Shop for all the sports goods you need at one store
With the weather always warm and the sun always shining, summer is a popular time for all kinds of outdoor sports, such as football, volleyball, basketball, and tennis, as well as cycling and running. When I was still at school, I was a big sports fan. I used to play hockey for the youth league of Sokil team and studied martial arts, but my favorite sport was always football, so I played it for the youth leagues of Start and even for Dynamo 3.
I don’t play for professional sports teams anymore, but I still try to stay in good shape, and from time to time meet with friends to play football, in a gym in the winter, or at an open-air stadium when it’s warm. Cleats are the most important part of your outfit when playing football on the grass. I really loved my old ones, but recently I discovered they were torn – apparently it happened during the last game. I urgently needed a new pair for the up-coming game, so I had no choice but to search Kyiv’s sporting goods stores and see what I could find.
I started my search through Kyiv’s sporting goods stores from Kreschatyk, and the first sports shop I found was Diadora. The shop is situated on the second floor of the building and consists of two small rooms. Its design is simple and cozy. The assortment of goods included all of the most basic sports equipment, like basketballs and soccer balls (Hr 119 to Hr 164), T-shirts, shorts, knee pads, etc. I was impressed by the store’s selection of different cups and medals (From Hr 40) that could be used for amateur sports contests and championships. I also found cleats (Hr 229 to Hr 1,300), but their assortment was minimal, and I didn’t manage to find the right pair.
My next stop was TSUM’s sporting goods department, which is located on the shopping center’s third floor. I wasn’t impressed by the assortment of goods I found there: a few balls (Hr 52 to Hr 167), a few tennis rackets, and just a few other items. And as for cleats – they didn’t even sell any.
When I reached the Adidas-Ukraine sporting goods store, which is located right above the entrance to the Khreschatyk metro station, it took me some time to find the entrance. As it turned out, it’s hidden on the left of the metro entrance. The store is one big, stylishly-designed room, with a fancy sound system that plays upbeat music. I found a stand with soccer balls (Hr 76 to Hr 263) and basketballs to the right of the entrance. Though I didn’t found any cleats, the store offers a wide assortment of sportswear and sneakers. I concluded that the Adidas-Ukraine store is better suited to people who just like wearing sporty clothing than to those who are actually looking for professional sports equipment.
I still hadn’t found the perfect cleats, so I decided to check out Sportsmaster, which is a sporting goods chain with several locations, well known for its impressive selection. The chain has four department stores and two others selling Columbia-brand sports items. Upon entering Sportsmaster, I knew I found the right place. The assortment of sports goods included everything an athlete could need. There was a great selection of sports clothes, backpacks, soccer balls and basketballs, fitness simulators, roller blades and even games like table hockey (Hr 448 to Hr 560) and darts (Hr 300 to Hr 450), as well as much more.
There was also a footwear section with shoes sorted by their purpose: running, training, tennis, etc., in addition to everyday sneakers and other shoes. It only took me a few minutes to find the perfect pair of cleats to wear to the next game.
Sportmaster (28A Lesi Ukrayinky, 569-5050; 3 Ploshcha Peremohy, 3rd floor, 496-1555; Globus shopping center, 590-1859; 14A Prospect Bazhana, 585-5999). www.sportmaster.ua
