Wausau’s Best Outdoor Gear, Clothing and Shopping Experience

What will you find at Shep’s? Premium outdoor brands, high-end styles, cheaper-than-the-mountains prices.

Mountain lifestyle, pioneering outdoor fashion and extensive SKI and Snowboard selection are at Shepherd & Schaller.

Earthy, outdoorsy, native, natural, artistic, organic, fresh, fun – all describe the mountain lifestyle aesthetic. Shop Patagonia, Pendleton, Helly Hansen, Indyeva, Dakota Grizzly, Kuhl, Kavu, Sherpa Adventure Gear, Fjallraven, Toad & Co, Carve Designs, Howler and many more you don’t expect outside the Rockies.

Shop us in Downtown Wausau, our home since 1949! We’re at 324 Scott Street, with more than 10,000 sq ft of shopping to explore. Are you a skier or snowboarder? As Wisconsin’s largest dealer of equipment for the slopes, with a premium Wintersteiger tune shop on site, we offer an elevated experience the moment you walk in the door. We’re known for our huge offering of trend-setting, high-performance outdoor gear, clothing, footwear and accessories, plus friendly, expert service.

Already comfy at home? Cozy up and shop us online at shepssports.com. It features our live store inventory, refreshed every 60 seconds.

What will you find at Shep’s? The latest snow sports gear andmust-have stylesat cheaper-than-the-mountains prices.

324 Scott Street, Wausau Outdoor Lifestyle Experts Since 1949!
  • Outerwear for adults and kids. We feature premium styles, insulations, recycled and organic fabrics. It matters!
  • Men’s and women’s sportswear and footwear. We feature premium styles, insulations, recycled and organic fabrics. It matters!
  • Winter accessories including performance and lifestyle gloves, hats, balaclavas, base layers, socks (by the thousands!)
  • Bags and travel gear; think Kavu Rope bags, Patagonia Black Hole and so many more
  • Mountain home decor including blankets, candles and unexpected trends
If you’ve read about it, heard about, dreamt about it, Shep’s ski department has it.
Brands that rule the mountains world-wide: Armada, Volkl, Atomic, Blizzard, Nordica, K2, Dynastar, Fischer, Head, Rossignol, Dalbello, Salomon, Technica, Marker, Look, Tyrolia, Jones, Nitro, Nidecker, POC, Smith, Pret, Oakley, Giro, … to name a few.

The little things are big at Shep’s. Are you really living the outdoor lifestyle if you don’t have a Stormy Kromer hat, Hestra or Swany gloves, Darn Tough socks? In addition to dozens of other lifestyle brands we stock to keep you comfortable outdoors, or indoors, we offer Made in the USA, organic and recycled options.

Cheers to the mountain lifestyle! We’re thrilled for the chance to help you with gear, clothing, accessories, shoes, and equipment service. Thank’s for checking in.

Shep’s Crew

We’ve Got You Covered

You’re covered. In fleece, in merino wool, in premium insulations, in comfortable fabrics that wick and warm. These are the secret to dressing well for Wisconsin winters. The clothing selection at Shepherd & Schaller will surprise you, especially if you think we’re only about skiing.

It starts with base layers. Non-itchy Merino wool naturally helps regulate body temperature, transports sweat away as a vapor, and cancels out odors.

More than 70 premium clothing and shoe brands are here to give you a huge selection of performance-focused styles. You’ll feel like you’re shopping in a trendy Rocky Mountain ski village, only at much lower prices.

We start next to skin and go all the way to outerwear.

  • Underwear & Base Layers
  • Socks, Shoes, Boots
  • Shirts, Sweaters, Fleece
  • Pants, Shorts, Skirts, Dresses
  • Jackets, Coats, Snow Pants
  • Hats, Mittens, Face Masks
  • Rustic, Dressy, Sporty, Serious: all are represented.
Pendleton is just one of the heritage brands stocked at Shepherd & Schaller.

