Photo: Amandalina Letterio
Big Boot Inn is about to get a big rebrand.
Owner Mercedes Basford has some exciting plans for the downtown shop, which is set to close in February.
“We’re going in a different direction,” she said. “It’s going to be called Prickly Pear Boutique.”
The Big Boot Inn was originally owned by two Italian brothers—the DiGeso family—who were cobblers. They first opened the doors on First Avenue before moving to Victoria Street. Their major focus was on high-quality work boots and cowboy boots.
At a young age, Basford worked in the shop as a retail clerk, which gave her an in-depth understanding of the shoe industry.
In 2018, Basford bought the business.
She says the COVID-19 pandemic has given her a chance to take a step back and look at the shop and refine her goals.
The new storefront will no longer carry work boots and will be fashion-focused. It will also carry trendy accessories and stylish clothes.
“I want to explore different avenues that are more versatile. Shoes are going to be our primary focus, but we still want to diversify a little bit,” Basford explained.
“We will keep true to the quality and the comfort of (Big Boot Inn), but we’re going to focus more on fashion and everyday casual. We’re bringing in a lot more fun stuff. We’ve got lots of colours and statement pieces.”
Although it was a tough decision to rebrand the longtime business, Basford says this new shop will better represent the direction she has always set her heart on.
“I picked the name because I wanted to stick to homage Kamloops, our little dessert town. It was really important to me, being from Kamloops.”
Prickly Pear Boutique, located at 241 Victoria St., is set to open in March.
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