Shop the Blocks 2020 Spotlight: Threads/Footloose & Fancy
We're spotlighting downtown retailers participating in Shop the Blocks 2020 all month. Get excited for the the 13th Annual Shop the Blocks in November!
The ladies at Threads/Footloose & Fancy can fit you with a pair of Birkenstocks with their eyes closed. It’s kind of their thing.
So it’s no surprise that when the store was first opened in Lincoln in 1975 by Jim and Marla McCabe, it was the third Birkenstocks location to open in the country.
Footloose & Fancy has been a constant on P Street in Downtown Lincoln now for 42 years. Ten years ago, current owners Matt and Jane Stricker expanded the shop to include more space for clothing as well as footwear, transitioning the downtown location into “Threads.”
Since then, Threads has become a staple for UNL students and faculty as well as downtown residents looking for chic, outdoorsy additions to their wardrobes that are made to last.
DLA: How would you describe your store to someone new to Downtown Lincoln?
Jane Stricker: “We always like to say we're the ‘lifestyle’ of outdoor brands. There's not a whole lot of outdoor stuff to do in Lincoln, but people kind of want to look the part. We are passionate about brands that stand for good causes. We love Patagonia, Birkenstocks, Parks Project. We like to team up with people that have a passion.”
DLA: What’s new at Threads this season?
Jane: "We just got Emu slippers, which are super cute. That was a big deal. We brought in some of the Ember Mocs, the boot style of the Teva sandals. And we brought in a way larger selection of Blundstone boots, which is exciting.
We love fall, which is why it's so hard this time of year with the traffic being so slow down here. We have so much great stuff to show. There's a benefit to having the website, but we also need people to come in. I know I still want to touch the clothes that I buy."
DLA: What makes Threads unique among downtown retail?
Jane: "I feel like we have something for everybody. We have masks for children and adults in a bunch of different styles. It’s the big accessory that nobody saw coming!
Hydroflasks and Birkenstocks are probably our number one most searched for item. I feel like we were the “VSCO Girl” before that even became a saying. We love Birkenstocks. We can fit them with our eyes closed. We're the experts. They never go out of style, and they’ve been around since 1773. Isn't that crazy?"
Support Threads and other downtown retailers this year during Shop the Blocks, November 5, 12, and 19!
This year, Shop the Blocks may look a little different, but Downtown Lincoln's boutiques, book stores, art galleries, specialty shops & stores are still here for you. So let's show up for them! Spread out over the first three Thursdays in November, take this opportunity to get access to your VIP Passport to enjoy special discounts, giveaways, and more.
For more tickets and more information, click here.
Mentioned in this Post
Threads - Footloose & Fancy
1222 P St.