Surprise! In addition to ski jackets and pants, we also offer elegant and rustic styles that will take you from work or school to dinner, performing in all kinds of weather. Our trend setting shoes, boots and booties in weather-proof materials complete your outfit . You can work, play and party in clothes and footwear you find at Shepherd & Schaller.

Just a few of the awesome 2019/20 styles in store from Sorel. Come see dozens more from EMU Australia, Chaco’s, Salomon, Thorogood, Pendleton and more.

What about kids? Young ones, size 2T- size 16, are covered in performance outerwear at Shep’s. Jackets and pants they’ll love and you can pass down for years. When the kids are warm and dry, the whole family has more fun outdoors. We’ll help you identify materials and construction that will do the trick. Quality truly makes a difference.

Hint: For a day of happy memory making, dress kids in the same quality you wear. We offer nothing less at Shep’s.

We love helping you see the value in premium jackets and snow pants. With so many built-in features and benefits to show you it’s always exciting for us and it’s what we’re known for. Shop our Downtown Wausau, WI store or online at shepssports.com. Here’s a sneak peak:

  • Rugged outdoor looks from Kuhl and Mountain Khakis
  • Fresh, fun styles from Picture Organic and Kari Era
  • Classics from Patagonia, Outdoor Research and Sherpa Designs
  • Alpine styles from Descente
  • Euro flair from Fjallraven and Luhta
  • Freestyle style from O’neill, Quiksilver and Roxy

We’ve Fallen for Fjallraven

Fjällräven means arctic fox in Swedish. Hailing from the small town of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, a place where mountains and forest meet the sea, Fjällräven is an outdoor clothing and equipment company that’s committed to making nature more accessible. In true Swedish style, they focus on simplicity and practicality and have the utmost respect for the environment.

Shop Fjallraven at ShepsSports.com

At Fjallraven, the core mission and driving force has always been, and always will be, to enable and inspire more people to spend time in nature. Products to help you feel secure and at home in the outdoors, now and in the future, worn on your most memorable journeys and adventures, are developed and created in a thoughtful manner and designed for lifetimes of wear. They don’t chase short-term goals, follow trends or compromise on quality because our future and the future of nature are intertwined.  At Shep’s we like the sound of that.

Designing in harmony with the environment, means Fjallraven always looks for more innovative and sustainable solutions. This includes using recycled and organic materials, PFC-free impregnation and developing products that can be worn and loved for generations.

Come see Fjallraven outerwear, sportswear and bags in Downtown Wausau and online at shepssports.com.
Forever Nature


We Love Your Look

To outfit and inspire those passionate about the outdoors and who value durability and quality craftsmanship. That’s the mission of our Clothing department at Shepherd & Schaller.

Mountain Khakis Sagebrush Dress

Living the outdoor lifestyle might mean you’re on the first chairlift, you log 100 miles on the bike each weekend, hike and paddle Superior’s North Shore often, love to explore the woods for work and play in all weather. It can also mean you prefer indoors, surrounded by rustic decor, visit the ski area just for a seat by the chalet fireplace or venture outside only for walks in the dog park. No judgement here. Dressing for comfort and performance wherever you spend your day is a style all it’s own. It’s a look. And we love it.

Kuhl Brand. We dare you to shop it without saying “cool!”

We hold our brands to a high standard, just as you expect. To be exceptional stewards of our store values and community, demonstrating integrity, quality and pride. Delivering premium, durable, bold timeless fashion.

Each season we put every brand we stock under a microscope. Is their manufacturing chain transparent? Are they good stewards of the environment? Do they participate in initiatives that support quality of life? Do they use organic and recycled materials? Do our customers love what they buy?

New brands made the cut this season and we think you’ll like what you see when you visit us here in Downtown Wausau. If you’re even just a little tuned-in to the outdoor lifestyle, mountain culture and heritage clothing brands, you’ve likely heard of them:

Mountain Khakis Buckrail Jacket
  • Mountain Khakis
  • Fjallraven
  • EMU Shoes
  • Pendleton Footwear (We’ve always offered Pendleton Home and classics.)

