Well, I haven't wanted to get to point of writing this negative review about Sole Classics but it's long overdue after trying to resolve on online purchase situation with them. I want to inform all prospective customer both in person and online of risks of buying anything from Sole Classics. My review is based on my unfortunate experience and my efforts to collaboratively get customer service help from them but it takes two to collaborate and only one not achieve this. My son bought a pair of shoes online on July 4th, 2025. He did have a mobile payment issue so he called in for help, the person was nice and directed him to desktop website. He was excited to get his shoes via FedEx which he did on July 11, 2025. So all is good so far, here's where the problem begins. My son tried on his Saucony shoes 10-1/2 and within 5 minutes they were painfully rubbing his left heal. He has been a 10-1/2 solid for about 5 years. Never has had an issue with any brand from nike Jordans, Fila, NB, Saucony to name a few. So to have this problem is unfortunate, I said wear inside to not get them dirty, give it a day or two. He wore them more same day and the next and still causing pain..so I said return them you just got them. He said he can't return for refund, only a return for exchange /store credit. I was like huh that's not the norm, usually it's 72 hours from receipt for an online purchase, he says they have all sales finals and the document in FedEx box says 14 day exchange policy starts from date of purchase. I was like nah, that's not right. Sure enough, the document in shipping box says it, I called store in Columbus to inquire, got a nice guy who said oh sorry about that, I don't know why it says that don't worry, we have you listed as start date of July 7th, 2025 not July 4th. I said shouldn't;t it be where he got from Fedex which would be July 11th? he said a manager would know but one not available. I called on Sunday 2 days later, got the same nice person who helped him with mobile payment website issue, Adama who happens to also be store manager, he said sorry about that 14 day timeframe starts when you receive it which in our system shows as July 11th date FedEx delivered it. I thanked her for help and time. I was told return process start could be done online, I went online next day and website said time has expired his purchases not eligible for return. ‍. I called Monday July 21st got last. mgr Brian, he was nice and empathetic and said to write an email which he would forward to owner to make a decision about full product refund. I said website doesn't state transparently all sales final. They have it well hidden to click on very small font at bottom of page. Nothing open about this company with all sales final policy or its; 14 exchange policy. It serves interest of business and hurts customers thinking time has elapsed to return/exchange shoes. Luckily I'm consumer savvy but imagine if I went by their correspondence and one employee saying July 7th..?? I asked for full refund and started process with Brian said he talks with owner daily and its' been 3-1/2 weeks and they haven't granted full refund. Wait Brtian said after 2-1/2 weeks waiting I could ship back the shoes and if they find a defect a refund would be given..lol I write back I don't trust Soel Classics and asked what is the criteria to deem them defective..no intel or response further insight to that criteria. I emailed Brian sorry not going to blindly send them to Sole Classics cause once they have shoes they can say and do what they want now I'm stuck. Ive asked several times and warned I would go this route and AG complaint route, I don't want too, look at my reviews, they almost all 5 star reviews. ok gonna run out of space t write..bottom line their return refund policy not openly listed all sales final this is by design so ur stuck with shoes. 14 day policy deceptively listed on shipping docs as starting date of purchase but verbally you may be told various other dates only if you're wise enough to inquire. Imagine if you go by their document with shoes delivered?? all of this favors the business and hurts consumers. I had to write so you don't buy from them because you too may easily be stuck with shoes and trying to resolve with them yeah not gonna happen probably, it hasn't for me. I contacted AG Ohio office to appraise them of above intel. If they had just said hey well allow refund for shoes I woudn'ty have written but I do not agree with any business acting in deceptive business practice for all prospective customers. I noticed many other online customer issues with Sole Classics upon starting this process. If only my son researched before hand, he has learned valuable lesson don't but from Sole Classics and this has bene a very hurtful negative experience for him as a young consumer. It should could have bene a very positive one even though shoes didn't fit as all other shoes have. A real bummer, places needtobeethical read more

Sole Classics - Document showing Sole Classics policy as mentioned in my review. - The image shows handwritten notes on a receipt, discussing store policies such as the 14-day return window, purchase timing, and ownership. It emphasizes that the store benefits business and hurts customers if shoes are sold outside the official process. The notes also mention shipping routes, phone communication, and ethical business practices, with specific references to Sole Classics in Columbus, OH. - Shoe Stores Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Amazing street ware store! Beautiful shop, great selection of brands, super friendly employees! Stop through!

