The family behind the shoes
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Our Family Story
Main & Taylor Shoe Salon · Est. 1993 · Raleigh & Greensboro, NC
Archie & Diane in 1993 — the beginning of the Main & Taylor journey.Y’all may not know this, but the original Main & Taylor was situated right on the actual corner of Main Street and Taylor Street in Columbia, South Carolina. This was before our family stepped into the fray. Back then, Main & Taylor had two different owners and three stores dotted across the Carolinas.
Y’all may not know this, but the original Main & Taylor was situated right on the actual corner of Main Street and Taylor Street in Columbia, South Carolina. This was before our family stepped into the fray. Back then, Main & Taylor had two different owners and three stores dotted across the Carolinas.
Our family’s foray into the shoe business began in 1993, when the previous owner needed to liquidate the store relatively fast. Archie — a former stock boy recently turned salesperson — had to decide if he wanted to take out a loan and buy the business or grab a newspaper and hit the classifieds. I’m sure you can guess which one he chose. He secured a loan from his ever-supportive in-laws and was All IN.
Archie quickly hit some hurdles. He came to the conclusion he may have bitten off a tad bit more than he could chew. Like every man who needs help, he turned to the one person smarter than him — his wife.
It would be a gamble. He was asking for a huge leap of faith. Not only was it a financial risk, Diane was also pregnant at the time with their future son, Alex. But, she knew firsthand Archie's vision and work ethic, unflinchingly she quit her medical records job and turned her attention towards bringing that vision to life.
They were juggling a large load by any standard. Neither had any business experience. But with Diane’s eye for interior design, they curated a beautiful and original shoe boutique and began the day to day of being business owners.
They were blessed to find three long-term employees and friends. Jeff Hopkins, Tracy Nash, and Merri Henri all helped morph a business into a family. One of them has undoubtedly sold you a pair of shoes if you’ve shopped in our store.
Three decades later and with a million pairs sold, the family has continued to expand. Diane and Archie juggled their new life all while she was pregnant with their first and only son, Alex. She even did Jeff’s hiring interview with a shoe pup in the oven. No modern-day maternity leave when you’ve got a business to start!
Since then, it’s been a roller-coaster ride. Alex has now been a part of the business for 8 years. He has modernized the store for the 21st century and helped us cater to customers of all demographics.
As many of y’all know… working with family can be difficult and we are not the exception to the rule. No doubt some of y’all have witnessed an Archie-and-Alex “debate” or two. All 3 of us think we know best. To settle disagreements, you would assume the 2–1 rule would reign. Yet somehow Diane’s “1” still manages to trump all. The head bumping is unavoidable but it comes with the territory and is expected.
Now as the torch is passed, (VERY, VERY SLOWLY), a new dream has given root. With two current locations, and an online store, the dream is to expand. For now it’s just that, a dream, and while we iron it out we will continue bringing the best and latest top-quality fashion and comfort shoes to our customers!
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