Sid H.
Yelp
I would just like to counter some of these 1-star reviews with my little anecdote, as it may help out a store that I found very agreeable, in light of the very negative image that two of the three reviewers thus far have given.
I was traveling through portland during their recent snow storm; I landed on the Thursday that it hit, and didn't leave until the following Tuesday. I was very underprepared, having packed a pair of ankle-high Sebago boat shoes and some slick-bottomed Red Wing Heritage boots (both are great boots, but ill-equipped for the unprecedented ice and slush).
I happened to be near the Danner store on my last day in Portland because I was headed to Powell's--a must-see by all accounts--when I noticed the storefront. I decided that being in the land of Danner, and having some extra hours to kill, I might as well see about getting a pair--or at least trying some on, as I've wanted a pair of Danner's for a while, but with no stores in my area carrying them, I've never taken the plunge of purchasing them online without first trying them on.
So there I was, peeking into store-front window at 10:45, 15 minutes before their opening time. I cupped my hands around my eyes and peered into dim, unopened store. Low and behold, a long-bearded, flannel-clad, Danner-sporting, thick-rimmed-eyeglass-donning shopkeep came to the door and opened it. I asked if he might let me in a little early to look around, as I was a traveler in need of some more appropriate footwear--I showed him my my sad, soppy, slick-soled, boots. Without missing a beat, he graciously let me in early. He then proceeded to tell me all I needed to know about each particular model, and when the time came, brought out as many pairs as I needed to try, while also giving me his own recommendations about how they break in, which ones were best for actually hiking or working in, and which were more for style. He honestly represented each shoe he showed me--telling me which were made in the USA, and which were made in china (only a small selection of cheaper more "style" oriented boots). He didn't hesitate to give me his honest opinions on which would likely last longer, versus which were made more for street-wear.
After at least 30 minutes of trying on shoes, I decided that I wanted a style that they didn't have in stock in the color I wanted, so he kindly wrote down the style number and color, without hesitation or any attitude, and I went on my way. The service was nothing but top-notch, and I will certainly be buying Danner boots because of the experience, because I now know what size/style will work best for me. I should also mention that the other person in the shop (maybe the manager, not sure) was also quite helpful, and re-assured me that his Danners had brought him on many a hiking trip over the three years he'd had that particular pair, and still had many years to come (which I could see certainly appeared to be true, both in the wear they had, but also the great shape they were in). Please disregard the low yelp rating and give this store a chance--but if you're in the market for Danners and find yourself in Portland, you probably won't be looking at yelp to make your decision to go or not anyways.
It sounds to me like the really long winded 1-star reviewer (though I may be hypocritical in characterizing Ben's post as such) is simply one of those customers who can't be satisfied, and maybe the other 1-star reviewer just came on a bad day. The discrepancy between my experience and the two other reviewers was severe enough, that I decided to write my first yelp review. Consider that and the general lack of eloquence by which Ben L. lays out a rather trivial complaint (he returned a pair of shoes that he was happy with because he didn't get a discount on shoe cream, and was possibly given a bit of sass over asking?) Though I don't think he deserved any rudeness, Ben's response was a bit severe, and I therefore doubt to some degree the validity of his beef.