I'll write a bit about the Kohl's clothing store.
Kohl's is - understandably - a chain, but of Wisconsin origin, even though it has already become the 23rd largest in the US. Although the chain started by selling groceries, now it has all sorts of household stuff: clothes, small appliances, and things for the home and family. My sister doesn't like shopping, so Karina, who feels the exact opposite about it, was there instead of her. A huge thanks to Karina for everything - the rides there and back, the advice, and the patience.
The name Kohl's is read as Kohls, with a certain inflection. My sister was even surprised that I pronounced it right away and didn't read the letter h, and I was surprised how one could possibly pronounce it in this word. Then again, I studied French once, and there the letter h is sometimes unpronounced, so maybe it's only obvious to me.
In Kohl's, on the long rows of racks, there was a lot of all sorts of clothes, but I was mostly interested in jackets, sneakers, and jeans-type pants. In the end, I successfully found a jacket in the sales section. Actually, a sale is a broad concept - there's clearance and there's sale. The clearance sign tells us that these are leftovers - they will hang there forever until bought. And the sale sign - that prices are temporarily reduced, grab it or it'll run away. Under normal conditions, my jacket cost a hundred bucks, the sale price was $30, and with Karina's discount as a regular, it came out to only about $25, which isn't much for a well-made jacket. Interestingly, the goods in Kohl's and even in Walmart look to be of good quality, I haven't seen such blatant Chinese crap like we have back home.
My favorite "rubber" jeans with Lycra (Lycra) , were almost non-existent both in Walmart and in Kohl's - despite the fact that back home they are sold in every retail outlet, despite being expensive. I usually only wear these kinds of jeans. In America, they are called stretching, meaning they stretch, which explains their main difference from regular ones. In my opinion, after these, regular ones are uncomfortable to wear. In the end, I didn't even buy jeans, but khaki-colored pants and a matching belt. And also, understandably, shorts, because I hadn't brought anything like that with me, and it was hot.
As for sneakers, I couldn't find my favorite Salomons in Kohl's, so I had to go to a store with the funny name Famous Footwear, meaning "Famous Shoes". There I enjoyed a miracle of progress - a PC with a touchscreen, where in a couple of swipes you can find out what brands and models are in the store's catalog. It's a pity it didn't indicate the place where they lie on the shelf, but you can't demand everything at once - who knows, maybe that will appear over time too. Interestingly, the beloved Salomon was present in four incarnations, including the one I wear now. After several fittings, I ended up buying them. And another pair - from a different brand, for a pleasant combination of green and brown colors. My American shoe size for Salomon products is 10 - the most standard one there is, corresponds to European 44 or 42.
Salomon TechAmphibian, click to go to the Salomon website
Curiously, the first time I bought such sneakers was in the Daugavpils branch of the bike chain Hawaii Express, knowing nothing about them. They hang there all year round at a discounted price of $120, while in the US they cost $80 tops. They are fantastically good.
First of all, you can step on the back part, using them as slippers, if you're too lazy to put them on completely.
Secondly, it's unclear how one can be too lazy, considering the speed fastener that locks in 2 seconds.
Thirdly, the strap at the back (visible in the photo) allows you to adjust the degree of heel grip.
Fourthly, they are very durable - they withstand many hours of hiking over rough terrain or constant wear throughout the year.
On top of all this, only now, when I started digging up information for the post , did I learn a few more informative facts.
In the manufacturer's classification, these sneakers are called Sandals, that is, sandals. In principle, it's logical, considering the ventilation holes and the focus on wearing them as slippers. But I still wear them with socks (thereby committing an unforgivable faux pas from my mom's point of view).
And the most interesting thing - these sneakers are a Water Shoe, meaning perfectly wearable in the rain. You can walk through puddles, sinking up to your knees, and even swim right in the shoes. This came as a pleasant surprise to me - although I could have guessed, considering they are called TechAmphibian.
After all this, it's not surprising that in Salomon's model range these are the best-selling shoes. If you don't believe my praises - check out the reviews. There's a guy there who writes that he wore them for four years!
After that Chinese nightmare I always used to walk in, (I mean just the sneakers) this is like space technology sent down from above. By the way, Salomon also makes very beautiful classic sandals, but I already have those from the German brand Josef Siebel - I'm not complaining. By the way, both Salomon and Kohl's come from the surnames of their owners.
And here's one more thing to tell about Kohl's. After almost a year of wearing it, Karina's chain broke. She came in with the receipt, hoping to find out what could be done under warranty. After spending some time, they found her purchase in the accounting system and immediately offered a refund. Which she successfully and immediately spent on a new chain. (I hope Karina won't be offended at me for such a breach of privacy). Back home this is also possible, but harder - usually after wasted nerves and time. In the US, where the fight for the consumer is usually still no joke, things are way better with this. So here we see capitalism's victorious face, rather than its bestial grin, as is sometimes the case. In principle, it's logical that weaknesses are tied to strengths - the crazy emphasis on the consumer society sometimes makes this very consumption much easier.