San Diego Reader

Nordstrom Rack
Mission Valley Center,
1640 Camino del Rio North,
Mission Valley
(619) 296-0143

Can't miss it, big yellow-orange building, visible from Camino de la Reina. Eccos, Birkenstocks, Dr. Martens...$160 shoes for $85, $120 shoes for $60. You get the idea. Too good to be true? Well, they call it the "rack" for a reason: the shoes are all thrown together in a -- there's no other word for it -- rack; you must have patience to sift through. They're organized by size, of course, but still, you've got to hunt and peck. And on weekends, elbow room is in short supply. Best bet: weekday afternoons. Or try weekday evenings; they're open until 9:00 p.m.