A store selling outerwear and accessories made of recycled materials opened Nov. 16 in downtown Wheaton. 

Wheaton residents Stacy and David Crooks, who are both sales reps for Loki products, decided last month to open Prairie Path Outfitters, 360 Front St.  

The store carries Loki coats and sweatshirts for men, women and children and Green Guru accessories, such as messenger bags, iPad cases and key chains. 

Loki outerwear is multi-functional, with built-in mittens and facemasks hidden inside the coat, said Stacy Crooks. Prairie Path Outfitters is the only store in Illinois that carries the product, and one of very few east of the Rockies, David Crooks said.

The store also has healthy snacks and drinks, said Stacy Crooks, who hopes to move toward more of a convenience store environment for the Prairie Path crowd.  

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She said they haven't decided what they'll sell in the spring or summer, but plan to sell products that appeal to runners and bikers who use the Prairie Path.

The name, Prairie Path Outfitters, was inspired by the outdoor, active lifestyle supported by the Prairie Path, David Crooks said.

There are no mountains or major trails, "(but) people who run and bike (are) right here near mile marker zero," he said.

A lifetime Wheaton resident, Stacy Crooks remembers a vibrant downtown that included her mother's toy store on Main Street. 

She said since Reuss Sport & Ski closed in downtown Wheaton, nothing filled the market for sportswear and outerwear.

"When Town Square opened, that went away," she said. "But recently, with other stores coming back... (downtown) is definitely making a comeback—we hope."

Prairie Path Outfitters is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 12-4 p.m.

Correction: The owners' names are David and Stacy Crooks, not David and Karen Brooks as originally reported.