About Us

We strive to be knowledgeable, positive, and inclusive. 

Whether you climb mountains or just getting into backpacking, we want to help you get there. No outdoor experience required. We are more than your local outdoor store. SOKO Outfitters is your destination for the outdoor lifestyle. From expert gear recommendations to personalized advice, we’re here to support every step of your adventure.

SOKO Outfitters opened in 2018 by four friends with a passion for Cedar Rapids and the outdoors. Frustrated with not being able to purchase their favorite brands and outdoor gear locally, they combined their expertise to open Cedar Rapids' only locally owned outdoor store. SOKO Outfitters started as a passion project that has become a staple in our active community.

What does SOKO mean?

Sokol: (Czech: “Hawk,” or “Falcon”)

A gymnastic society, originating in Prague in 1862 to develop strength, litheness, alertness, and courage. Originally patterned after the German turnverein, the Sokol traditionally emphasized mass calisthenics as a means of promoting communal spirit and physical fitness. Sokol Gymnastics has been apart of Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 1873. Generations of Eastern Iowans — Czech or not — have been involved in the organization's athletics and cultural programming ever since.

Sokol Outfitters was one of the first iterations, but it did not feel quite right. Neither did a mash-up of the owners' names. We're saving that for our private label one day. A trade show, a few drinks, and a Japanese restaurant in Denver eventually lead us to drop the "L." We discovered "soko" meant "there" in Japanese.And that's why we hope you get here before you go there.