Love this place. Such a cool shop. They have an awesome selection of shoes, and a good selection of street wear clothing if that's your thing. They sell Vans Vault, an exclusive line of vans only sold in 24 stores in the country, and I believe they're the only Midwest retailer. The selection is great. The store design is clean, modern, and very cool. And the staff is great. One of my favorite places to find sneakers in Columbus. Definitely check it out. read more

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Usually the customer service is superb not sure what has been going on the last few times I went in everyone just stares at you and no one speaks or offers help. I get that work can sometimes be overwhelming but kindness is the key. The selection and value of product was nice,but the customer service was horrible which made me not want to buy anything. I was even looked over and a couple that came in behind me got help before me and at that point I just left. When the owner is in store he is attentive with customers and very down to earth. read more

I absolutely love shoes especially jordan's and i've finally found a store with affordable jordans. Everyone is so cool and super friendly, please come here for your next pair! read more

Do NOT order from soleclassics.com I totally should have checked out their reviews on here prior to ordering a pair of shoes online. I order a pair of white leather Vans authentics but unfortunately I was sent the white leather Vans Era shoes instead. The invoice, the product description ID and shoes did not match the shoes that were sent. I also emailed multiple times for the company to fix my order within the same day that I received it in the mail but like others, I did not receive any response. It's unfortunate that this store has such bad online customer service or lack of customer service at all. I'll definitely be providing the BBB with my issues and photos of the experience that I've had with this store. read more

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An awesome little show store that has a vibey, urban feel to it. Trendy, stylish staff definitely knowledgable on the product. Follow them on IG for exclusive shoe drops... definitely the best spot in the city for Van's and other exclusives. read more

Ordered shoes online through their website and they still haven't sent me the shoes. It's been almost 2 weeks now, no tracking number, nothing. I emailed them, but it's been several days and I haven't heard back. Please learn from my mistake and avoid ordering shoes online from this store. No bueno, waste of my hard earned money. read more

Recently went in after stumbling upon this store in the short north. Really liked the selection that they had for shoes and was able to walk out with a pair I liked. This store is for you if you are looking for the more unique shoe options than what a footlocker might have. read more

Sole Classics is a fun, youthful boutique in the middle of a neighborhood that often takes itself too seriously (Dr. Mojoe, I'm looking at you!). The design and layout of this smallish Short North shoes-and-threads storefront is colorfully animated and modeled after what may have been the designers best recollection of a child's dreams of fuzzy, friendly monsters that hide in the closet by day. I took plenty of pictures to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about- it sounds weird on paper but it lends a very unique charm to what could have been just another plain and whitewashed shopping space. The goods here have a funky, urban feel to them, with a heavy focus being on the bold style of retro Nike sneakers. Air Force Ones and Dunks in a rainbow of colors adorn the bunk-bed styled fixtures along the walls and are complimented by a wide selection of fitted New Era hats that showcase a revolving selection of designers du jour. The shoe prices here are competitive with most of the other shoe boutiques in town, with many pairs for sale in the 60-70 dollar range. A lot of the slip-on style vans they had for sale were well out of what I consider to be a reasonable price for such a simple canvas shoe, but I began to notice that many of them were limited designer editions that were worth the extra cash. Whether or not I'd spend $80 on them is another question, but Sole Classics would be my first stop if that was my plan. read more

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They have a decent release roster of shoes and they're fair with doing FCFS when they announce it. Drawings are a bit tough, but they're drawings for a reason no major problems. Employees are friendly and helpful in store! read more

If you like vans, this is spot to go. As far as other brands, neh.... Got air max 98 for retail which is good but as far as selection goes, it's not up to par. read more

Great store the people are amazing there very helpfull and the shoe selection is amazing they have clothes as well

***STAY AWAY***STAY AWAY***STAY AWAY*** What a horrible excuse for a business. Sent me the wrong shoes, made me return them on my own dime, and refused to give me a refund. Instead - handing me a store credit - which felt useless, because their pitiful selection of product made it extremely difficult to find something to waste my money on. When I finally (reluctantly) found something to purchase, they would not ship it to me AND refused to refund my store credit. What a joke! My only resolution was to file a charge back - which is not the path I envisioned when I first came across this online retailer. **This store is giving brands like Nike/Adidias and the city of Columbus a BAD NAME** read more