New fall fashions arrive daily. Preview at shepssports.com and shop our full collection in store. The beloved brands you count on for outerwear and sportswear are here too, including these favorites:

Fjallraven Abisko Trekking Tights
  • Patagonia
  • The North Face
  • Outdoor Research
  • Descente
  • Obermeyer
  • Kavu
  • Kuhl
  • Toad & Co
  • Sherpa
Pendleton Rain Jacket and Boots
EMU Australia Pioneer Boots

How to Care for Performance Outerwear

If you bought your outerwear at Shep’s and you’ve worn it around making great memories and looking awesome along the way, chances are it will be time for a wash at some point.

First rule: follow manufacturer’s printed instructions, usually located on a tag inside the garment. Or, visit their website for fabric and care information.  Any manufacturer’s warranty may be nullified if their instructions are not followed.

Second rule of thumb: unless it’s faux fur, don’t take it to a dry cleaner!  Their process and chemicals will ruin your waterproof/breathable garment. Happily, you can wash and maintain your performance outerwear easily  at home whenever you feel it’s time to be refreshed.  If it’s looking dirty or water is soaking through the shell fabric, then it’s a good time to launder it again.

Your performance outerwear has two lines of defense between you and the elements: the DWR finish on the face (outer) side of the fabric, and waterproof/breathable coatings or laminates on the inside of the fabric.  Waterproof/breathable coatings and laminates will last for the lifetime of your garment with proper care.  All such coatings have microscopic pores that are too small to allow liquid water to pass through, but large enough to let water vapor escape.  Dirt and grime can disrupt the waterproofing and breathability by clogging the pores, which lets water soak through and also prevents water vapor from escaping. Careful cleaning and drying will reopen these pores and restore the effectiveness of the coatings.

image: offpistemag.com/nikwax-dwr-treatment/

The DWR (durable water-resistant) finish is applied to the face side of the outerwear fabric, enabling it to resist exposure to ultraviolet light.  If you splash some water on the outside of your garment, the water should bead up and roll right off.  If it doesn’t, then try careful washing and drying to restore the DWR finish.  If careful cleaning does not restore the effectiveness of the DWR finish, you can reapply a DWR finish yourself.  We recommend Nikwax TX Direct, which can be sprayed on or washed in.

 

 

Here’s how to properly wash your performance outerwear to restore it’s appearance and function:

  •  DO NOT DRY CLEAN.  Check the care tag that is attached.
  • Unzip all the zippers and turn your garment inside-out.
  • Wash in COLD water, separately.
  • DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENERS OR BLEACH.  Fabric softeners will clog the pores of the garment.  Bleach will ruin it.
  • Use a non-detergent cleanser or very mild powder detergent.  We recommend Nikwax products.
  • Minimize soap usage.  Better few bubbles than many.
  • If you’re using a wash-in DWR restorer, add it to the wash cycle.
  • Use your machine’s GENTLE cycle, or hand wash.
  • Rinse throughly.  Even better, rinse twice.
  • Gently squeeze out most of the water.  DO NOT WRING.  Wringing the water from your garment can cause the waterproof/breathable coating to separate from the inside of the shell fabric.
  • Use a powdered non-detergent cleanser.  Liquid detergent can clog the pores in the waterproof-breathable coating.  If one is not available, use a very mild powdered detergent, and use it sparingly. Powdered detergents rinse more throughly than liquid detergents.  Gently rinse your garment, preferably twice.  If you must use a grocery-store brand, we recommend Dreft detergent, used sparingly.
  • LINE-DRY your garment until it is completely dry.  Do not hang it over a heat source, which can damage the fabric and the coatings.
  • If you want to restore DWR and did not a wash-in type, you may apply a spray-pn DWR restorer after washing.

We Offer Nikwax products alongside our great selection of premium outerwear.

Nikwax Tech Wash, a non-detergent cleanser for most outerwear

Nikwax Down Wash, a non-detergent cleanser for outerwear and mid layers insulated with down.

Nikwax TX Direct, Wash-in or Spray-on.