apparel | Outdoors Starts In Here

Our Staff’s Favorite Summer Gear! Rachel’s Picks.

As you can tell from this post, I’m in it for the fashion. While I love, use, and appreciate the top-of-the-line techie gear we have at Shep’s, if I’m honest, the expanding departments of everyday apparel is more my thing. Here are a few of my favorite items this summer.

1. Ahnu Saratoga Sandal – They’re casual, simple, and comfortable right out of the box. Made from soft, genuine leather and nubuck, their footbed and generous cushion & support make these so much more than a flat, basic sandal. With jeans or shorts or skirts and dresses – they’re always the perfect option! (And yes, both colors are great!)

2. United By Blue Fairmount Crossbody Bag – United By Blue quickly became a staff favorite. Their super-soft organic cotton apparel is cute enough & comfortable enough to live in every single day of the week. Their bags are just plain amazing and come in tons of shapes and sizes to meet your preference. All made with genuine leather and organic canvas, they have purses, totes, backpacks, travel cases, pouches and lunch boxes. UBB’s good deed? They’re committed to removing 1 pound of trash from oceans and waterways around the world for every bag they sell. Win, win.

3. Toad and Co. Linette Skirt – Toad and Co. (formerly Horny Toad) is impossible not to love. Their collection so perfectly balances on the line of performance and casual, everyday apparel. While this washable linen chambray skirt I happen to love is tailored to their “lifestyle” category, many of their pieces are from wicking fabric, wrinkle free, and always perfect for active lifestyles as well as travel. This skirt is adorable for work, picnics, concerts, or summer parties. It’s a summer staple.

You might be surprised to learn that we have a store full of apparel like the pieces you see above. And through June, you can save 20% on apparel, accessories, footwear, and more. You’ll love what you find.

Winter Sports Gear – Cleaning and Storage

As the temperatures rise and we start to dig out our summer sports equipment, it’s important to take a few minutes to clean and store your winter gear properly. Not only will this save you time and money in the long run, it’ll keep your gear performing great for years to come.

Skis and Snowboards – The bases of your skis and boards should be cleaned and waxed before you place them into storage. Often, the wax you started the season with is long gone come spring, leaving your bases dry and unprotected. Left in this condition, summer storage only make the problem worse.

Cleaning is best done using the hot wax and scrape method. Using a high temperature wax or base prep, iron in the wax and scrape while the wax is still warm. This will remove

any dirt and grime far more effectively without damaging or clogging the base than heavy cleaners such as WD-40, Simple Green, etc. After cleaning, apply another coat of wax and leave it on the base without scraping for storage. This protects the base from drying out and other damage that may occur during the months of nonuse.

Click HERE to learn more about our summer wax special. This month only, it’s $10, and if you’d like, we’ll even store your gear for you in our cozy downtown Wausau, WI maintenance center over the summer.

Snowshoes and Ice Skates – As with skis & snowboards, you’ll want to wipe down your other winter equipment before putting it away for the summer months. Storing your shoes & skates indoors in the summer will prevent the metals from rusting & will keep the plastics in their original form. It’s best to keep these items off the floor too (especially if we’re talking about a garage!) to prevent moisture damage.

Winter Apparel– Your jackets & pants will last their longest & look their best if they are cared for properly. While we suggest washing your jacket throughout the year too, you’ll definitely want to clean it up before storing it for the summer. Washing your outdoor clothing with harsh detergents such as Tide or All can damage the waterproof technologies of the piece. The same qualities that make these detergents hard on stains make them hard on quality outdoor apparel. Shep’s sells Nikwax, a detergent specifically designed to clean apparel without damaging their DWR (durable water repellant)

coating or clogging the waterproof membranes that live in the quality fabrics. (Always remember to follow the care labels on your jackets & pants when washing!) The same company that makes Tech Wash makes an entire line of fabric care products, including TX Direct, which restores waterproof/breathable coatings on your clothing.

Our staff is always around to answer any questions you may have, including anything about storing your winter toys. Stop in, give us a call, or post your question on our Facebook page.

Holiday Shopping at Shep’s

Calling all Santa & Mrs. Clause stand-ins! Shep’s has great deals for your holiday shopping!

As always at Shep’s, you’ll save big money on all ski & snowboard equipment with our sale and “package” pricing. But besides that, enjoy our current promotion & save on all clothing, footwear, accessories, helmets, goggles, and more!

Here’s how it works:

After filling your gift bag & throwing it over your shoulder (Ho Ho Ho), you’ll spin our Discount Wheel at the register and earn a discount of 10, 15, or 20% off all applicable items.

Besides this offer, you can take advantage of the Daily Deal; one favorite gift/stocking stuffer idea at an end-of-the-season discount. What’s better?!

Take advantage of the discounts through December 24th!

Stormy Kromers – An American Favorite

Stormy Kromers… are you familiar? Maybe you knew them as that wool hat with the ear flaps your grandpa Lou wore (and probably still wears). Or are they the ones you see on college campuses? The answer is: BOTH.

Stormy Kromers are well loved by all ages. They’re an old favorite, and a new (again) trend. The perfect way to keep your head and ears toasty this fall and winter, all while pulling off the fashion look you love.

So here’s what you should do:

1- Read a big of their story below (taken from StormyKromer.com) and the history of these hats will come alive.

2- Come down to the shop and see all the colors & styles we have and dream of which you’ll love most this chilly season.

3- Try it on and fall in love.

4- Wear it day after day.

It’s as simple as that! We have the largest selection of Kromers in the area so you’ll find hats with ties, buttons, plaids and solids, you’ll see your favorite team colors in their Benchwarmer collection, ear bands, can coozies, t-shirts, wool vests & bags, and more! They’re made right in Ironwood, MI, so you can be confident standing behind their brand, and sure that they meet even the toughest of winters head-on. They know what it’s like when the snow flies and the temperatures drop.

We’ll see you in the shop soon. 🙂

Smartwool by the Thousands!

We know our friends wait patiently for our mega-shipments of Smartwool to arrive, and we’re happy to say that for those of you waiting for SOCKS, your wait is over!!!

Just arrived: thousands of your favorite comfortable, cozy, dry, warm, odorless, fast drying, antimicrobial socks for everyone in the family – the newborn to the grandpa. You’ll see colors, stripes, flowers, argyle, dots, cable knit, and more. Run or hike socks, ski & snowboard socks, lifestyle socks, women’s tights, and MORE!

Stop in and stock up while options in your size are plenty! See you (and your chilly feet) soon!

Here's a peek of what goes on in our back room when Smartwool gets here. Whew! — Here’s a peek of what goes on in our back room when Smartwool gets here. Whew!