The countdown to the Calgary Stampede is on, and in just 50 days the park will be opening its doors for hundreds of thousands of visitors.
That is unless you count sneak-a-peek, which is exactly what members of the Calgary Stampede organization got on Thursday with the reveal of the brand-new official boot of the Stampede.
Speaking at the reveal, Alberta Boot CEO Eytan Broder said that the partnership between his company and the Stampede, which was a year in the making, had produced a boot that reflected the shared values of both organizations.
“Our story is one that is the same as the Calgary Stampede. It’s about telling the story about our Western spirit, telling about our heritage, and really telling a story about the modern West,” Broder said.
“We do it through our authenticity, hardworking values and how we make our boots and how we make our products, how we sell them, how we interact and become members of the community.”
He said that the Stampede boots took inspiration from bull riding boots in the 1970s, along with more modern elements that have come to define Western wear.
Although they’re a limited edition, Alberta Boot hasn’t quite decided on just how many they will make for men and women. Broder said likely, at most, just 100 pairs of each.
Each of the boots is handmade at the Alberta Boot factory in Calgary, from the cutting of the leather to the stitching, the Goodyear welt process, to buffing and staining.
Boots to take you from the rodeo executive suite to the Cowboys tent
Will Osler, President and Chair of the Calgary Stampede said they were boots that would take wearers right from the Stampede rodeo executive suite down to the Cowboys music festival tent across the street.
“They better be because that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing,” he laughed.
“My genuine reaction is it’s a cool boot.”
He said it was a boot you weren’t going to see everywhere, with the two-tone and classic styling elements, and that he was looking forward to wearing a pair himself.
“It was great to see it for the first time myself and we love what they’re doing. We’re very proud of the relationship with Alberta Boot,” Osler said.
“It’s one more reminder that Calgary Stampede is just around the corner, 50 days out today—as if we need another reminder of how much work we have left to do before day one.”
He said that whether Calgarians decide to pick up a pair of the boots or not, the Calgary Stampede would be ready to welcome them as they are.
“We’d like to think that the Stampede is for you. We’ve got a lot of different things to do, and it’s really been since we started in the 1800s, it’s been about gathering the community,” Osler said.
“So you don’t have to go and buy a hat, buy a pair of boots, buy a buckle to fit in and feel welcome at the Stampede. That said those days in July are hot and and the tarmac is a hot place on a hot day. So sensible footwear is a must, and if you are going to have a pair of boots on, get ones that fit, get ones that are comfortable, and Alberta Boot will set you up with whatever you need.”
