[pct-l] buying shoes along the trail

[diana s]

Hey y'all.  A friend who is planning a hike for next year asked me about places to buy shoes along the trail, and I went a little overboard typing up a list for him.  I wanted to share it with the pct-l in case anyone else was in need of this info.  If anyone has anything else to add or a correction on something I got wrong, please email me!
peace,
chigger

Here is my surely incomplete list:
151.3 - Idyllwild - Outfitter with limited shoes (montrail, inov8, golite? - maybe 6 styles, mostly narrow and heavy- I would NOT recommend using golite shoes- people I talked to said they are absolutely brutal on feet and fall apart very quickly). I heard there was a store that sells running shoes, but I never found it.
209.6 - Cabazon - Nike store at the outlet mall. Possible hitch down Highway 10 towards LA to find other shoe stores.
265.3 - Big Bear Lake - There is an outfitter or two here in the big town, but they mostly sell ski/bike stuff, I think. There may be a shoe store- I didn't look.
454.4 - Agua Dulce/ The Saufleys - You WILL go to the Saufley's house.  They have cars heading out daily to nearby towns that have almost anything you could ever want. I bought shoes at the Sports Chalet. Probably the most shoes I have ever seen in one place.
744.8 - Lone Pine - I didn't go there, but I am pretty sure there is an outfitter.  There may also be one in Bishop.
906.6 - Mammoth Lakes (from Reds Meadow) - Great trail town. (Get breakfast at The Stove!!) Several outfitters (the folks at Mammoth Mountaineering are awesome!), and possibly a shoe store.
1094.5 - South Lake Tahoe - Huge town, several outfitters, shoe stores. (Best Thai Food Ever at Orchid's Thai)
1155.8 - Truckee - Some shoes at Mountain Hardwear. However, I would recommend going straight from Echo Lake/ S.L. Tahoe to Sierra City and not stopping into Truckee.
1335.8 - Chester - There MIGHT be a couple of pairs of shoes to buy in town, but I wouldn't count on it.
1415.9 - Burney - There MIGHT be a couple of pairs of shoes to buy in town, but I wouldn't count on it.
1506.5 - Shasta City - Outfitter that has a decent selection of (heavier) trail runners. There is also a store that sells some lighter sneakers, but they were not super high quality.
1726.6 - Ashland - Two outfitters (the one that has the PCT log book is better stocked) and one running shoe store- Rogue Valley Runners.  (Morning Glory in Ashland is tied with The Stove for best breakfast on the trail. Timberline's breakfast buffet is also not to be missed.)
1989.5/ 2006.9 - Sisters - Shoe stores and an REI in Bend- about a 20 mile hitch from Sisters.
2155.0 - Cascade Locks - Go into Portland for anything your heart desires.
2401.7 - Snoqualamie Pass - Hitch into Seattle for shoes/ gear.
2476.3 - Skykomish/ Stevens Pass - Hitch into Seattle for shoes/ gear.
2593.8 - Winthrop - Hitch east from Rainy Pass.  I wouldn't recommend heading into town, as it is a long ride and you are almost to Canada, but if the weather forces you to bail out, Winthrop is great- a wonderful outfitter with a very good shoe and gear selection and (the owner Rita is amazingly awesome), nice hotel- the Duck Brand- with decent prices and possible PCT discount. The brownies at the little coffee stand in town are even better than the ones at the Stehekin bakery.

This is what I know of along the trail. There are also a few other options if you want to try and hitch to San Diego early on if your feet feel like they are going to fall off if you don't get new shoes asap. Also, there is a Sports Chalet in Lancaster, CA that you can get to from maybe Mojave or Hiker Town.  If there is only an outfitter in town, expect only outfitter-type shoes (heavier, stiff trail runners and boots).  I can say for sure that there are NO other options for buying on-trail from Truckee till Canada other than what I listed (I would probably just ignore the two MIGHTs).  I prefer buying shoes locally so that I can support local businesses, but there will most likely be a time when you need new shoes (or a specific type that is not easy to find) and are in a place that you can't get them. I used a total of 6 pairs of shoes along the trail, but could have gotten away with 5 if I had started with larger ones. Zappos.com is a pretty good resource, and they often offer free overnight shipping. 

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