Monday, January 23, 2012

Desperately Seeking Shoes

 I  have STRANGE feet, so in the interest of time, trust me on this... having searched every store within a 5 mile radius of home base, I decided to venture out to the Prime Outlet Mall to the SAS shoe store.
 It is only 8 miles, it took 25 minutes of THIS to get there and 35 to come home. for some reason South bound traffic here is always worse than North bound. I entertained myself at the traffic signal while waiting to turn in the outlet.
 Yes, I did see a few odd looks, but who cares, I was planning this post.
 I have not been to the Outlet in 10 years, so imagine my amazement when I walked up to one of many entrances
 and stood and stared at the map and locations.... OF COURSE I was NOT at the entrance that was a reasonable distance to the SAS store.

I despise shopping and very much despise outlet malls that are spread over acres and acres of ground. I took the map photos for future use, I can find the store I want at home and park a half mile from it instead of 2 miles.
 I was amazed when I stepped inside and found this  beautiful old fashioned room to sit in and try on shoes.
NOTE: I had to run out and rob a bank in order to pay for my  purchase of one pair of shoes.
the sky had changed when I walked out an hour later....  but still nor rain for us, someone send rain please.

do you shop Outlet malls? do you like/dislike them?

Does traffic make you crazy?

I got the below shot off the web site in case you want to plan your trip.. if you like Outlet Malls, it is a nice one, over 20 shoe stores, WOW  Ellenton Premium Outlets

35 comments:

SquirrelQueen said...

It looks like your shoe shopping turned into quite an adventure but you sure got some nice pics. I love the old fashioned look of the shoe store.

There are no outlet malls in this area, the nearest one is about an hour away. The last time I was in an outlet mall was years ago. They are not my favorite place to shop. The traffic doesn't bother me that much but the prices are not worth the trip.

Anonymous said...

I'm not much of a shopper, especially at a large outlet mall. I do love SAS shoes, though. In younger days, traffic was no big deal, but it drives me crazy now! Hope you have a great Monday, Sandra.

Catherine said...

Oh my stars! That is crazy traffic! No wonder you only go to that mall once every 10 years! Ha! That was kind of a cool area to try on your shoes though. I hate shoe shopping. Glad you found some though ~ even though you had to take out a mortgage to purchase them. Haha!

xo Catherine

Golden Woofs! SUGAR said...

Woof! Woof! A very nice outlet mall. My mom does not like traffic too but in exchange for a good bargain she'll go. Hope you found your shoes. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

mercy, that was some kind of traffic jam. I do not go to Malls anymore. Do much of my shopping online.

From the Kitchen said...

I don't shop outlet malls. In fact, I haven't been to any of the local malls in years. I prefer smaller shopping venues. I've used Zappos for shoes and have been very pleased. No shipping fees either way.

Traffic? It's always a problem here--usually five to six lanes in each direction and all slow!!

Best,
Bonnie

TexWisGirl said...

i dislike shopping, but hate real malls more than outlets. i'd rather be in a strip center than near either of those types.

i LOVE the interior of that store, however!

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Oh my Dear, this post is an on-the-spot description of one of the reasons, I could not stand staying in FL.

The TRAFFIC! To get anywhere! For anything!

The fact that all stores, are way-down-a-road, in some sort of a separate mall-ish thing. I remember the look of the stores!!!!!

No Downtown! We were in Jupiter for 3 months and we never found a "downtown." -sigh- In a big city, yes. But who wants to live in a big city?

We are wedded to our home down town, so... That's why we missed it so much. WE can walk down to downtown and walk around. Or we can drive a couple of mins. and park downtown, and walk around and go home.

Anyway, I felt like this post brought me back to Jan., Feb., March of 2001. When we rented a condo and stayed in FL. Wow! De ja vous or however you say it.

I know!!!!!! You LOVE it there. And that is wonderful!!!!!!!!! It's just not for me. Good thing it's not for everyone or you'd be crowded off the FL map!!! ,-)

.♥.
'And what are you reading, Miss-?'
'Oh! it is only a novel!' replies
the young lady ...
with affected indifference.

~Jane Austen
.♥.

George said...

I definitely do NOT like shopping, and we rarely go to any type of mall. But we have gotten our SAS shoes at a discount mall. It was't nearly as big as your discount mall, but the shoe store did have a similar area for trying on shoes.

RoeH said...

I actually do not like outlets. I've never had any luck with finding a "sale" and I use that term loosely. I think sometimes you can go to the actual stores and find more things on their sales that outlet malls. And you're right. I get tired of walking and walking. Outside of Riverside, CA they have a big one and I stopped there once on my way home to Phoenix. It was about 160 degrees that day in the high desert of California and at the mall it was easily twice that. And possibly . . . I don't like shopping nearly as much as I did in the 80's. No patience with it anymore.

penny said...

That shoe shop reminds me of my small hometown shop I shopped at.
Yes traffic does drive me crazy.
Have a wonderful day, Sandra.
Hugs, Pam :)

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

I think the title describes this post so well....I have not been to an outlit mall in years either

Remington said...

That was an adventure! I don't like it too crowded and I don't like a lot of traffic either.... We only see that when we go to the Twin Cities....

Ginny Hartzler said...

All your trouble was worth it, so WE could see!!!! I have never in my life seen a shoe store room like this, it looks like an old country store, not really even a store, an Amish Meeting House! So are you going to show us the shoes tomorrow and tell us how many you had to try on? I HATE trying on shoes. Does this mall have only shoe stores? I took my friend Vergie shoe shopping yesterday. She can't get shoes thin enough for her feet, and I can't get ones wide enough!!! Even a triple wide won't fit me, and you'd never know to look at my feet. I have Lymphoma. so I have to go to even funerals in Crocs!!!

