Yee-haw, folks, Boot Barn has sauntered into town.

The Western clothing and supply retailer opened Friday at the Durango Mall in the stand-alone building at 830 South Camino del Rio that recently was vacated by Corral West Ranchwear.

Corral West filed for bankruptcy and liquidated its merchandise earlier this year.

Boot Barn is the largest Western and work-clothing retailer in the country, said Jami Hill, director of marketing for the company.

Boot Barn sells clothing, boots, tack, belt buckles and other Western gear. The company was founded in 1978 with a store in Huntington Beach, Calif.

The store also sells evening wear, said Adam Clutts, store manager in Durango. "You can definitely find something in your price range, no matter what it is."

The Durango store now is in a "soft opening" period. It will hold a grand opening June 26-28. The store will employ 10 to 12 workers when fully staffed, Clutts said.

It is the company's first outlet in Colorado, although it has two locations in Farmington. The Orange, Calif.-based retailer has stores throughout Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming.

"We really attract a wide clientele," Clutts said.

Mickey Hogan, owner of Hogan's, a men's Western store at 828 Main Ave., said he welcomes the competition.

"We've had other Western-type stores in town always," Hogan said. "We've seen 15 or 20 of them come and go, and we're still here."

Hogan said his store is primarily a men's store, and Durango women need a place to buy Western clothing, too.

chuck@durangoherald.com