Helpful and knowledgeable staff. There is lot of useful stuff in the store and some of it can be…read morevery affordable too. I have tried lots of shoes in the store since there are lots of brands available.

Second shoe visit within a couple weeks and non-impressed with either sales person…read more The first visit was a young guy who was clearly disinterested in helping anyone, no exaggeration. Set some boxes by me and I tried them on and then said what do I do if I want to get a different size that you don't have in stock. He said he can order it online. That was it. Did not ask me any questions about what I was looking for or offered to make any suggestions. Visit Two- I took a couple of different sandals off the shelf and waited until I saw an older clerk, not just someone out of high school or college, , putting things away just out of sight in the stock area. Told him what I wanted and which shoe sizes I needed to try. He came back with whole sizes in one type of shoe, Chaco brand, and the other one he said they only had this one size and they didn't carry any half sizes in that shoe either. I said well that's too big for me, there's nothing else? No. He didn't ask me any questions either. Finally when he came back out, I said do you happen to have a size 39? (That's a European sizing.) He said yes we do. I said, that's 8.5, a half size and you just told me you didn't have any half sizes in that shoe. I asked if they had a different color then black, so he went into the stockroom and found a color preferable to my liking. So ended up purchasing that shoe. But if you're working in shoes there, how could you not know that European sizes and how they correspond? REI used to staff knowledgeable people in each section, including shoes. Do you think they would be interested in making a sale. I don't know what management is like these days there, but I'm a member and it's a huge disappointment.

Great rental experience! I recently rented 3 bouldering pads for a week, and the rates were a…read morefantastic value; much less expensive than other rental options I looked at. When we realized all 3 pads wouldn't fit in our car alongside our luggage, we went back in and the employee working was super helpful, easily swapping one out for a smaller size with zero hassle. Both picking up and dropping off the gear was completely seamless. Highly recommend their rental department; I'll definitely be renting and buying from them again!

I enjoy shopping here and became a 'Basementeer' member. Particularly, this location as I have fond…read morememories of ice skating here as a kid in the 80's! Almost brings me right back. I would encourage you to ride a bike (tons of bike parking) or take public transit. There is not a lot of parking for cars here, although you could park on the street. I also shop at REI, but much prefer Sports Basement. I even use their free 1lb propane tank refills (after initial purchase of a refillable tank) and I feel that that is a very smart thing to do give that the normal propane canisters are totally non-recyclable and considered hazardous waste, so you cannot and should not even throw them away. I found a hazardous waste disposal/recycle site where I got rid of mine, good riddance. The refillable ones they sell at Sports Basement is the way to go. Sports Basement has a good return policy and for the most part friendly people working there. I did run in to what seemed like an incompetent phone support person however. I had called the 800 number to cancel a preorder on a bike and she acted like she had no idea what I was talking about, and ended up telling me I would have to call the store I had set it for pick up at. It turns out, I was able to cancel the preorder via the 'AI' chatbot on the website. I'm really not sure why the phone rep. wasn't able to help with that.

Great little store. Some cute bags/hats. A friend was in town and she really wanted to go here…read more Staff was friendly and helpful. Offered to order the items my friend was after and have them shipped direct.

I had such a great experience at the Berkeley store with Khalid helping me. I've been researching…read moreonline for a new lightweight puffer jacket for an upcoming backpacking trip to Havusu Falls in the Grand Canyon in November. Even though I came into the store knowing what I wanted, Khalid helped me figure out what size actually fit me (medium over size large) and helped me to locate the hooded version that was behind hidden some vests. He was kind, helpful, and honest with his advice. I'm so excited to wear my new gear in such a gorgeous color combo!

Very unkind. Was looking forward to checking this place out after walking by many times looking at…read morethe bags in the window. First time stopping in with my child & my sister and we were not treated kindly at all. Will not return. Highly discourage others from supporting this business.

