August 4, 2020

Meet Maia Baccari of Hearne’s Footwear and Clothing in Fort Collins and Greeley

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maia Baccari.

Maia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My Mom, Carolyn Hearne started selling Birkenstock sandals along side handpicked, Native American jewelry in 1973 out of a small storefront in Berthoud, Colorado called Berthoud Mercantile. I spent countless hours of my childhood listening to Beatles records behind the counter and talking with customers. My Mom insists that I fit my first customer in a pair of Birkenstocks before I was two years old! I travelled every year of elementary school to the reservations in New Mexico to handpick jewelry for the store. I felt at home in the showrooms of the Denver mart.

In 1985, when I was ten years old, we moved from Berthoud to Greeley, CO. My Mom, a mother of 4 young children, rebuilt her business out of the front room of our home on 9th Avenue. The store was renamed Hearne’s Fine Goods. Our house was home to us, a multitude of customers, Birkenstocks,

Dansko, Naot, jewelry, leather bags and natural fiber clothing brands. When I say I grew up in retail, I mean it in the most literal sense!

When I graduated from CSU in the year 2000, my intention had been to teach high school English, but that same year Old Town Fort Collins lost it’s comfort footwear store, Dodd’s. The opportunity presented itself to expand the family footwear and clothing business to Fort Collins, so we took it. My Mom and I have been in business together since.

It brings me such joy to be a part of the Front Range community. I love helping people find the perfect shoe that relieves their foot or back pain. I love helping a woman redefine her clothing style, to see someone confident and happy in a new outfit regardless of body type. I love working with Mom to curate unique stores with quality brands from the United States, Europe and around the world. I love that my own daughter, Artemis has spent her ten years growing up in retail too! I love our community in Colorado that supports local business. I feel truly blessed to do what I do.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been easy. Particularly through the Covid-19 pandemic. We are grateful to have our stores open again, but we realize there is an ever present uncertainty because of the pandemic. Buying inventory, sales and staffing have all become more challenging.

Luckily, we have the experience and grit to remain optimistic about the future of the business; but even more importantly we have the support of our amazing customers and community.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hearne’s Footwear and Clothing story. Tell us more about the business.
Hearne’s Footwear and Clothing is a small boutique with locations in Fort Collins and Greeley. It is a mother and daughter owned and operated business that was originally established in 1973, by Carolyn Hearne in Berthoud, Colorado.

We specialize in quality, comfort footwear and clothing from around the world. We feature well-known brands such as Birkenstock, Dansko, Naot, Taos, Flax and Jag along side limited edition European footwear brands and US, Canadian and Italian made clothing.

We believe in quality, comfort goods with timeless style. We strive to provide the best, personal customer service. Nothing brings us more joy than helping people look and feel fantastic!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We hope to maintain our personal connection with our customers and communities while expanding our reach on our online site.

We have recently launched an online buying platform through Shopify. We hope to continue to build our online presence.

Pricing:

Sandals and Shoes: $59-199
Boots: $129-350
Clothing: $39-189
Bags: $39-350

Contact Info:

Address: 15 Old Town Square Fort Collins, CO
80526801 8th Avenue Greeley, CO 80631
Website: www.hearnesfootwearandclothing.com
Phone: 970-224-4653 970-352-4653
Email: hearnesfootwearandclothing@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearnesfootwearandclothing/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/hearnesfootwearandclothing/

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