I am not a frequent REI customer, I buy sneakers there
only every few years or so. Am not a backpacker/canoe user/
mountain climber ad nausaum, I am self employed in a shop and work a lot of hours there on my feet. I am not an outdoorsy type at all
.... But I like really good solid high top sneakers.
I would give this place only 3 stars - as I nearly left as I could
not get the help I needed at first.
I wanted a pair of high KEEN sneakers,
exactly like the ones I bought 2 years ago at a return sale at
a REI in Colorado.
I instead had to wait - as no one was paroling the department that was free to help me. Their was a woman waiting on someone else, but no one else for
about 10 minutes. I tried on 2 pairs boots on sale, but that is not what I came
in for - they were too heavy, for one thing- though the mark down prices
were very good.
Finally a young man noticed me and I told him what I wanted. He offered me hiking sneakers/boots that were on display. Nice sneakers, comfortable, but not what I needed to wear - - - and he did not
seem to understand I wanted KEENS high tops just like what I had worn in. Then he left for lunch, as he thought he had done his job.
(He had not.) I was thinking well, I guess they dont have sneakers like what I wore in - they were not in stock - - and I nearly left.
But the second person, a lady my age, smart and friendly,
when she could get away from the other person she was waiting on,
got me exactly what I wanted in 5 minutes, and I bought them in
six minutes. They were an exact twin to the ones I worn in, which is
what I wanted in the first place.
I was freaking overjoyed to get exactly what I wanted in the first place.
I came in mid week thinking it would be quieter, but it was somewhat
hard to get someone to help you.
There were workers around REI, but they did not come up and talk to you,like you would expect in an expensive place like this.
Well, I guess that is the ''vibe'' they expect you to know what you
want beforehand. But since I am cheap I buy shoes rarely,
and I wanted something very specific; twins to the sneakers I wore in.
The sneakers I ended up buying were in the back, they
had just come in and were not on the floor yet.
And the first guy did not seem to know about them.
This REI would be smart to have a staff member who knows shoes
hovering around this department, as the sneakers cost around $140 dollars to $250 dollars. I nearly
left without buying anything, as I was running out of time.
I was dressed in grungy clothing, perhaps they thought I did not have
any money. It was the ''wrong kind'' of grungy clothing, not the
"I spend my life outside'' kind of grungy, but the 'I am cheap as
hell ragged jeans and t-shirt'' kind of grungy - not the
cool hip half worn out expensive REI clothing grungy.
And my Keen sneakers were split across the top - they looked
like hell (but very, very comfortable and supportive!)
I did leave very happy -
I will come back to buy shoes/sneakers/ boots here again, as I do
like the selection, and in the end I was happy with the service I got.
Though it took a while to be noticed - keep that in mind when you go -
dont be in a hurry.
People who buy stuff online are being short
sighted. It is really nice to touch and try on shoes before you buy them,
and talk to a human being about what you want.
And what is the fun of just pushing buttons on your computer, and getting a box in the mail?
So - come mid week, be prepared to have to find someone to wait on you; and be prepared to have to explain carefully what you want.
I recommend KEEN high top sneakers - now that I have my pair, I will let the secret out about how good and durable they are.
Am keeping the old half ruined, split ones to wear when I have to haggle to buy stock for my business, they make me look like I have no money. read more
