Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

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Check your mailboxes! Our Gift Guide is hitting homes this week!

Check your mailboxes for the Christmas gift guide hitting homes this week. This 8 page catalog features some of the hottest brands and gift ideas for everyone on your list this Christmas. 

If you do not receive the catalog and wish to be added to our mailing list, please visit http://eagleeyedothan.com/Page_5.html and fill out the contact form on our Web site. We will immediately get one mailed out to you! Or - you can stop by Eagle Eye and pick up your copy.

Don't fight the mall traffic! Shop LOCAL with the convenience of curbside parking, great customer service, and extended holiday hours until 8 PM.

Select Styles of Inov8 now 25% off!

Hey, CrossFitters and fitness enthusiasts! Select styles of Inov8 are now 25% off at Eagle Eye!

Early Markdowns...just in time for Christmas!

It's the season of giving, and we want to give you the gift of savings! Right now, select merchandise is marked down 20-25% off! Our new holiday hours begin today at the main store.  We're now open 9 am - 8 pm everyday expect Wednesday (9 am - 6 pm) through Christmas. As always, we are closed on Sundays.

And, remember, you can still use these coupons for regular priced items!

Layering for Cold Weather 101: Footwear

As the weather starts to grow a bit colder and our lives keep taking us outdoors with football games, baseball tournaments, deer season and the fair, we want to take a minute to educate you on the BEST way to keep warm. Though a good jacket is a great step in the right direction, there is so much more to keeping warm. We are going to start at the very bottom of it all, what you need to wear under your clothes, and work our way out to jackets, gloves, hats, scarves and even socks in this technical series on layering.

Footwear: Part 5

by Staff Member Bradley Roper

Finishing up our series on layering is the topic that is arguably the most important of them all…FOOTWEAR! We all know how hard it is to keep our feet truly warm. I think if we were all honest we would have to say that it is almost impossible to get our feet warm and keep them warm in cold weather. There are a few secrets and products that can greatly help in the attempt to get those toasty toes that we all want during the winter. There is a layering process for the feet just like the rest of the body that is critical for warmth.

First let’s look at socks. I only have two words here to recommend: MERINO WOOL. There are a lot of misconceptions about merino wool that we need to get over. For starters, most people see the word wool and think ITCHY. However, this is not the case with merino wool as it is very smooth and soft. Also, people have a tendency to think that they will get too hot in wool or that wool is too much for them. Don’t make the mistake of falling in with this crowd. Merino wool is the only fiber that is a natural temperature regulator. In colder weather it helps insulate for warmth and in hot weather it helps to shed heat. Merino wool is the best odor manager, it wicks moisture away from the skin to keep you dry and you can get several days of wear out of one pair when travelling if needed. Some sock brands we have that utilize merino wool include:

DARN TOUGH

SMARTWOOL

THORLO

BROWNING

Browning

Now we move on to boots. For our purposes there are four different categories of boots to discuss. We have fashion, work, hiking, and hunting boots. These four categories have their own distinct features that will help you decide which is best for you. Sometimes the technology between these four groups is the same and they simply look different based on what the customer plans to do. For instance, in previous blogs we have discussed the benefits of waterproof technology. You may have a hiking boot and a camouflage boot that are both waterproof, however, the avid hiker is not going to want a camo boot and vice versa.

First let’s discuss the fashion boots. The term fashion is used lightly here as it simply means a boot that someone could wear every day. These boots will be what is sometimes referred to as “urban waterproof.” This term means that a leather boot without specific waterproof technology built in will still keep you safe from water as long as you don’t submerge the boot or let it get saturated. These boots will obviously be  very comfortable. They can be worn to work or even church. It is a good idea to have a multipurpose boot lying around that you can dress up or dress down. We have several different boot brands with great fashion choices including:

SOREL

PATAGONIA

DANNER

BORN

Sorel Chugalug Chukka

Of all the fashion boots my personal favorite for comfort and style would have to be the Sorel Chugalug Chukka.

Second let’s discuss the work boots. For our purposes we are going to define work boots as a boot that is not fashion or camo, but rather one that serves a specific purpose. Although you can wear several of our hiking boots or hunting boots to work, we do have some that are specifically for work wear. A work boot can have a steel or safety toe, they are usually full or mostly leather construction, and some may even carry the Electrical Hazard stamp that OSHA requires for linemen or other electrically hazardous jobs. Most of our work specific boots are waterproof. In our store we do not sell any steel toe boots. We only have the composite or safety toe boots. Several different brands with different technologies include:

CAROLINA

BROWNING

DANNER

Danner Fowler

Third let’s talk about hiking boots.  These boots can obviously be worn for other uses besides hiking. Some people choose for these boots to be their everyday shoes! Hiking boots have different features such as very aggressive outsoles for traction, most have some type of shank (whether large or small) for stability, waterproofing liners, durable construction, and lacing that helps keep the foot stable. Some customers like shorter boots that look like a regular athletic shoe and some like much taller boots that can even go up to mid-calf. We have hiking boots of all different rises. Also, it would be beneficial to mention that some of the boots in this category are winter specific. This means that they will have all the same features listed above but will also offer insulation to keep the feet warm in cold weather. Different hiking boots with varying technologies include:

THE NORTH FACE

COLUMBIA

VASQUE

TIMBERLAND

Vasque Taku GTX

Finally we will take a look at hunting boots. The majority of our hunting specific boots will be recognizable by the camouflage pattern. However, some hunters don’t mind wearing a good leather boot that is waterproof to hunt. For this blog our hunting boots will all be camouflage. They are all at least a mid-calf to knee rise in height. They will all be waterproof, extremely durable, have great traction in the outsole, some will be “scent-free”, and we even have one boot that is safe against snakes. Several of them are also insulated against the cold because most hunters that are in need of a camo boot are going to be getting up very early in the morning to use them and that is when it is the coldest. Some of our different hunting boots with varying technologies include:

LACROSSE

MUCK

LaCrosse Alphaburly Sport

That is the best story I can come up with for Fall/Winter boots and socks. Don’t forget that keeping the feet warm and dry is the last and probably most important step in layering properly. If your feet are wet inside a boot it does not matter how insulated the boot is…YOUR FEET WILL BE COLD. Remember that good socks are the key to staying dry and helping with warmth. Come by the store and let us help you layer from head to toe so you will be warm during all of your winter activities! Whether you are a motorcycle rider, hunter, hiker, or just looking for a good everyday wearing boot we have the right product for you!