Secret sale alert: REI shoe department

Keen: If there is a hotter footwear company in the country, we'd like to know about it.

First, there were the water shoes and sandals—whatever they were, they were a nice alternative to Tevas and Chacos. Now, Keen has a whole range of shoes, from faux bowlers to clogs to boots. The unifying motif? That big rubber bumper across the toe.

Something like Earth Shoes (which are back, by the way), Keens all carry that pedigree. And there is no other brand that has simultaneously captured every demographic from 40-year-old men to 10-year-old girls with plenty of moms thrown into the bargain.

Another selling point: Keens are relatively affordable—most pairs are well under $100. If you get on out to REI beginning this Friday, you're sure to find their stock of Keens deeply discounted, along with other prestige brands that are synonymous with trail mix and 12-rod portages, such as Merrell, Sorel, Dansk, and Born. (Steer clear of the North Face though. Much as we love this brand, their shoes and boots are predominantly made in China. Something about their name and its associations with Tibet gives us pause, when it comes to footwear.)


REI: http://www.rei.com
Bloomington
750 W American Blvd
Bloomington, MN 55420
(952) 884-4315

Roseville
1955 County Rd B2 W
Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 635-0211

Maple Grove
11581 Fountains Drive
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(763) 493-7861

Like a mountain turned on its side

At last, the white stuff arrived. We sat and looked out the window in disgust as the rain poured down. It was, after all, December 21. Disgusted not because we hate rain, but because we love snow. All that precip was going to waste. Ah, but the next time we looked up from the computer, it was a white out. What did we do then? Threw on the coat and mitts, jumped on the bike, and headed down River Road to Midwest Mountaineering.

The ironic name of the place has never bugged us that much. (Uh, you might have noticed: There are no mountains in the Midwest.) Nor has its location here in flatland deprived it of the honors it deserves. The Twin Cities grandaddy of silent-sports shops has a national reputation for its impressive inventory of top-shelf softgoods, camping equipment, paddle-sports gear, skis, backpacks, and—yes—climbing gear.

While we still like to head out to REI now and again, it's a bummer of a car trip (almost unapproachable by bike or foot). The completely bunged interchange with Lyndale and the 494 frontage road is enough to keep us away for months at a time. Besides, we've come to believe that REI's house brand is a little suspect in the QA department. Midwest Mountaineering, on the other hand, lives in its quaint storefronts at seven corners, a few doors down from the 400 Bar, the Wienery, and a dozen other West Bank landmarks that are legitimate solo destinations on their own.

One minor pet peeve with MM: The most recent store layout? With the long outfitters' style checkout counter? Works roughly like a canvas pup tent. Nostalgic. Cute. Totally lame. No one knows where to stand, who's working the registers, what's the traffic flow. For a store that has every other snow-picket perfectly in place, this is one placement that is NOT bomber.

Midwest Mountaineering
309 Cedar Ave. So
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Phone local: 612-339-3433
Toll-free: 888-999-1077
Fax: 612-339-7249
info@midwestmtn.com