By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Kenny and Marie Adams are both Huntsville natives, having attended Huntsville High and the former Butler High schools. They met and married as kids, literally. Marie was 15 and Kenny was 16, and they met each other through mutual friends. This March they will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
They moved to the Ardmore area to be near Kenny’s dad, and opened Adams Western Wear in 1999. The western wear shop is for folks who are serious about horses, and a few years later they added feed and other supplies. They are an outlet for Nutreena, and I know more than one serious horse person that is happy to frequent their shop.
Adams Western Wear is one of those places where you need to save time when you visit in order to “jaw a bit.” By that I mean, you are not treated like a customer; these people really want to know how life is treating you and how they can help. There are cats outside and dogs inside, and Kenny says with a smile that the dogs rule. The Adamses also own a 12-acre spread in Ardmore, and are themselves true “horse and cattle” people. All told, they have six cows, seven horses, two mules, three minis, and one walking horse. The walking horse is purebred, but not registered. Marie and I talked horses for a bit. I had the chance to ride a walking horse once on a horse trip with my kids, and that walking-horse gait is marvelous to experience. Their horses include quarter horses, quarter/walking cross, and others, and the cattle are beef cattle — Charolais/Angus mix. The minis originally come from a European line that goes back to royalty of the 1600s. The Adamses have a slew of kids and grandkids, and their son James Adams and grandson J.J. Roper have helped out at the shop, especially during COVID.
Everyone has their “COVID story,” and the Adamses went through an especially tough time. Kenny very nearly died, and had to be on oxygen for five months. The shop hours had to be reduced to 3-6 p.m. during the workweek so that J.J. could help out at the store with the literal heavy lifting after he got home from school. Marie says of James and J.J., “They helped out a lot, and we couldn’t have done it without them. Kenny is back in the store, and everyone is glad.”
In 2002, they added on to the shop, which is located at 28100 Hwy 251, Ardmore, AL 35739. It is right across the street from the recently remodeled and re-opened C-Mart gas station, and you will know that you are in the right place when you see the cat dish on a table to the left of the entrance.
What can you expect to find at Adams Western Wear? Just about every type of cowboy hat loved by cowboys, and all of the merchandise is reasonably priced. When it comes to hats, some of the brands are Tony Lama, Resistol, and Stetson.
It’s the same with jeans. Adams carries regular jeans as well as cowboy cut, mostly by Wrangler, and some in the George Strait brand. These cuts of jeans were originally designed in the late ‘40s for rodeo contestants, both male and female, and have more room in the seat and thighs, are a slightly higher cut, and have a slight flare at the leg.
Liberty overalls with their distinctive green zipper are present in abundance, as are hunting camo for kids to adults, and waders.
Cowboy shirts as well as cotton shirts for farming, and a few “glitzy” pieces for show riding are on display in the original part of the store.
Now for the boots. They range from classic cowboy to pink rodeo boots. There are sturdy lace up work boots, fleece-lined boots and more. The brands include Ariat, Dan Post, and others.
Carhartt denim jackets, sturdy coats, coveralls, and overalls are most welcome when it is cold.
I asked Marie why, when I have several choices of western wear shops in the area, should I come to Adams? I liked the fact that she paused for a moment to really think about her answer, and then said, “I think it’s because we are personable and treat our customers like family. We like to make everybody feel at home.” If this is what you are looking for in a western wear store, make the trip to Ardmore and visit Adams. And when you do, be sure to pay attention to the dogs and cats that are part of the family. They will love you for it!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
December 20, 2024
