Well, if you have read my some of my shoe reviews, you know I obviously like athletic shoes. This is the place where my addiction began. When I got the sent the free catalog, I was amazed by the great selection and promptly went to their website, which had twice as much to offer as the catalog. Even though, I spent most of the time at Niketown.com, Eastbay consistently has good sales and sometimes, even a wider selection of Nike stuff than the actual Nike site. I have no idea why this is, but the clothing selection tends to be better than the Nike site. When you get to the homepage, it is not the fanciest page in the world, with no flashing graphics or loud sounds coming from your computer's speakers (which I appreciate); just straight-up functionality, which is a good thing. The layout is very easy to navigate and any person can handle browsing the site with ease. On the left side of the screen are four sections that enable a search. The first option is where you can enter a keyword or product number to find a product. The second one is where you can search for a specific shoe size, in either gender, size, or sport. The gender scroll-down box has many categories, mens, womens, big kids, little kids, toddlers, and infants, so no shortage of options there. The sports category is also extremely large, with every sport you can think of. The third one is straight sports category and the fourth one is brands that are available. At the very top of the page are multiple tabs that you can click on and go to that specific link. They are as follows, Shoes, Clothing, Equipment, Accessories, Fan Gear, Brands, Sports, and Shops. Even above that is a quick link drop-down box that has that many categories that deal with the website's policies, sizing help, etc. Of course, to the right of that is the links to your account and shopping cart. If you have ordered anything on the site, you can click on the order status link and type in your customer and order number to track your package, a very helpful tool that, in my mind, gives me sense of security of knowing where my package is at that exact time. It shows when it got packed, when it left the distribution center, and the anticipated date of arrival, along with the exact times (in military time) it left. On every tab link, there is drop-down boxes that have the categories of brands, sports, and product types, so it gives you even more of a specialized search option. I mean, it can't get any easier to find something exactly that you want with the search options. The main photos are of the in-season shoes, apparel, and equipment that is being showcased at the moment. The other main photo column is of the shoe that is hot at the moment, such as the Nike Shox Elite basketball shoe (not saying that just because it's Nike; it's the actual shoe being showcased now!). Underneath that shoe are Eastbay Extras, which are colorful picture links that show another particular category, such as a showcase of the Zoom Vick II, a cold weather apparel category, one called Playoff Fever, appropriate since it is at the peak of the MLB playoff season, and a Timbaland boot showcase, good since of the impending cold weather, among others. Of course, they have the inevitable link to request an Eastbay catalog to your place of residence. On each product, you can add it to your cart and enlarge the picture for more detail and usually gives a very good description of the product. You may have to do a little research if you don't know some of the more technical terms, but there is help on the way through something I just discovered the other day. There is a small link called Sizing Help that opens another window that has two sections. Obviously the sizing instructions, but a Tech Glossary in which it has every possible term that the website uses to describe its products, you can find in the alphabetized section. Very helpful if you're confused by the descriptions. The sizing instructions are extremely helpful, giving directions on how to find a proper running shoe, baseball cleats, football cleats, and soccer cleats, along with the subcategories of general fitting for men and women, socks, hats, international sizing, etc. I love the measurements of how to find the right glove size, whether it be baseball batting gloves or football receiving gloves. It also gives you helpful tips on what kind of baseball glove you should get and the different types of balls you can buy, according to different qualities of price and durability. Overall, a great feature that I haven't seen on another sporting goods site. One thing I forgot to mention is the really good sales that come along. Always keep on your toes looking for them, because inevitably, you can find a pair of shoes that you have been wanting but didn't want to spend the dough on, for cheap. Time and time again, I have got great items for cheap; of course, having a guy that works at Foot Locker that gives me 30% off, as well as the sale price, helps! I have ordered a lot from Eastbay and they have always been good in getting my packages to me in good time. Since the company is based in Wausau, Wisconsin, I am relatively close to them, being in Ames, Iowa, so its is easier for me to get the packages to me in quicker fashion, but I have never waited longer than five days and almost always get it in three or four (using standard shipping, of course). I have never once had a messed-up order and never anything broken or ripped. In the box, they usually give you some sort of gift certificate for 10 or 20% off your next order, which is nice. The customer service is always good. When I returned a shirt because it was too large, they put the money back into my credit card account one day after they received my package, which was incredibly fast. When I phone the representatives to check up on my order, they are always kind to you and don't sound like you are a bother. Even when I order products, they talk to me like a normal human being and say that is a cool color choice I selected or that's a nice shoe that I bought. Very friendly. My overall satisfaction is easily a five-star ranking, with tremendous service and one of the most helpful and informative websites around for sporting goods.
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