Sole Desire

On June 18, I bought a simple innersole at this store. I returned it on July 16, within the 30 day return period and was told it would take awhile for the credit to show up. On September 2, the credit had still not been processed to my credit card. I called the store and was told there was no accounting department and then the clerk hung up. I called back to only to get an answerphone. I asked for a call back within 15 minutes. The clerk did return my call and gave me a number for the firm. I called the number and pressed the extension for accounting and left a message; subsequently I tried to post a complaint on the company’s «contact us» online form. The form would not submit and responded that validation errors occurred. Now, I am going to call my credit card company challenge the charge. It would seem that Sole Desire doesn’t have much of a customer service department. I spend a lot of time and money in Napa, but I will avoid this store.

Awful customer service from both of the gentlemen in this store. The lady saved it for me — but I won’t be back.

Great shoes — horrible service. The woman who waited on my friend and me didn’t know much about the inventory and was barely interested in whether we bought anything. I guess she doesn’t make any commissions on sales… Here are a couple of examples of what I’m talking about:
Me: (showing her a pair of boots I liked) «Do you know what kind of support these have?»
She: «What do you mean?»
Me: «I have plantar fasciitis and so I like to wear shoes that have strong arch support.»
She: (clearly not aware of plantar fasciitis or of whether the shoes I was holding were supportive) «Oh. Well, those are probably okay but I don’t think they’re as good as Wonders might be. If you need support, I’d recommend you just get an insert.» (gestures toward the small section of pads, inserts, and such)
I asked her if I could try on the shoes anyway, since the only way for me to really know about the support was to try them on. They seemed fine, so I then asked her if she could show me the Wonders that she had referenced. Her eyes swept the room and she asked what kind of shoe style I was looking for. Um, hello? Maybe start with boots, since that’s what I originally asked about? But I was polite and told her, «boots.»
She: «They don’t really make boots. (picks up a couple of random pair of shoes, none of which are either Wonders or boots)
Me: «I’d be happy to see what they *do* make, then.»
She: (still looking) «I don’t think we have much from them right now. You know, the thing is that when companies make shoes, they don’t make them for you. Every foot is different. So if you need something special, you should really get inserts.»
Me: (fighting the urge to slap her). «Thanks.»
This woman was not only lazy but exceptionally stupid because honestly, my friend and I would have purchased multiple pairs of shoes in there if she’d shown the slightest willingness to share information or show that she even *had* any. The store is loaded with great shoes but she cared nothing about selling them.
By the way, my friend and I are really nice people — not demanding or loud or rude. We’re kind of the ideal customers, really…
Oh and at the register, my friend saw the socks on the wall and asked if any of them were either pure cotton and just had no nylon. Our stellar salesperson was clearly clueless and said, «I’m not sure but I think they’re all a blend…» Did she know for sure? We’ll never know. But it was obvious she didn’t feel like selling those, either.

i’d like to update my previous critical review of the store to reflect the very concerned and accommodating response I received from a woman in the administrative offices who i contacted. I sent an email via the store’s website to relay my awful experience and a couple days later I heard back with a very apologetic and understanding note. over the course of the next few days, we exchanged more emails in her attempt to rectify the situation with some sort of store credit or discount on the boots. she really went well beyond what I had hoped to receive: an apology and a hard look by management at the future of the rude and miserable employee i met there. even so, while i might go in a sole desire in another location, i am not yet sure that i would ever want to go into the one on w. napa st. running into that salesgirl simply sounds like a bad time all around. but at least the admin staff stands behind the customer, and that’s a good thing!

Bought 2 pair of shoes and when I wanted to make a return their friendly service went out the window! I would not reccomend this store. I found the items I wanted on Amazon for ½ the price and without the attitude. It was worth the 3 days it took to get them in the mail.

Sole Desire is a high end quality and comfort shoe store, and this is only one of 9 outlets. However, Mary Kay is the manager of this store and there is none better. She and her staff will help you to find exactly what you are looking for while answering any questions you may have. Whether you are preparing for the next marathon, leaving on the next plane for a walking tour of Florence, or entering a dance contest, you will find the best shoe at this store.

This is a nice store for climbing and running shoes. I bought the best running shoes (Ecco) that I’ve ever had here.