Finding the right clothing or equipment for your favorite sport isn’t as difficult as it used to be.
While online retailers have made it simpler for us to choose and order what we need without leaving home, many of us still prefer to take a trip to our favorite sports goods store to get what we need.
The following are some of the best of these stores in Iowa that you might like to take a look at before you make your next purchase or head into a game of one of the best sports teams in Hawkeye state.
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DICK’s Sporting Goods, Various Locations
As this is the biggest sporting goods retailer in the country, it’s no surprise to see that they have several locations dotted across Iowa. These include stores in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Dubuque, among others. This company has been operating since 1948 and currently has more than 850 stores in the US, so while it’s not a locally owned and operated store, it gives you access to a huge selection of goods at competitive prices.
While Dick’s Sporting Goods is based in Pennsylvania, its operations began with a fishing store in New York before expanding across the nation. They sponsor some big sporting events and have become a name that every sports fan is aware of thanks to promoting their name in this way. As you’d imagine given the scale of their operation, you can find just about every type of sporting gear you could want here.
All the main American sports like football, basketball, and baseball are covered, while golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball are among the other popular sports that they stock clothing and accessories for.
Whether you’re looking for the right equipment to play some games or you’re a fan looking to show your support for your favorite team at a local sports bar, these stores have everything you need. Dick’s has their own clothing lines as well as major brands.
Their online store is a good place to get a feel for what they offer and the current prices. If you then want to visit a local store, you can check out the ‘Find Stores’ part of their site. This brings up seven stores in Iowa and lets you see the full address as well as their opening hours. Their Sneaker Release Calendar is another useful resource for anyone who wants to get hold of the latest fashionable footwear as soon as it’s released.
Give the gift of fleece fits for game day. 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/wDIIg0SItZ
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) December 8, 2022
2. Active Endeavors, West Des Moines
This store is worth a look if you want to get hold of the right clothes and gear for adventurous sporting activities like climbing and hiking in the wilds. Active Endeavors first opened in 1993 with the goal of helping Central Iowa residents to enjoy the outdoors more easily and safely. They did this by choosing to sell only quality brands that help people to go camping, hiking, or have other adventures with the confidence of using the right equipment at all times.
The Brands page on their site confirms that they work with household names like The North Face, Patagonia, and Yeti, as well as many others that you’ve probably heard of too. These are all brands that have a solid reputation for promoting sustainability as well as innovation, so they fit in perfectly with the Active Endeavors ethos. They’re based at the Shoppes at Three Fountains in West Des Moines, and you’ll see the store next to the Barnes & Noble location there.
Active Endeavors opens every day of the week, although the opening hours vary by day. For example, if you want to go there from Monday to Friday then you can do so from 10 am through to 6 pm. On Saturdays, the store is open from 10 am too, but closes an hour earlier, at 5 pm. Sundays have shorter opening hours, from 12 pm to 5 pm.
A rewards program to give points to registered users with every purchase that they make. These points build up and can then be used during special events, while members also get exclusive offers.
This is the kind of store that probably suits you if you prefer adventurous sports and getting off the beaten track, but it’s definitely worth having a look around even if you’ve never gone camping before. Alternatively, if you’re a fan of fishing or hunting, there are several stores across Iowa that sell the supplies and accessories you need for these hobbies.
Chacos, prAna, and Spring, what more could we ask for? #newarrivals #activeendeavorsic pic.twitter.com/av8YJBOqIS
— Active Endeavors IC (@ActiveEndeavIC) April 27, 2019
3. Running Wild, Davenport
Described on their site as the only running store in the Quad Cities area that’s locally owned and operated, Running Wild began life in 1991 and is still going strong. They believe that the right footwear is the essential starting point for any type of running, whether it’s for a professional track athlete or someone just looking to keep fit or lose weight. This is reflected in their range of goods from top brands and also in the fact that they offer a friendly service to help you to choose the right footwear for your needs.
