I appreciate her for letting me in 10 minutes before closing time in a “travel emergency” situation. The story is I brought a 19-year-old pair of Nike Air Max 360s to use and throw away after use on this work trip. Unfortunately, the soles fell off just as I was going to work on this first of 3 days. So, I had to use my skateboarding shoes for the job (I use Nike Air Force One’s for local standing work.) So, the solution idea I came up with was PowerStep insoles for my skateboarding shoes. I checked Google Maps and this was the only potential store to have them: I called and Isabel honestly said they didn’t. I missed the cut-off time for Amazon’s same-day delivery for the possibility of making my skateboarding shoes a little versatile in the name of standing on concrete as a “bandaid” solution. To find a settle-for insole pair, I successfully skateboarded to the store and got some good natured professional help which was wonderful. I know a San Rafael store that has my familiarly favorite PowerStep insole for only a little more than the Amazon price. I will have to say that this brand Aetrex I was introduced to here somewhat comparable to the PowerStep and A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. Yep, bringing the 360s was a $95 mistake. Other brands (that I know Big 5 has and Walmart probably has) of insoles are generally get-what-you-pay-for cheaper or just a waste of money. Getting their best available insoles was the best and most economical thing I could have done in this situation. Yea.. Hoka shoes have a lot of hype for standing function but certainly not cheap. I did what I had to do. However, one day later of 8 hours on the standing-on-concrete work day, the Aetrex insoles in Airwalk skateboard shoes is working okay, but nowhere near as good as PowerSteps in Air Force One’s. THE BIG LESSON: as a purging traveler, make sure your work/event shoes will last throughout the needed use throughout the trip, that mistake will cost you. But if you make that mistake in Ukiah, Beck’s the place to go for the “bandaid.”

Silvia at Beck’s Shoes is absolutely incredible! From the moment I walked in, she truly listened and understood exactly what I was looking for—style, comfort, convenience, all of it. What impressed me most was how open and thoughtful she was when I shared my honest opinions about different shoes. She didn’t take anything personally—instead, she really took it to heart and worked hard to find the perfect fit for me.

She went above and beyond to make sure I left with something that genuinely works for my needs, and her attention to detail did not go unnoticed. On top of that, she created such a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere in the store. I watched her effortlessly check in with other customers while still giving me amazing, personalized service.

I’m beyond impressed. Silvia is hands-down one of the best managers I’ve ever encountered. I’ll absolutely be sending all my friends and family her way!