Dick’s is your one-stop shop.

Lululemon

Where: Multiple locations in Fishtown, Rittenhouse, Ardmore, Wayne, King of Prussia, Cherry Hill and Marlton
Go here for: The reusable tote bag.

I know it, you know it and even your mom probably knows it — Lululemon reigns over the world of stylish workout gear and athleisure. It’s just a darn fact. That said, the omega-symbol adorned clothes come with a hefty price tag — like, $98 leggings, expensive — which nods to it’s quality, but nevertheless can quickly drain a person’s bank account. Enter the “We Made Too Much” section, an online-only shopping option, which is full the chic pieces you want (both men’s and women’s), but at a discounted price (with no returns or exchanges, of course) because they just want to get rid of it, which proves that you can, metaphorically, have your cake and eat it too. One of Lululemon’s Philly locations — in Fishtown — serves as a community center, hosting tons of workshops and events on a regular basis. Oh, and the reusable tote bag — A.K.A., your new favorite lunch box — is a bonus of shopping here as well.

New Balance

Where: Multiple locations in Rittenhouse, King of Prussia and Mount Laurel
Go here for: For their collaborations.

Covering all of your workout gear needs for everything from running to sports and yoga, New Balance knows what’s up. Leggings hover in the $80 range and offer reflective and cold-weather options. The real good good comes from New Balance’s collaborations: their award winning runner-focused smartwatch they designed with Strava, Android, and Intel, and their stylish collaboration with J.Crew (which is only available online and in J.Crew stores). If you’re shopping online, you might want to check out NB1 Customize feature that allows you to design your own sneakers. The store also offers a weekly running group to keep engaged in the local running community.

Nike

Where: Multiple locations in the Northeast and Pottstown
Go here for: The factory store deals. 

All of Nike’s locations in the Philly-area are factory stores — which are kind of like outlet stores — that will save some of your hard-earned dough on your purchases. Since many of us are brand-loyal when it comes to our running shoes at least, here you’ll find your tried-but-true Nike sneakers at a slightly better price.

Philadelphia Runner

Where: Multiple locations in Rittenhouse, University City, Manayunk and Glen Mills
Go here for: The running community.

Here you can score literally any piece of running gear — from clothes to shoes to Gu — with the benefit of purchasing from a local company. But one of the biggest perks Philadelphia Runner stores provide is the sense of community. The stores are a hub for local runners, and they host weekly and monthly group runs and running groups (for free!) in addition to pop-up events like free sports bra fittings (yes, really!). They also have a blog covering all of your running-in-Philly questions and needs.

Sole Active

Where: 107 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield
Go here for: For the graphic tees.

The stylish activewear boutique popped up on the scene last year and has been slaying the cute, millennial-friendly workout gear game ever since. The wears here are pretty trendy (like the graphic tank that says “Kale”) as well as quirky (like the leggings with a cow skull on the thigh). The store’s owner has experience designing activewear at both Urban Outfitters and Under Armour so, needless to say, they know how to curate cute, functional, and stylish workout clothes. This store also sells natural body products like soaps, deodorants, and lotions to keep you smelling nice after a sweat session.

Under Armour

Where: 1529 Walnut Street, Rittenhouse
Go here for: To look like a pro athlete (even if you aren’t).

While Athleta and Lululemon are well-known brands in the fitness community, we see the pros in Under Armour all the time. Thanks to their sponsorships, college and professional athletes are often decked out head to toe in the reflective interlocked “UA.” Here, pricing runs a wider range — $45 to $130 for leggings — due to the variety of technology (cold weather, warm weather, sun protection, etc.) used to enhance each item.

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