This Nicholasville store just celebrated 40 years in business. What’s the secret?
Like many longstanding businesses, Nicholasville’s The Boot Store had humble beginnings.
Wayne Musick, the store’s owner, bought his first set of merchandise at an outdoor market in 1980 where a man was selling cheap cowboy hats. Musick walked up and began helping to shape them. He asked the man if he could buy a couple hundred dollars worth of hats to sell himself.
That got the ball rolling.
Musick sold the hats at the stockyards, flea markets, county fairs and even on the side of the road. It was just a matter of days in between that he was calling to double his order of hats to sell. His car was his office and warehouse at that time.
But things happened quickly, and his roadside stand turned to booths. His truck of merchandise was soon replaced with a trailer.
At the age of 30 in June 1984, Musick spotted the Nicholasville location that is now home to his business and rented 1,000 square feet to open The Boot Store. He outfitted the place himself and created all of the items he would need starting out, like benches, shelves, and racks.
Like the truck that was upgraded for a trailer, Musick doubled the size of the store within the next year. It wasn’t too long after that the shop got its recognizable western storefront facade that remains today.
In October, The Boot Store celebrated 40 years of business, employing generations of local families and selling accessories to customers across the decades. It is Kentucky’s largest selection of western wear, according to its website.
The Boot Store offers western boots, exotic cowboy boots, work boots, casual footwear, western wear, western accessories, rugged outdoor wear and custom-made boots.
Walking around the store, Musick can vividly recall the locations of the original checkout desk and the shipping and receiving area, and even when he hung the decorations that still adorn the building’s walls.
When the store opened it was surrounded by pasture and U.S. 27 was a two-lane road. Now, the roadway has more than 80,000 passersby on a daily basis with continued development each day.
Musick gets emotional thinking about it. Throughout speaking with the Herald-Leader, he’d become teary-eyed and smile for one simple reason: he’s so very grateful.
Musick paused when asked if his younger self could envision the success of his business.
“It didn’t enter my mind,” he said. “But neither did failure. You take risks at 30 that you wouldn’t when you are older.”
His business model is straightforward: work hard, be nice, don’t spend more than you make and treat people the way you want to be treated.
It is this mindset that he attributes to being what has made his business successful. The store has seen a lot of changes and holds so many good memories for Musick and his family.
None of it could have happened without loyal customers who have supported Musick and his business through the trials and tribulations.
In 2015, Musick awoke to a devastating call. Someone driving by on their way to work noticed flames coming from the building. The store was closed for a significant amount of time to recover from the fire, but Musick’s mentality about the accident was, again, simple.
“You have two options when you fall into a hole,” he said. “You can either climb out, or call a decorator.
“I have climbed out numerous times.”
In April 2024, his business was again struck with hardship when an EF-1 tornado touched down and caused some damage to the building.
But, Musick and his two sons, Paul and Luke Ray, climbed out of the hole.
As Nicholasville and greater Jessamine County continue to boom, Musick said The Boot Store will remain the same.
The Boot Store is located at 3090 Lexington Road and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
