GQ magazine recently named Denver and Boulder two of the worst-dressed cities in America. The article mocked Coloradans’ affection for anything Patagonia and bike shorts-with-sneakers eveningwear.
But, local storeowners Dan and Kim Jones embrace this style. Dan calls it “fun functional clothing that may get laughed at in New York but fits the Denver lifestyle.” A year ago, they started a business to sell this very type of clothing.
Soar Outdoor, at 22nd and Kearney in Park Hill, sells kids and adult outdoor clothing for everyday wear. Dan describes the style as “things you can just throw in your backpack to go hike a fourteener, but then you can walk in the bar afterward and not feel like you need to change.”
Dan Jones, a longtime employee of the ski industry, believes gear should last a lifetime. Quality and functionality are important to the business owners. At the same prices, they carry the same brands found at the larger outdoor retail stores including: Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Roxy, Quiksilver, Osprey and more. The store also carries snowboards, skateboards and longboards. They also do ski and snowboard tune-ups.
And if they don’t have a specific item a customer wants, they will ship it to their store at no extra cost.
Kim and Dan Jones want to provide a better shopping experience than large outdoor retail stores, all of which are at least a 10-minute drive from northeast Denver. The couple calls their business a community-based neighborhood store, and they strive for “better customer service” than the larger outfitters.
They believe the community benefits from having a local outdoor store, and the store benefits from being located in the northeast Denver community.
Soar Outdoor is located at 2208 Kearney. The store is open 9:30am–6pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; from 9:30am–7pm on Thursday and Friday; and from 10am–5pm Sunday. Visit SoarOutdoor.com or call 303.997.5397.
