Shopping in North Valley

The staff of ABQ Running Shop draws on more than 50 years of combined experience to fit each patron with shoes suited to their lifestyle, from casual walkers all the way to triathletes. Kicks designed by Asics, Mizuno, and other major brands cradle feet in flexible sheaths, providing traction and cushioning the impact of each stride. Shoppers can also find running apparel engineered to absorb sweat or pure Gatorade from pores, and accessories such as water bottles and high-energy snacks. In addition to explaining each product's features, the shop's specialists will give advice on various running topics, including how to train for a marathon. Patrons can put these tips into action alongside the staff during group training sessions.

PPFA–certified framer Colgate Craig fashions customized frames that spotlight magnificent works of art, photographs, and precious memorabilia. Frames bedeck pieces of all sizes to complement room décor, and conservation-quality protection preserves photos and memorabilia from aging with acid-free materials, UV-blocking glass, and cryogenic time capsules. Shadowboxes display larger, three-dimensional keepsakes securely on walls, and hand-carved frames and glass etchings offer customized touches to special pieces. The shop also displays a variety of local artwork, including ceramics, sculptures, Native American art, and stained glass. For patrons' convenience, the gallery offers delivery, shipping, and installation services, creating an easy way to get art into your home without the hassle of breaking into an art museum.

For more than 30 years, owners David and Shelly Swope have specialized in preserving and showcasing works of art in frames that are masterpieces in their own right. On a design floor packed with more than 5,000 frame samples, clients can border an oil painting in a custom metal frame or trap an action-hero poster behind sturdy glass without fear of violent reprisal. The highly trained design team employs computerized mat cutting for multihole layouts or precisely beveled edges. While waiting on a custom creation, clients can peruse Frame Game's large selection of limited-edition prints, posters, and framed art to accent a mantel or cover up the hole formed by a tae bo mishap.

Hawk’s Tri-Cycle outfits athletes with industry-tested gear for biking, running, and swimming. Road bikes, cyclocross bikes, and mountain bikes beckon from the store’s stables alongside cycling parts and gear. Fittings ensure that pedalers pair up with the ideal cycle, and mechanics at the repair shop do everything from fixing flat tires to performing complete overhauls and removing the training wheels from your penny-farthing. Hawk's Tri-Cycle’s wide selection of running gear and shoes prepares fleet feet for the open road, and the racks of fitness apparel help athletes excel at any sport, from swimming to competitive sweating.

In 1966, Jack Baillio opened his first electronics store, a TV-repair shop. More than 40 years later, he is still CEO of the company, but it has expanded to become a statewide institution. His stores' locations in Santa Fe and Albuquerque offer a vast range of services for appliances of all types. From repairing cell phones, computers, refrigerators, and televisions to supplying furniture such as TV stands and sofas, Baillio's technicians can help with many appliance-related problems. They carry big-name brands such as LG, Samsung, and Frigidaire, and the techs operate on mobile technology such as toaster ovens on wheels and smartphones, for which they can replace screens.

One of the largest purveyors of sunny blooms and potted pokeys in the Albuquerque area, Great Outdoors dresses up local gardens with a colorful variety of flora that adjusts seamlessly to the New Mexico climate. Pile up a wheelbarrow with perennials ($8.15+) or cacti, including the compass cactus and saguaro ($12+), or give character to bland old-timey Western-movie sets with a lone tree ($32.50+). The agave, like a mohair sweater, uses its naturally absorbent qualities to sop up water while staying stylish ($15+).