Portland 2016: Shopping Haul

Oregon has no sales tax, so I of course had to do some shopping while I was in Portland. I didn't have too much time to shop with all of the visits I had to do for class, and stores downtown seemed to close around 8 p.m. on weekdays, but I managed to leave the state with some good deals and stuff!

Beaver Store

The Beaver Store is an Oregon State fan store, and there's a location in downtown Portland despite Oregon State being half an hour or so away in Corvallis.

I'm not a big fan of Oregon State's gymnastics team, but I do like a few of their gymnasts. Plus, I'll take a gymnastics shirt from almost any university! I'd like to start a collection of collegiate gymnastics shirts. Right now I have Illinois (of course), Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Arizona State, and now Oregon State!

Adidas Employee Store

If you read part one of my Sportlandia blogs, then you already know I got to shop at the Adidas employee store where nearly everything is 50% off! I definitely had to take advantage of that because when am I ever going to score new Adidas stuff for that cheap?

Tubular Viral W

These shoes are the Adidas Tubular Viral W. They're more of a casual athletic shoe than an actual exercise shoe, which I like because I do admit that I wear my gym shoes more for just going out and to class than actually working out. Plus, since these are more of a casual gym shoe, they have a different but still sporty look to them that I can't get from my other shoes.

I wore these to the airport when leaving Portland, and they're very comfy! The body of the shoes is made from a breathable, flexible mesh material, so it conforms to your foot. Plus, the sole of the shoe is thick and like a cushion.

Before I bought these pants, I didn't have any Adidas clothing with the famous three-stripe design they're known for. I've always seen these soccer pants, which are popular with people who don't even play soccer, and I always thought they were really cool. I didn't know they came in any other color than black and white, so when I found these pink ones, I wanted them.

To be honest, I just got this shirt to go with the pants, and then they both happened to match the shoes I got, which I found last. I really do like the design on the shirt and think it's pretty cool, though!

Columbia Sportswear Employee Store

Columbia's employee store actually carries four brands: Columbia Sportswear, Sorel, Mountain Hardwear, and Prana. Those are all of the brands under the Columbia umbrella, so there was a lot more at their employee store than I expected.

I wasn't expecting to buy anything for myself at the Columbia employee store, but then I realized I could really use a nicer rain jacket that wasn't huge and super casual like the rain jackets I currently own are. I really liked this one because it could pass as just a normal coat. I also love how you can pull the waist in, and it's wind resistant! It's a great light jacket to wear for early fall or late spring.

The Grotto Gift Shop

I didn't go into the gift shop at The Grotto with the intention of buying anything for myself, but when I found things I wanted, I figured I should get them because I didn't know if I'd be able to find them anywhere else (and without sales tax).

So I'm not a gymnast, but if you know me and read my blog, you know I love gymnastics. I love that this isn't just a necklace with a gymnast's silhouette on it. It's symbol of protection and comfort and comes with a prayer on the back of the card. Besides, I'm around gymnastics a lot, so maybe it can rub off on the gymnasts and prevent some injuries?

When I saw these bracelets, I knew I wanted one. These are like Pura Vida bracelets in terms of design, but they're much cheaper. Pura Vida also doesn't make ones with crosses, so I didn't know where else I'd be able to find these. I got one in light pink and one in hot pink because with the amount of pink clothing I have, some match the lighter shade better than others.

What would you want to shop for if you got the chance to go to the Adidas and/or Columbia employee store?

Portland 2016 blogs:
Portland 2016: Sportlandia Part 1

Portland 2016: Sportlandia Part 2

Portland 2016: Food in the City of Roses
Portland 2016: A Glance at the City of Roses