Whole Earth Provision Co.

The fellas and gals at this store know what’s up, they are extremely friendly and willingly to help you out! They have a couple of clearance racks that have Life is Good t shirts for $ 10, now that’s a hella of a good deal. Plus there’s a decent amount of stuff located upstairs that’s clearance.

Very friendly, laidback service. Love that it’s a cool outdoorsy store that sells interesting doohickeys on the side like mood rings and handcrafted bracelets.
Great selection of shoes, and it looks like there are often sales on some lesser-​known but good brands. One that I discovered is the IndoSole – shoes made from upcycled tires in Bali. Super cute. Too bad that my odd sized feet can’t fit them. Only $ 29.99 last time I went! So if you’re looking for a new pair of canvas shoes but don’t want to conform to the TOMS trend, come here and check ‘em out.

I brought my little guy here so I could look at some Tom’s for the both of us and we ended up having so much fun in the store (although, we passed on buying the Tom’s this time). There are some great toys, but my little guy especially loved the wind chimes and rolling the Melissa and Doug shopping cart around the store. The staff was very kind to let us run around and play with some of the toys that they have out. They just smiled and chatted with us the whole time we were there. We left with a couple of novelty toys and some Curious George books but a lot of good ideas for future gifts and excursions.
This is a great place to go to find gifts for people, serious or gag. They carry so many local Austin items, I love to support shops like this. And it’s pretty likely I will be back to get myself a pair of the new ballet flat Tom’s once they appear in the store. Gotta support the local businesses!

I saw the North Face sign peeking out of a store that looked like a defunct, closed down store from Starbucks on San Antonio street.
Returning at a later time to investigate, I found out that this store was Whole Earth Provision company. The store looks great, the wooden columns and exposed brick. The staff were very nice. I went straight up to the 2^nd floor in search for climbing equipment and found a nice amount in the corner. There was a guy behind the counter I engaged in conversation who was quite knowledgeable and very helpful. Although I had no intent on buying gear quite yet, the prices were comparable to REI. But it’s hard to compare large-​scale places such as REI to something only as big as Whole Earth (even though I know it’s got multiple stores in multiple cities).
Long live local, and the mom and pop shops!

Went in here looking for some nice orthopedic sandals.
I was pretty stoked on getting a pair of Birkenstocks, but after trying on a few different pairs I found out they weren’t for me. The guy on staff was extremely helpful in helping me go through all the different alternatives. I finally found a great pair of Teva sandals for my Summer trip.
The items sold in this store may seem quite pricey, but they’re all very high quality and are the same price as REI, Amazon, or Zappos. They have an impressive variety of shoes ranging from very casual, hiking, or even formal.
Would highly recommend this store to anyone!

2.5? I came here three times to look for a North Face jacket. The first impression made me never want to come back here, but I really needed a nice jacket for the winter. The second time was a lot better, and the third just went downhill again.
INCIDENT #1: It was 6:05PM when I arrived at the store on Sunday. I wasn’t aware that they closed at 6. There were still a few customers inside, so I thought it was still open. Someone was walking out, so I stepped in with my friend. The employee finished her conversation with the man walking out, and before my friend and I could take another step, she shouted «NO!» at us with both her hands in a «STOP right there» gesture. I was pretty confused, and then she explained, «We’re closed right now.» Okay, thanks lady. You don’t have to be so rude. We walked out without her saying another word to us.
INCIDENT #2: I came in to try on some jackets, and the man was EXTREMELY helpful and nice. Everything that you would expect from a great store employee. I didn’t purchase anything that day because I wanted to bring a friend along for a second opinion.
INCIDENT #3: A cranky man tailed us the whole time. I felt uncomfortable just trying on the jackets. It wasn’t until I indicated I wanted to buy a jacket that he finally lightened up… a bit. He might have just been a very serious guy; he tried to help with his suggestions and opinions, but it just sounded obligatory and a bit condescending.
They really need to work on their customer service skills. Just because we’re college students doesn’t mean we can’t be treated with respect.
Other than that, I think the products inside the store are great. A lot of the items do not look like the photos on the North Face website, so I’d definitely check it out in person before buying anything.

I love the old-​timey look and feel of this location. The upstairs, especially has comforting creaky wood floors and exposed brick walls — something about it always makes me head there first thing when I shop here. Also upstairs contains a big sale/​clearance section, a big plus as Whole Earth’s prices can be a little too rich for me. It is always nice to find something for 40, 50 even 75 percent off!
The staff here are always enthusiastic and friendly. In particular, I still remember last summer when my daughter wanted a pair of sandals with good foot support. After unsuccessfully hitting several big box stores, I brought her here. She was being unusually picky (oh joy, the teenage years). The person who helped us was extremely patient and knowledgeable. My daughter ended up with a lovely pair of Merrell sandals, suitable even for dress-​up occasions, which she still happily wears today.

Hanging out at Whole Earth Provision is what I would do on lazy Saturday afternoons while I lived in west campus. I’m not a really big outdoorsy person, but I’m friends with someone who is. She introduced me to outdoorsy shoes and brand names at Whole Earth. After catching a really awesome shoe sale (big brand names that are known for the comfort factor like Keen, Merrell, Born, and Clarks for like $ 20), I realized that there were great deals to be had!
On the first floor, they have all your typical backpack, fleece, water bottle, shoe stuff. I spend most of my time on the second floor. They have all sorts of randomness up there. Clothing that is special because it dries faster, fashionable purses, hammocks, pooping cow key chains, little reading lights that clip to your book, three legged Argentine clay pigs, windchimes, ect. Its a lot of fun. But my FAVORITE part of the second floor are the shoe sales. People don’t really buy shoes there apparently, and they constantly have shoes on sale. I bought a pair of Keen boots there for $ 40 and some Clarks for something ridiculous (something like $ 10!!) for my mom right before Mother’s Day.
The key is that you have to check in often for their massive shoe blowouts.

I was caught moaning in pleasure by an employee at Whole Earth Provision. I had just slipped on a pair of Tevas and my feet were screaming in pleasure, so that resulted in a slight moan in the store while saying «I love flip flops». Mind you, I though I was alone and didn’t notice the employee walking behind me. I quickly recovered and let the guy know that my feet were much happier in flip flops than in my work shoes. Thank you Mr. Employee for agreeing with me and not making me feel like a total dork! Why can’t it be acceptable to wear flip flops at work???
They have one of the biggest selections of flip flop for women and men that I have seen in Austin.

Ahhhhh, camping stores! How these places make me long for the good old days of yore when you’d lock your kids in the wine cellar, pack your gear on the backs of a few trusty mountain goats, and just, you know, go into nature!
But, damn, we have it easy these days, what with our iPhones, our internal combustion engines, and our newfangled camping gadgets.
So, yeah, a decent store, I guess, if you’re into space-​age Nalgene water bottles and futuristic sleeping bags that aren’t made of otter pelts.
But me, I’m old school. In MY school, we tell epic tales of grizzled men sporting impressive wizard-​beards who once ascended snowed-​capped peaks using little more than two 40 pound wooden boots and a modest knapsack of ostrich eggs for sustenance.
So, yeah, thanks Whole Earth Provision. Thanks for ruining my dreams.