I wasn't too impressed with Sole Classics. Now, this might be a bit unfair of me, because when it comes to specialty shoe shops, I'm going to compare you to the shops I've visited in NYC, but if you're going to attack the limited edition sneaker market, then I propose that you should be prepared for that comparison. So, compared to other rare kicks stores, Sole Classics fails to deliver. I came looking for some Airwalk Protoype Reissues. They'd never even heard of them. I feel like they should have Nike somewhere in the name because that's pretty much all they carry. There were a few Vans models, but nothing too interesting, and I didn't see anything that wasn't Nike that I couldn't get online for cheaper. Boo. read more

I probably would have wet my pants over a shop like Sole Classics seven or eight years ago. The existence of so many unique pairs of sneakers in one place would have been too much for me. Maybe I'm being overdramatic. I wouldn't have wet my pants, but I would have emptied my bank account. All those darn Vans alone are enough to get me going. They have them in the coolest patterns imaginable. Add to that some killer New Balances and Nikes, and you've got a antidote to Foot Locker syndrome. Every shoe in this place looks like it could have come off the foot of someone ten times cooler than you. What I like most about this shop is that its urban feel doesn't exactly fit with the Short North vibe. Still, it's effortlessly cool and therefore fits in perfectly. Go figure. After I walked out of the shop, I found myself missing the late, great Avalon Shoe Salon terribly. In a weird way, Sole Classics reminds me of that long-lost Columbus treasure. read more

Only place in town that you can get Nudie denim, a collection of true streetwear, and you aren't "cool-kidded" (this means looked up and down to see if you're cool enough to shop there). Great staff who enjoy more than just sneakers and oversized shirts, they actually listen to real music!! If you are looking to get fresh fast, this is a great place to match your shoes with a fitted cap. Great prices as well. read more

I just wasn't that impressed. It wasn't anything that they did, but I've just got to think that there are better places out there (I just can't think of any off the top of my head). It wasn't bad either. It really was just middle of the road for me. I agree with one of the other reviewers that there should be Nike in the name of the store because they were really heavy on the Nikes. A few Vans scattered in my nothing else that stood out to me. Prices were decent with a sale of buy 2 pairs get 1 free going on. Staff was pretty distant and never moved from behind the desk and never speaking to us except to tell us about the sale. But sometimes that can be good if you're not really seeing anything that strikes your fancy. read more

Nice boutique with a good selection of shoes. Only bad thing about this place is the downtown parking. Other than that this place is a1. Highly recommend read more

Having been spoiled by Bodega and Karmaloop in Boston, coming back to Columbus and trying to buy sneakers was difficult. I stumbled across Sole Classics on Yelp and immediately went to the store to check the place out. I have to disagree with some of the other reviews. This place is not a Tier Zero (the highest Nike account) shop but thats ok since it is Ohio we are talking about and not some place like New York. I didnt think the selection was that great but they did have some very rare and cool shoes in the mix. Im not into the hats and apparel but I was really excited that they had the Puma Ape King and Clae shoe line. However sizes were a huge issue when I went since they dont carry a huge quantity of everything. And for some weird reason, all the display shoes are like a size 8 so all the shoes look like girl shoes. So review: Did I think it was all that? Close but not quite Should you check it out before you head to finish line? Hells Yea read more

If you're into sneakers, this is the only reputable shop in town. The have a top tier Nike account and have lines every time an anticipated shoe drops. The thing is, I am not into sneakers. I too was fooled by the Nike's in the window for a long time, but they also have the best selection of P.F. Flyer's, Van's, etc. They had Creative Recreation before anyone had heard of it, and dropped it when it became over-saturated. They have one of the best selections of street wear in the city. read more

