Boot Barn

I have a new love affair with cowboy boots; however, they’re kind of hard to find in suburban Chicago. While driving through Florida, my in-​laws noticed billboards for Boot Barn and decided to make a detour. I thought places like Boot Barn and Country Outfitter were just online stores. Nope. Boot Barn actually exists. This was one of many detours on our road trip and possibly the only one I was actually excited about. It was time to try on some more cowboy boots!
This location was a bit tricky to get to. It’s next to the interstate and requires a u-​turn or some strategic driving across several lanes of traffic to reach the dirt road leading up to the seemingly abandoned building. I kid you not. I thought this place was closed but nope, it’s just the way it’s supposed to look. The abandoned lot next door just adds to the ambiance.
We walked in and were overwhelmed by all the [studded] Western belts and [Stetson] hats and [plaid] shirts and [Wrangler] jeans and [country] home décor. The country-​dreaming girl in me was a bit giddy as my eyes took in all the store’s attire. It wasn’t until I walked through the store and reached a back room that I finally found the boots! Dozens and dozens of pairs of beautifully crafted boots! Then some disappointment started to kick in.
The boot selection was smaller than I thought. They seemed to only have about twenty different pairs of boots and none of them really appealed to me. They had plenty available in every size, so when I couldn’t find the specific boots I wanted (a pair of turquoise Corral boots), the sales lady still helped me find the right size in a very similar style with that brand to understand my fit. She was very helpful and definitely seemed to know her cowboy (cowgirl?) attire. Boots are very expensive, so I didn’t want to splurge on just anything. I ended up purchasing the specific boots I wanted somewhere else later (I’m in love with them), but I’m thankful for this woman’s patient assistance.
The rest of the store is actually kind of small, too. The clothing selection is so-​so. The store is called «Boot Barn» so I honestly didn’t even expect much other than boots. It was cool they had clothes but they had slim pickings. I did end up purchasing a simple brown belt and my husband found a plaid shirt and cowboy hat he loved. My in-​laws bought some items as well. Maybe that’s what this place is for — just a stop for city people to people up some country-​looking clothes for a night out or something. Yeah, posers like me. :P