A ma and pa shop that is densely-packed with top name outdoor brands, and other smaller,…read morelesser-known brands too. Pricing was more than fair for everything. The shop owners are so sweet and helpful.

I came in for a boot and boot fitting as my old boots were completely worn out (prior to the…read more'24/'25 season). I've gotten accustomed to skiing in pain over my 40+ years of skiing, and previous boot fittings never quite yielded the results i wanted. I have odd shaped feet - like a cartoon duck. narrow in the back and wide and square at the toes. high volume boots never quite fit right as they would still be narrow at the toes, but then way too loose in the back with a lot of heel lift. thermal liners never seemed to solve any of my problems. punches seemed to help, but never remove the problem. enter Paul. this man is a gift sent from the goddess Skadi. He assured me my feet weren't that far out of band, and proceeded to tweak the best fitting boot i've ever used. I can go a full day charging with minimal discomfort. i dont have to undo the buckles every lift ride up. i wanted to wait out the season before i gave a review as I wanted to see how well the results held up over several days, but the 5 stars is well warranted. i've decided to try learning telemark this season, and finding any boot has been extremely difficult. there are not many models, and even fewer stock of said models, whether used or new. but once i find a boot, you can be sure i'll be bringing it to Paul (who claims to have never fitted a telemark boot, but i'm going to convince him to give it a go).

I'm shocked this company is top rated and people recommend it…read more I came for their expertise to choose the best boots for my feet. During the painful thermo fitting procedure I told many times it feels wrong and too narrow. They told me "hang on, I know what I'm doing, you have super narrow feet and we have only one boot model that will fit you right". I had no choice but to trust and paid more than $1000. Every time I wear these boots, I tell myself I'm switching back to a snowboard. My feet get numb as soon as I put the boots on even without buckling up. After a dozen of painful rides I returned and they did another fitting of the same boots. It didn't help. Now I'm sitting in a ski rental with amazing comfortable boots on my feet and think how much I hate California Ski Company for ripping me off and creating so many problems and waste of time.

A great woman's athleisure store for the active lady. Lots of great options for all body sizes…read more They even do custom bra fitting for the girls. The wife and daughters love their designs and materials.

Love the clothes!! Fabrics, cuts, designs, vibe. All great. Love the clothes!! Would go way out of…read moremy way to come here. (Came from South Bay)

Great service, knowledge and a friendly shop! Even made my wife comfortable with me spending too…read moremuch money :)

I walked in to Fish First in early August to ask what I'd need to get started fly fishing for…read moremountain trout. Four days later, I was catching brook trout in the Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra; two weeks later, the same thing, in the Trinity Alps! The guy I spoke with---whose name I don't remember, tragically---was extremely helpful and patient, never giving me the hard sell (even though I wanted to buy stuff!), showing me some of the basics, and directing me towards the right beginner gear (and a beginner instructional book) to buy.

This is a fun way to pass an hour--rowing a boat in Aquatic Park. It's easier than expected to get…read morethe boat moving, harder than expected to keep it moving. The boats are maintained (and possibly built) by young people at Waterside Workshops and basic but sturdy. The hour rental ($40 total with life vests included) was plenty enough to row from one end of the lagoon to the other and back, with a quick snack break. We are not skilled rowers, and it was fine. I would check the schedule ahead of time, especially during the off season. We went late in the afternoon and were the only ones on the water. Because of our inexperience, I was glad that we weren't sharing the water with any water skiers or a crew team. Just egrets, pelicans, and cormorants.

We had a truly excellent experience at waterside yesterday. We went to get our 11yo a bike for…read moretheir birthday. Tobe helped us out and he was so patient, knowledgeable, and good with kids. We ended up getting a used Novara model called the Tractor, and our kid decided to call their bike "Tobe the Tractor." Thanks so much for all the work you all do for the community, the inclusive and welcoming environment, and for the wonderful experience in picking a new bike! We will be back for future bikes, service, and open workshops!