Factory Tour: Alberta Boot Co.

i’m proud to say that all of the cowboy boots in my closet (and there’s quite a few!) come from alberta boot company. okay, in reality, they have the monopoly on cowboy boot making as far as the eye can see. and it’s like that for good reason! they put the kind of love and care into the making of each pair that you know the quality you’re receiving is top notch. the more you wear the boots in, the softer the leather becomes, the comfier they get and the more they become part of you – like second skin. that’s the sign of high grade materials. beyond that, they manufacture all of the boots on premise in their calgary factory! so as stampede approached we obviously had to visit their showroom and factory to see the masters at work. fun fact: i went to high school with ben, a third generation boot-maker and as of this year officially the man behind the brand! his grandpa established the company in 1978! watch the video of our trip to alberta boot company where i get a behind the scenes look into how the boots actually come to be. excuse the drool:

a lot of people assume cowboy boots are reserved for those who live and work on farms, ride horses or attend the calgary stampede. imo that could not be further from the truth! what i love about western boots is that when you invest in a pair, you can feel good knowing that they’ll be with you for life. it’s literally the most committed i’ve ever been to a piece of clothing. alberta boot co. will resole only their boots and they have pairs coming back that have been handed down by generations. it’s all about finding the pair that works best for your individual style. you can be as adventurous as you want. the shop has been using the same techniques for over 35 years, even using quite a few of the original machines to add to the allure and individuality of every pair of boots produced. i’ve typically gone the neutral route building my collection of basics before moving on to something more elaborate.

needless to say, i’m obsessed that the western wear trend (by way of that 70’s flare) is showing up all over the fall 2015 runways (see chloe, bcbg, burberry, tom ford, dquared, & lanvin). western everything is going to be all the rage this coming fall, so i highly advise that you head over to alberta boot company sooner rather than later and check out their huge variety of styles and colours available on the showroom floor. with everything from cow to snakeskin, gator and stingray leather. and if you are feeling a little creative (and have a flexible budget), you can get your own custom pair made. you can customize every aspect of the boot – colour combos, stitching, leather type, toe style, and design. you don’t have to limit yourself to western styles either, the world is your oyster! obviously i’m all over this and will be back to document the pair i already have on order get made from scratch, so stay tuned! i can’t wait to show you what we cooked up in the alberta boot factory kitchen. let’s just say i have made leap into some more exciting territory.

alberta boot company also carries bolo ties, hats, leather care products, clothing, belts and buckles. it’s sort of your one-stop shop for western gear. if i haven’t given you enough reasons to be excited about alberta boot company, here’s one last fun fact: the showroom is frequented by big name politicians, athletes, hollywood celebrities and even royalty – they manufactured boots for will and kate when they were here in 2011! the rcmp officers all sport a pair of custom made alberta boots on their feet, as do many police forces across the country. a telling sign i think?

make sure to check out alberta boot online at at http://www.albertaboot.com/, follow them on instagram for the day to day look at the western frontier! xoxo