For as long as I can remember I’ve seen Tylerites of all ages wearing around the popular Racquet and Jog T-shirts. I have often marveled at their popularity, even seeing them as far away as Dallas. In spite of this effective advertising campaign, I had never actually entered Tyler Racquet and Jog. Well, that all changed today, and I have to admit to being even more impressed by the store’s ad strategy than I was prior to my visit.

The store is nice enough in appearance and very well stocked. They carry a lot of swim wear and running shoes, cleats and ball caps. Actually, they have fairly good selection of footwear in general. Customers can also find various brands of tennis balls, soccer balls, and softballs. And then there are those famous T-shirts, available in every imaginable style and color. And for the customer looking for these fashionable Tees, remember there’s only one store in Tyler where they can be found.

Overall however, I found the store to be essentially just a clothing store. If that sounds critical it’s because I expected more. I was looking for more equipment and better prices. What I found instead seemed more like a sporty, more expensive GAP, complete with high school students working summer jobs. Having said that, R & J is not a bad store, it’s just a bit too trendy for my taste and didn’t really live up to the hype. They carry very nice merchandise, but if you shop there, be prepared to pay a bit more for it. On a scale of one to five I’d give it a three. But don’t simply take my word for it. Stop in for a visit and judge for yourself. Racquet and Jog is located at 4007 South Broadway in Tyler.