Chris C.
Yelp
If you ever go to skateboard shops there's this phrase, "getting cool guyed." This is when the people working at the shop decide you aren't cool enough to be in there, so they treat you like human garbage. I mention this so when I discuss how the salesperson cool-guyed me, you can have some context.
I was stoked to go to Brooks Trailhead. I've lost 60lbs over the last six months and running has played a big part in that. But, I realize that running in flat, vulcanized skate shoes like Vans is not the best and I wanted to some better shoes. Since I have zero experience with running shoes, I though I would go in the store, over-pay for the shoes, but get some expert help in choosing them. I was also excited because Brooks is a local brand and I could walk to their HQ and flaship store.
I will briefly say that I ran in the shoes today and they are solid, I think, at least compared to running in Vans, although not aesthetically my cup of tea.
However I have never been cool-guyed as hard as I was by the people working in the store, and I have shopped at 510 Skate Shop in Berkeley, CA where they invented cool guying.
Poeple before and after I was "helped" were greeted with a smile, asked how much they ran a week, offered to go on some weird motion capture treadmill machine. But the person I spoke to clearly did not think I deserved to wear their shoes. I had to be like "I need a running shoe." To which she helpfully responded "All the shoes we have are on that wall."
OK... what's the difference? "There are different types depending on your running style."
After a lot of work on my part, she eventually told me about the different styles and brought me a pair of shoes which she literally dropped at a bench no where near me and said "you can try them on over here."
I've bought shoes at K-Mart in the 1980s and gotten better service. Everything she did communicated that I was trash, that she was bored. That I should just leave. I've been alive a while and other than a Pontiac salesman in San Leandro CA in like 2003 who didn't know how many cylinders could be in a car engine, she was probably the worst salesperson I've ever dealt with.
My wife, who'se generally super laid back, was like "oh wow, she was the worst salesperson ever. You spent $500 and she didn't want to give you a bag."
That's right. after picking the $140 shoes I was like "I am going to go look at the clothes" and the salesperson was like ".... oh"
Zero customer service, zero effort to help, she could barely even tell me where the changing room was.
Frankly in the end I bought a lot of clothes almost out of spite (also I had a fitness allowance from my work that expires at the end of the year). I am sorry I don't look the part of a Brooks runner. I know I'm not fat, since my BMI is healthy these days, but I guess I am too old? Too ugly? IDK.
Anyway, this place blows. If you are going to do all the research yourself and still want to buy Brooks shoes, just do it online and save money. I gained nothing by going in except snark. You're not going to learn anything, you're not going to encounter any enthusiam for the products or even for running. It was just an awful experience.
Or maybe you will find enthusiastic helpful salespeople if you look the part and fit their image. I clearly didn't. The amount I think people who judge others on their appearance suck is really really a lot, and that's definitely the vibe I got here. (In the interest of fairness, I should also allow here that maybe this person was just having a terrible terrible day, or maybe she's just incredibly bad at her job, but my gut says... she sucks.)
As I said, the shoes seem better than Vans for running, so I won't be taking them back, but I won't darken their doorstep again. I get it and I don't go where I'm not wanted. I wanted to shop local, but I guess Portland is fairly local too, so whatever. If I want someone to be mean to me when I'm shopping and trying to give them hundreds of dollars, I'll take another trip to Berkeley and get cool guyed by actual cool guys at 510.