Running Wild is a keen supporter of the local running community as well as being a sports goods store, as they attempt to tap into the athletic potential that they believe exists in the region. This has led to the formation of the Running Wild Elite team which has both men’s and women’s teams that take part in different competitions. Runners get logistical support in terms of things like travel, while also joining a keen running community.
This store is based at 3216 Brady St in Davenport. Their opening hours are listed as 10 am through 7 pm from Monday to Friday. The store then opens from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturdays, with opening hours of 12 pm to 5 pm on Sundays. As well as running shoes, you can check out the rest of the clothing and accessories that they offer, but there’s no doubt that footwear is the main product line here.
If you love to run as a hobby or on a competitive basis, you’ll want to take a look around Running Wild at some point. Even if you decide not to join their running team or their community, you can still purchase excellent footwear here to help you to run more safely and comfortably. If you’re interested in joining them on a more active basis, you can get started by taking a look at the events calendar on their site.
The founder of Davenport business Running Wild, Steven Kilbury will be remembered as a quiet, kind person who was of great importance to the Quad-Cities running community. https://t.co/xAAuZOym4a
— QCT News (@qctnews) December 4, 2019
4. Decker Sports, Mason City and Fort Dodge
There are two Decker Sports stores located in Iowa, with one of them in Mason City and the other in Fort Dodge. The Mason City location is where they originally started selling sports goods, way back in the 1950s, with the Fort Dodge store becoming operational a few decades later. Inside either of them, you’ll find an excellent selection of sporting goods covering a wide variety of different sports.
Among the top brands listed on their website are names such as Under Armour, Columbia, and Nike. You’ll also see plenty of local area high school and college sweatshirts among their products. There are thousands of square feet of products in both stores, so you might want to set aside enough time to take a good look around it all before you go there, or else check out their online store to narrow down your options before you visit them.
In addition, anyone who runs a local sports team will probably be interested in their service for the design of custom logos. You can check out their logo designs online by clicking on the relevant sport on the Decker Sports website.
The company describes the school and recreational team outfits as a key part of their business, but it’s also a place where you can find the right clothing and gear for just about any type of sports that you carry out at any level.
#BaseBall Check out this SICK Deal. Knickers/Long/Youth/Adult/Piped for $20. Flash Sale Begins today. Get while supplies last.https://t.co/7DzkWQNoBa pic.twitter.com/nbDAylZBex
— Decker Sports (@decker_sports) November 18, 2022
5. Dwight Hauff Sporting Goods Co., Sioux City
With a history going back over seven decades, Hauff Sports now has locations in several states including Iowa. Their Iowa showroom is in Sioux City but it’s worth nothing that their website currently states that visits to the showroom are by appointment only. However, online sales now appear to make up the bulk of their business anyway.
The brands on offer include the big names you would expect to see, like Adidas, Nike, Wilson, and Under Armour. A look at their section covering sporting equipment reveals everything from shoulder pads to scorebooks and from footballs to energy drinks. Delivery is carried out swiftly, and there’s also an option to go to their store and pick up what you order. In terms of sporting apparel, the sections include headwear, jackets, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, so there’s plenty of choices.
This company specializes in selling customized team uniforms for local teams, as well as physical education supplies and all of the equipment needed to carry out sports like football and baseball in a safe and professional manner. They can custom print goods like t-shirts, caps, and full uniforms, with a Graphics Builder tool on their website that you can use to create a design.
Dwight Hauff (Class of 1986) opened Dwight Hauff Sporting Goods in 1933 and grew his single location into three additional sporting goods stores in the Midwest. Hauff served as the President of NSGA in 1960. https://t.co/LbJzZOdWOr #HOF #HauffSportingGoods #sports #retail pic.twitter.com/AlleWwUSvx
— NSGA (@NSGASportingGds) January 10, 2023
Credits on Featured Image: Flickr/Commercial License Allowed/Mike Mozart
