The Community Word

“These boots were made for walkin,”’ could he a theme for the Christian Bros. Boot Outlet store in Bellevue. Instead, it’s a western store with a whole lot more,” is their slogan, according to its current co-owner Brenda Eberley.

The store epitomizes their slogan, Eberley says: “Even though our biggest volume seller is boots, boots and more hoots, we offer everything from leather jackets. wallets, fragrances, and jewelry to hats, authentic western wear and belts and bolo ties.

The savvy customer can outfit him or herself from head to toe with quality western merchandise,” she maintains.

“We carry all the main brands,” said Eberley in a recent interview from her store’s offices at 3617 W. Harmon Highway.

“Whether you shop in Texas or Illinois you get the same brands.” she states about her store which carries both dress and work clothing. According to Eberley, they sell everything from John Wayne’s favorite Lucchese boots to Tony Lama’s, and Justin’s to Wrangler jeans and shirts; M & F belts, Montana Silversmith Buckles, and Bailey hats.

It’s all right here in a compact mix - their new store located on the basement level of Tingleff Drug Store.

Their boots are popular with certain local surgeons who purchase them because of the doctors’ need to stand for long periods of time in operating theaters.

“Real western boots have steel arch shanks inside,” explains Eberley. “When your feet are supported like that you can stand in them for a long, long, time.”

This store has been an ongoing family business operating in the Peoria area for over 30 years. Eberley and her husband, Dave, bought Christian Bros Western Wear from her father, Jake Gray, in 1996. She then changed the name and moved to their present location (and currently only store) in May 2005.

It all started in 1976 when three friends from the same church merged their backgrounds and “know-how” to open a small shoe repair shop with a few pair of boots to sell. Jim Lanius provided the shoe repair expertise: Larry Long handled retail sales; and Gray had the needed business acumen. Business boomed and the store grew from that one small store on Derby Street in Pekin to four mall stores in the heyday of western popularity in the 1980’s and ‘90’s.

They moved out to the Northwoods mall in the late 1980’s,” Eberley reminisced. “We were in four malls at that time: We had one in the Pekin Mall; at the Northwoods Mall; in Springfield’s White Oaks Mall; and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora. That was the heyday of western. That was Garth Brooks’ time,” she says of the popularity for people buying western wear.

“What brought that on first was in the late 1980’s there was a big surge from the John Travolta ‘Urban Cowboy’ movie. And then in the 1990’s there was Garth Brooks, and two-step dancing became very popular.” she explains.

Then about 1996, Christian Bros. down-sized, according to Eberley: “We had Pekin and Peoria (stores) only, and that’s when we moved to Harmon Highway,” just a few blocks east from where they now reside. The Pekin Store then closed in 1998.

Besides carrying western wear in all sizes up to 4X for men and boots from 0 for babies to size 15 for men and dress clothes for women, Eberley feels people might be surprised to learn that they also carry “biker” wear. Leather jackets, gloves, and chaps are offered. In addition, they also market Minnetonka moccasins.

“A lot of people like to wear moccasins for house shoes because they are a good leather quality,” Eberley explains.

Shoe repair is a big store offering, and they will fix every type of shoe, not just boots, she says.

Bob Ortiz is their “Fix-it’ specialist: “He is very experienced in soles and heels and any type of shoe repair,” says the enthused Eberley.

Also, they sell leather cleaner and conditioner called Black Rock Leather ‘N” Rich that they sell with every pair of boots and market it all over the United States.

“My dad has the patent on this leather cleaner and conditioner in one jar. It softens, cleans and preserves, and since it is colorless, you can use it on any color (leather),” explains Eberley.

Eberley claims her husband, Dave, whom she met in 1988 and married in 1990, is the best hat shaper in the state of Illinois, and they sell all colors and shapes and brands in felt and straw hats.

Even though western wear is considered a traditional style, Eberley claims there are fashion trends within the industry.

“For a while men’s shirts would have flowers, then it would be solids, and then everyone was wearing big bold patterns,” she says. “Sometimes the women’s skirts will have colored denim or 2-colored denim: it was turquoise and black for a while and purple and black,” she explains.

Even though the Christian Bros stores originally started selling just boots (later adding jeans and shirts) they have exploded into an extravaganza of color and variety.

Just looking around the store, one can see pink straw hats and boots with rhinestones for children; floral fragrances by Annie Oakley and cowboy hand-tooled horsehair wallets, plus a profusion of red, black and white hats and silver purses and multi-colored scarves.

One of her important brands, according to Eberley, is the Wah authentic western attire that a Chillicothe shooting club, “The Single Action Shooters,” love to wear.

“Wah name brand means it is traditional fabric, buttons, colors and styles that they wore back in the early western days,” explains Eberley, pointing out a beautiful pale blue paisley man’s vest.

“That tends to make them a little more pricey but the people that do the competition gun shooting are the people who buy that kind of stuff,” she says.

“Women buy our clothes only for dress and wear them for concerts and dancing,” says Eberley. She adds the ladies mostly come in to shop for their men.

“If it is not really high fashion they don’t buy it, so we don’t carry a lot of women’s clothes,” says Eberley, who still sells boots to the ladies.

Lately, they have had a lot of requests for western wedding clothes, and Eberley wishes she had a larger store so she could stock more of the requested items. However, she claims she can order just about anything for people who see something on the internet or catalogs they would like.

So what are the biggest sellers at Christmastime?

“Boots, boots, and more boots,” she laughs. “First men’s boots are top #1, then men’s shirts.”

She maintains that at Christmas kids like the little “shoot-em-up” cowboy outfits, referring to a snappy tan leather vest and chaps outfit on display. “Little boys that come in just love that.”

Her mother, Dixie, who still works at the store part-time, is always on the look-out for new merchandise and recently informed Eberley that they have to stock a cowboy hat featured in the latest western film, “3;10 to Yuma.”

Eberley is very thankful for all the great customers that have shopped with them for over 30 years.

“Return customers are what we live on,” muses Eberley, “and we invite them to come visit us in our new location or to call with any questions they might have at 669-2668.

“We are still here after all these years and we want to be here for many more years to come.”