Small boutique Duo Shoes opens doors in downtown Lincoln

Like the old Beatles’ song says, everyone gets by with a little help from their friends. For longtime friends and Lincoln community members, Betsy Sperling and Nicole DeWald, their partnership has been no different.
After seeing what Stella’s, Tsuru and other small Lincoln boutiques had done for the city, the pair made the decision to open their own location. Joining the ranks of downtown-based Lincoln boutiques came Duo Shoes, a shoe, handbag and accessory boutique, located on 13th and O.
“We were looking at the amazing boutiques, and we really wanted to do it with shoes,” Sperling said. “We loved what Stella’s had done, bringing a beautiful
boutique and prices to girls that they could afford.”
The desire to provide Lincoln shoppers with an affordable product is what spurred Sperling and DeWald to open Duo Shoes.
Duo opened its doors in June 2011, offering shoes, handbags and various accessories, some of which were created by Lincoln’s own designers.
Sophie Hines, a freshman textiles, clothing and design major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, approached the owners as soon as she noticed that Duo had opened.
“I sell headbands and hairpins, as well as consignment clothing, to a number of local stores downtown, so when Duo opened this summer, I naturally stopped in and introduced myself and peddled my wares,” she said.
Fortunately for Hines, peddling her wares has been extremely productive, giving her a wider customer base and more opportunities to sell her creations. While she has sold items before in local boutiques and at the Lincoln Farmer’s Market, having her products available for purchase in Duo Shoes has given her even more opportunities. It has even allowed her to expand from mere hair accessories to more substantial items.
“Right now I’m contemplating a new line of shirts, as well as tote bags, bridal accessories, silk scarves, metalworking,” Hines said. “It’s really just a matter of choosing what would be practical to pursue in relation to what I’m already doing, I suppose.”
With the help of her friends at Duo Shoes, Hines has been able to sell more items at a more prominent location, effectively demonstrating to her what sells well and what products are worth moving on from.
“Flower hair pins in Husker red and black has made itself very prominent in recent batches,” Hines said.
Duo Boutique is not only offering affordable prices for customers in downtown Lincoln, it’s also offering business opportunities for entrepreneur students such as Hines. For Sperling and Dewald, the functioning of the store has only ever been about the community, as they work to build up partnerships with local business and with local Lincoln community members in need of stylish, affordable shoes.