It seemed like everywhere you looked in the Hamptons, somebody was wearing a pair of ON or Hoka shoes. They had taken over and were clearly superior running and walking shoes in many people’s opinions, and everybody would rave about them. But where could you get them? The answer to that question was not the internet but Gubbins with East Hampton and Southampton stores.
Whenever I get the urge to buy a pair of shoes, I remind myself to go there and not shop online or in Riverhead. Gubbins has nothing but the best quality, and everything is new and sourced by the owners themselves—the Gubbins family—who have been in business in the Hamptons for decades. They don’t put premium pricing on everything; it’s not a store for only the rich; it’s a store for literally anybody who needs a nice set of shoes work out gear, or if you have kids in sports, this is the spot for them too for sports equipment.
The difference between this store and others is the deep knowledge you get from Barbara Gubbins, a highly accomplished runner in her own right who has raised children who are also top athletes. She knows the value of shoes, the nuances of what makes a shoe help your performance and prevent injury for each body type, and she can guide you in your purchase just by sensing the type of athlete you are. Even if you’re just looking for a good pair of walking shoes, Barabara is who you want to know in the Hamptons.
Recently, in East Hampton, the store was flooded badly because of a water main break that affected not just Gubbins but multiple businesses in the area. “We have insurance, but it was still very shocking. I’m still shaken up by it,” Barbara told me in the Southampton store as she picked out some workout clothes for me. “We’ll be alright.”
If that doesn’t speak to the type of people that own this business, I don’t know what will.
Simply put, if you’re an athlete in the Hamptons or your kids are athletes, just go to this store and get what they recommend; you won’t regret it.
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