Angela said...

It's hard to believe that you could have probably walked to that mall faster than driving there! lol I remember back when we lived in Maryland and we would go shopping to outlets and the big malls down there and would get stuck in traffic for hours. That is when I started carrying around snacks in the car because sometimes you would just starve to death or be thirsty and couldn't go anywhere from being stuck in the traffic! lol

I loved the old furniture display in the store! So neat!

There used to be some nice strip mall style outlets in Martinsburg, West Virginia but they moved them all to Hagerstown, Maryland and I didn't like that so we haven't been in over 15 years. It was a good 6 hour drive from here though.

And what? No picture of the shoes?! lol I had to do it! lol

EG CameraGirl said...

No, I am not a shopper. But I can see you made the best of a bad situation by taking your camera. Good thinking, Sandra!

Marie said...

I really enjoyed the shoe shopping trip with you Sandra. :) The entire trip is so similar to my experience here in Orlando. I don't care for Outlet malls. I don't find the discounts to be worth the drive or hassle of the crowds. Last time I went to the outlet mall I ended up at the animal shelter and found Rocket. :)
That was the BEST trip to the outlets that I've ever had!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

We've had almost the same experience, Sandra. We wear SAS shoes even though they cost a fortune... We went to the huge outlet mall in Pigeon Forge to the SAS Shoe Store --and were disappointed that the shoes were only about $10 off the regular price. SO--we paid more for gas and time to get there than we would if we had have just bought them here locally... Oh Well.

I hate shopping too and traffic and crowds. And--I don't think there are that many great deals in those Outlet Malls. But--that may just be ME.

Hugs,
Betsy

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

What a quaint way to try on shoe!!!

I dislike shoppin', traffic and crowds but when we go to Branson, I'll never turn down a stroll thought the outlet malls.

It feeds my 'name~brand' feddish!!!
Heeehehehhee!!!

Have a blessed week sweetie and enjoy those shoes! :o)

Anonymous said...

Woaow....what a neat room for trying shoes! We go to an outlet mall close by every now and then, and make a few bargains, especially buying shoes [hehe]. I like your shots during the drive, especially those where you see the mirror with all the traffic lined up. Cool!
Enjoy your new shoes - and have a lovely rest of your day! Big hugs x

Eva

barbara l. hale said...

I don't have the energy or desire to shop the outlets any more. Nor do I need much of anything. If there were a Nikon outlet store, I might frequent that, but (sigh) I don't think such a thing exists. I will say that I have hard to fit feet, too, and I would welcome a place that has my size at a reasonable price where I could sit and try things on. But I don't want to go to a mall to do it. Oh, well, guess I'm out of luck.

Ruth Hiebert said...

I hope after all that effort, you got some extra comfortable shoes.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

One of my favorite shoes I ever had was SAS, good brand. I don't like malls, either. OR the huge WalMarts, etc. And the traffic, ugh, I'd rather not. It didn't bother me when I was younger, but the older I get the less I like it. My son is used to it, but I don't even like to ride with him or anyone in heavy traffic anymore. Too many crazy drivers weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds. That's not for me!

Ann said...

what a cool looking shoe store. A step back in time.
Not only do I not shop outlet malls I also avoid regular malls as much as possible. I hate crowds and traffic too.

Inger said...

I think the nearest mall or outlet must be about 50 miles from here. Which is OK, since jeans and boots are the only clothes I need here since I retired. I never liked malls or outlet stores, but I would have liked to walk into a store like the one you showed.

troutbirder said...

Ouch! I afraid I've lived in the rural boondocks way too long to be able to stand this kind of traffic. More than three cars in my rear view mirror makes me nervous already....

Rose said...

I am not a shopper...I like to go get what I need and come home...UNLESS it is a quilt shop. That is a whole different thing.

I go to the outlet malls about once a year with daughters, and to the regular mall to shop about 2 or 3 times a year...but I also have to go there to get my hair trimmed.

I hate shopping for shoes...I used to have a bad, bad problem with a foot and was always afraid I wasn't going to find anything. I still have the problem but I am quicker at finding shoes. Still don't like going and looking for them though.

Chatty Crone said...

Honey - if I had the money - I would shop anywhere and everywhere - or yeah and if I had the energy. Lol sandie

Deb said...

I love shoes...I don't love shopping especially malls of any sort....

Reena said...

I hate shopping and really dislike malls. Strip malls are ok. Love that shoe store. And love your pelican banner!

diane b said...

I don't like shopping or being in slow traffic BUT shoe shopping that's different. We have malls here but I don't think we have one with 20 shoe stores. That would be enticing.

BlueShell said...

Wow...so many cars...We do not have that kind of traffic here...no!And I do not like Malls ( we do not have a Mall here, only in Viseu ( 13 miles away).
I like that shoe store!
Kiss
Oh...we need rain too: it's cold out there bot no rain at all.
Farmers are worried...because without rain... they have no agriculture!

Betty Manousos said...

i LOVE shoes, but i really dislike malls. however i love that shoe store. very cool looking.

DawnTreader said...

I'm not sure if we have anything quite like that here. There is one big shopping mall on the other side of town which used to be more of the factory outlet kind, but now more or less like any other. It's a lot of separate buildings though and not quite the big complex that your map gives the impression of. I go there perhaps a few times a year but usually only if I'm looking for something I can't find in the town centre or the supermarket at my end of town.

Tipper said...

Traffic does make me crazy!! No outlet malls where I live : )