My experience with Sole Classics was truly the most frustrating and unpleasant online shopping experience I've ever had. I found a custom Vans boot online that Sole Classics was selling. First I emailed the store to find out how to purchase their product as it was a bit confusing. The communication was a bit disjointed so I called the store to be clear on the order. The person that answered was somewhat distracted but communicated that they did have the item and that I should follow through with the order online. I asked very specifically if the item was returnable for refund if it did not fit properly, (as I specifically wanted that particular Vans Vault Boot and no other product) and he clearly stated I could return for refund. You probably see where this is going already:/ Well, the boots were super cool "but" they were very tight across the instep. I even tried changing out the insoles with other ones I had that were thinner but I realized that they simply were too tight. When I emailed Sole Classics for return authorization, they initially did not respond. When they did they stated that I was wrong and that their employees are trained well and would never have told me that. I even gave them the exact date & time of the phone call to identify the employee I had talked with and they simply reiterated their, "sorry but you're wrong" statement. Ultimately, after my communicating the experience with my credit card company they looked into it and said this had been an issue with other Sole Classics buyers in the past and they refunded my cost. I actually still have the (19) email thread to prove this unbelievably poor customer service exchange. As an online merchant myself, I recognize the need to offer great customer service. Sadly, Sole Classics fails miserably at this. If you're looking for Vans Vault products, look elsewhere. read more

Cool place with large variety of streetwear

Sweet shoes, have good deals if you go on the right day. Iv heard of buy one get one free before. Which is just an awesome deal.

Fun, one-of-a-kind shoe boutique. Alternative/skater/hip-hop appeal. Great stuff. Also has some clothing and accessories on sale as well.

This place is really cool. I love that they sell sea gull bags. It is for sure the most unique shoe stores in Columbus. The clothes are fun too. But what is up with only carrying a few girls shoe's? Well.... I asked the manager this and he said that girls aren't really shopping there. hmmm... maybe thats because they barely have anything there for girls. Just a thought. read more

Terrible customer service, lame products, and no hype whatsoever. Its sad that Columbus doesn't have more sneaker boutiques because this one is absolutely garbage. They are a wannabe BAIT, Packer Shoes, Haven, etc. You'd be better off going to your local Journey's because they pretty much offer the same selection and at least they have nice/helpful employees and allow returns on products. Avoid this place AT ALL COSTS. Spend your money online (since there are no other sneaker boutiques in Cbus) or elsewhere. Trust me on this, you'll be doing yourself a HUGE favor.. read more

Been here more than once and they have some pretty nice exclusives..especially if you follow them thru Instagram and there website you know what's about to drop. It gives you a chance to be on top of your sneaker game. But if you just wanna go randomly and shop, you may get lucky you may not. But it is a one of kind shop in Columbus, OH. Mos Def is a must stop for sneaker heads and visitors. Cool hip guys that run this place. I support local business! read more

As a budding sneakerhead (self-proclaimed) , Sole Classics provides an incredible array of styles & limited shoes that will leave most in awe. Even the casual sneaker collector will love this place. The decor is eccentric, shoes are really well presented, and the staff is really helpful, friendly & accommodating. The only knock I have on this place is that as a twitter/sneaker geek, I found I can probably find a couple of models they sold well below the price SC sells them for online. Other than that. great shoe buying experience. I'll be back. read more

Exclusives! if your a shoe or hat head well worth the time to stop by and just check them out

The best shoe boutique in Columbus, OH. Nice selection of brands and has some releases you are not likely to see in a Footaction or Finish Line. The in house brand Kingsrowe is also something to look for. read more

***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*** Sole classics/Prime is an awesome local retailer in the short north! The guys that run the place are great! Extremely helpful & friendly. They always have great deals on shoes & apparel. They have done 4 collaborations with vans already. It takes a great store to be able to have the chance to even do that. This store is definitely a 1 of 1, for now. It would be nice to see them expand & i'm sure they will if they keep up the great deals & solid customer service. Not to mention the place is decorated to perfection! Do yourself a favor... go in, check out what they have, and experience the place for yourself. If you live in the short north or ever are in the area don't just walk by. Go in for your 1st time & I promise you'll return! They have shoes of all types & a website you can order from as well. So even if you aren't in the short north area you can still see what these guys have cooking up on their website. I love going there!! And I'm sure you will too! read more

this is by far one of the best urban clothes stores in Columbus. got a few things from there and will keep coming back

Poor customer service, no parking, very little merchandise to choose from and high prices - don't waste your time or money.