When you’re looking for the perfect wearable souvenir from your vacation here in Keystone, there’s one brand that sticks out from the pack: SoDak Clothing.
SoDak Clothing is a family business that started with a desire to create high-quality clothing with original designs that appeal to tourists and locals alike. The brand started in 2014, but when the original owners wanted to pursue other interests, Janelle Schock and her husband, Andrew, took over. They built on what was already there by instilling their own family’s history of farming and entrepreneurship into the brand.
You’ll find Janelle and Andrew working together at their store, and occasionally their three kids as well. They love everything about South Dakota, with a family history of farming, teaching, and an affinity for Wall Drug donuts. It seems South Dakotans love them right back; you can now find SoDak Clothing in over 20 locations around the state, including in Palmer Gulch and Hill City. The outlet here in Keystone is their first true storefront, and you’ll find things here you can’t find online or in their other locations.
What makes SoDak Clothing different from other wearable souvenirs throughout the state is the attention to detail in their designs. When you see their iconic buffalo logo, look closely: the mountain range in the logo isn’t from just anywhere. The peaks inside the buffalo are the outline of Mount Rushmore, just reversed. “Many people say it looks like another popular brand,” Janelle says, “but really, it’s our own little Easter egg in the design. It’s subtle, but once you see it, you know exactly what it is.”
Other aspects of South Dakota life are present in their designs, such as ring-necked pheasants and the mythical jackalope adorning their stickers. Their shirts and flannels are popular with locals, and even Governor Noem has sported their hats. You can find your new favorite tank top to wear to the lake or a knitted pom-pom beanie to hit the slopes of Terry Peak, and know that whatever you buy will be high-quality and comfortable.
SoDak Clothing also believes in giving back to families in need. When you visit the SoDak Clothing Outlet here in Keystone, keep an eye out for a rack of flannel shirts. “We call them our redemption flannels,” Janelle explains. “They’re gently used shirts we find in secondhand stores throughout the state. We launder them and then embroider our logo on the front and a little buffalo on the back. When we sell them, half of the proceeds go to the McCrossan Boys Ranch in Sioux Falls. The whole idea is that through the redemption of the flannels, we help with the ranch’s mission of redemption for the boys they care for.”
Here in Keystone, we welcome you in and treat you like family. Our hospitality wouldn’t be what it is without the people and businesses that call Keystone home. SoDak Clothing embodies everything about us and more — and we’re glad they have joined the Keystone family. When you visit you will find a great hat, shirt, or sticker to remind you of the monumental memories you’ve made. If we’ve done our job right, it’ll also remind you of the Black Hills family you’re now a part of too.