Saturday, December 28, 2013

Head Over Heels

While visiting Shipshewana's Ice Festival this weekend, we stopped by Head Over Heels on recommendation of a friend. We went on a hike at Maple Wood Nature Center last winter break with him and he had COLD feet. We talked about my warm winter boots and he quickly made it to Head Over Heels to buy a good pair of warm winter boots and Smart Wool socks! He said they have great customer service--we agreed! He told us a couple of stories where the staff really went above and beyond to make things right for the customer or helped find exactly what the customer needed.






We specifically were looking for a new pair of shoes for my husband. They have a good selection of styles for both men and women, mostly geared toward outdoor trends. I wear a size 11 and most specialty stores don't have my size; however, it was still nice to see various styles in person and see what brands I liked. They had a few Keen shoes in my size. Cute selection!


He has been wearing this same style of shoe (Merrell Moab) for about 5 years--this will be his 3rd pair when he gets them! They are rugged and versatile. He can wear them to church, on a hike, for everyday wear, or for business casual at work. 


The boys were a little worried that there was nothing there for "them"; however, we found several nature/camping related games. These look like fun! 


There was also a selection of trick kites (seems like they have a kite flying festival in Shipshewana, too!) and disc golf supplies. Kayaks hung from the ceilings! Encouraging outdoor time is the name of the game with a whole selection of hats with nature themes, like this Take a Hike hat. 


The boys also found other games and activities to peruse. 


This is just a small selection of the MANY t-shirts with "Advice from . . . " various animals. These were great! There were many other cute t-shirts with outdoor themes. 


I've only heard great things about these Smart Wool Socks. Plus, they have fun colors! They also sell socks with nature themes, like butterflies, insects, etc. There are also fun gift items with an outdoor theme. There is nature related jewelry, too. I'm sure we will be back. 


Just outside the store, I felt like we were sitting around a campfire with the large tree in the background, the wooden stairs, the stump, and the adirondack chairs.


With the holidays just over, my husband said I'm hard to shop for . . . hint, hint, you can get me just about anything in this shop! He did go back and buy me a pair of gloves with the e-tips so I don't have to take off my gloves to take pictures in the winter. Very thoughtful! There are many gift options for most people on our lists that would work well from this store. I agreed the customer service was superb. The staff working on Saturday were personable and helpful, giving suggestions and steering us away from products that might not be as warm as we'd like. I asked about winter gloves for children (which they didn't have--I've been on a quest recently as it can be hard to find good ones) and they directed me to another local store that does carry children's gloves. 

We also signed up for the rewards program. After six visits, they take 10 percent of our subtotal and give us that much store credit--not a bad deal at all! The prices were reasonable, though some items were a bit pricier than what we can buy online.  I also noticed on their Facebook page that there are frequent promotions in the shop (some even included video and songs!). Clearance sections were also available. I was very proud of my husband thinking about supporting local stores rather than just the bottom line. Plus, we'll get some of that back in the rewards program with frequent trips which will make up for some of it. They also have a good selection of nature/outdoor related items. I try looking up winter gloves or wool socks online, but it's another thing to see them in person and try them on. Bonus, there are many other items in one place that I like! It's hard to find that online.