Academy Sports + Outdoors

Good selection of shoes, knives, and coolers. FYI They have slip on socks under the benches in the shoe area for those who were flip-flop. They have Friendly staff.

We recently purchased a new pair of game cleats for our daughter’s softball season. Unfortunately, neither we nor the cashier noticed at checkout that we had actually purchased two different cleats. Same brand, same size, but slightly different from each other. We didn’t realize the mistake until the day of her tournament, leaving us no choice but to have her wear them to get through the games. When we went back to Academy to exchange them, we were disappointed to find that they refused to accept the return or offer an exchange. We tried explaining the situation to both the cashier and the manager, but neither was willing to assist us. At one point, the cashier even shrugged his shoulders at us, which felt unprofessional. We understand that policies exist for a reason, but their own policy states that returns or exchanges are allowed within 60 days, with items needing to be resalable. These cleats weren’t a matching pair to begin with, so they couldn’t be resold as a set. We weren’t even asking for a refund—just an exchange or the ability to purchase another pair without being stuck with MISMATCHED cleats. As loyal Academy customers who have spent a lot here over the years for our active kids, this experience was frustrating. We’ve never had an issue before, but this situation left a bad impression. While we take responsibility for not catching the mistake at checkout, the fact that the cashier didn’t either makes it even more disappointing that they wouldn’t work with us on a reasonable solution. It was a very silly and very frustrating encounter and also a big lesson learned. ****UPDATED REPLY TO ACADEMY 4/7/25**** Thank you for your reply, but to be honest, we’re looking for real interactions, not just a polished, likely AI-generated response. We’re hardworking people who choose to spend our money at Academy because we’ve trusted your store over the years. That’s why this experience was so disappointing. The mismatched cleats should’ve never made it to the sales floor in the first place. Mistakes happen, but the way we were treated when trying to resolve it was unacceptable. We had our receipt, the original box, and the bag. We approached the situation kindly, simply trying to exchange, refund, or at least get in-store credit for the full $45 we spent. (Again it's not about the money it's just the principle that we spent money and ended up with mismatched cleats) Instead, we were scoffed at, shrugged off, and the manager didn’t even have the decency to speak with us directly or offer a solution. We weren’t looking for a "handout." We just wanted what we initially paid for. We were also hoping to be treated with respect and understanding.... given the situation. As I stated before, this was a big lesson learned. We genuinely hope Academy's staff can reflect on this situation and ensure future customers are treated with the care they deserve!

I went to this store earlier this week to buy some Christmas presents for my husband. I was greeted by no less than four employees as I was walking through the store. One of the items I was looking for was a cooler. The shelves were well stocked but there was some confusion about pricing. There were four different colors and four different prices, which was really difficult for me as a customer and so I flagged down an employee, who grabbed a customer service manager. They immediately clarified which cooler was which price, were incredibly friendly, they pulled some price labels that were conflicting or inaccurate. TJ then pulled the item for me and even loaded my car. I couldn’t have asked for a kinder experience and they handled the situation much better than a lot of stores do. I know big items get shuffled around on the shelves, but academy worked to make it as easy on the customer as possible. Thank you for making the experience a positive one. You have a return shopper in me for the customer service alone.

I’ve been a loyal customer at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Louisville, KY (4901 Outer Loop) for 7 years. However, my recent experience today, December 7, 2024, around 9:30 PM, was deeply disappointing and upsetting. I was informed by the store manager and the greeter that I could not bring my medical bag, which contains essential supplies due to my medical condition, into the store. I explained that I needed it in case of an emergency, but was told I could only keep it if it was searched upon leaving. When I refused the search without a warrant, they stated they would follow me throughout the store. I felt humiliated and discriminated against, as my medical needs were not respected. This experience made me feel that my ADA rights were violated, and I was treated unfairly and disrespectfully. I expect Academy to review this incident seriously and ensure that all customers are treated with dignity and respect, particularly those with medical conditions. I will not be returning until this matter is addressed.

My family and I will NEVER be back in here. We were not greeted when we entered the store, a man kept watching us and asked if we needed help with anything. It wasn't a genuine question either, more or less in the sense that he was just letting us know he was watching us. He followed us through the store the entire time and made our experience uncomfortable from his harassement. We asked him why he was following us but of course, he denied it. After we walked away from him, he got on the radio to let the front end know we were walking up there... extremely rude.