(Photo by Amy Thrash)

By C. Campbell, Staff Writer

cody@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Fort Payne Footworks has opened a second store, located on Highway 75 in Rainsville. According to Jill Caneer, who runs the Fort Payne location, a number of the store’s customers live and work on Sand Mountain, and aren’t always able to get down to Fort Payne in order to shop with them before the store closes.

She expressed the belief that this would make it easier for their Sand Mountain customers to still be able to shop with them, but not have to travel as far to do so.

When asked, Caneer provided further details about their new outlet. “Our Fort Payne store is approximately 5,000 square feet, but the one in Rainsville is only about 1,000 square feet.”

Despite this smaller location, the store will still carry many of the same things available at the Fort Payne location. Caneer also explained that if customers needed something that wasn’t at the Rainsville store, but was available at their main location, “we can drive it up from Fort Payne.”

Interestingly, “Plans to open this store have been in the works for only a couple of months,” Caneer said.

She and her brother, Jack Davidson, who owns Fort Payne Footworks, were approached by the owner of the Body Vision fitness center about the location, and things went from there, Caneer explained.

While Fort Payne Footworks may be expanding by adding a second store, Caneer asserted that they were not aiming to be like a franchise. “We want people to know it’s a family owned business, and we’ll do what it takes to make sure they’re happy with their orders.”

While opening a second store is a major change for Fort Payne Footworks, the overall vision remains the same. By striving to provide their customers with quality service and shoes at an efficient price, Fort Payne Footworks remains dedicated to the ideas that has brought them to this point.

Opening their new store in Rainsville is a testament to their pursuit of this goal for not only the people of Fort Payne, but the residents of Sand Mountain as well.