La Sportiva

From the highest peaks of the world to the smallest bivaccos of Italy, it’s no secret that La Sportiva’s brand is recognizable on a global scale. Famously known as the makers of the hiking boot, Olympus Mons Cube, that holds the highest number of successful summits to Mount Everest, La Sportiva’s brand continues to flourish from their beginnings in 1928 without losing sight of their small family-owned beginning and innovative craftsmanship. 

Being a part of the outdoor retail industry since 1998 and a self-described outdoor-junkie himself,  Jeremy Hendricks joined the La Sportiva family in 2016 at the original location adjacent to their North American Headquarters in Boulder. Fast forward to today, Jeremy now serves as the Retail Manager of the brand’s first North American retail store, located right here in downtown Boulder at 2100 Broadway. 

Where the Italian brand’s beginnings found inspiration within The Dolomites, their team found similar inspiration with Boulder’s iconic Flatirons serving as their flagship store’s backdrop. Jeremy notes, "Italy’s Dolomites and Boulder’s Flatirons represent similar landscapes, and we wanted to weave ourselves into the fabric of downtown Boulder with our flagship brand store in a way that felt iconic and approachable for all levels of new and seasoned enthusiasts.” As a Boulder local, Jeremy was no stranger to the strong emphasis on outdoor lifestyles that radiate throughout town from an array of cycling communities and outdoor organizations, to avid hikers, trail runners, marathon enthusiasts and more. “Being downtown ensures we're connected to the pulse of the community and gives us an anchor point for outstanding access to amazing local trails and climbing.” Since opening in January of 2024, the La Sportiva team quickly became active within the downtown community from hosting club runs, partnering with other local outdoor retailers and by offering their expertise to those with all levels of outdoor experience.

 Though globally known for their hiking boots, their brand extends past footwear. “We look at products as a tool, to get you to achieve your specific goals.” Every piece of apparel serves different purposes for an outdoor experience. Design-wise, the brand remains iconic known in their extensive styles and vibrant color palette of jackets, shirts, pants and more. Jeremy emphasizes that as stylish as the colors are, the vibrancy of colors add to the safety value of being noticed outdoors. 

La Sportiva’s adventurous spirit is not only rooted within their mission and apparel, but even within the bones of their building’s architecture. The first few steps into the store transform you on a mountainous excursion with the floor's unique, trail-like textured design and photos of nature and local athletes decorating their walls. The building itself contains a vault from its previous bank tenant. This is where La Sportiva’s makeshift “bivacco”(small buildings in Italy’s mountains traditionally used as a shelter or a resting place for hikers and climbers) lives. Jeremy encourages all guests to feel the warm energy (and espresso bar) of their own Boulder bivacco. 

Ready to gear up for your next adventure? Stop by and say hi to the downtown team at La Sportiva and don’t forget to leave a Google review! “Spend time chatting with us about your next climbing project, or ask us for advice where to hike locally, or tell us about your favorite running shoe/trail and have an espresso in our Bivacco” Jeremy says, “We care about your journey and want to outfit you in the best gear to keep it fun mile after mile, climb after climb.” Whatever your next goal, beginner or expert status, La Sportiva invites you to make yourself at home in their downtown location.