Arnold Churgin: A Tale of Mountains & Good shoes

What good are mountain adventures without good shoes?

Long before I started getting into photography, I was shopping at Arnold Churgin with my mom, a Calgary based shoe company that started in 1964. More than often, my wardrobe is a mixture of outdoor boots, pumps and boots from their shops. They have 4 locations in town, but also have an online store and ship across the country.

Recently they offered to outfit me with their new Jinxxi boot, which was much needed with the recent cold snap that Calgary received close to the winter holidays. These boots look amazing and are made of heritage leather. They also have a beautiful vintage patina with wear, meaning that the more use I get out of them, the better they look! I got them at the beginning of December and had plenty of time to try them out before the holidays arrived. So far i’ve had nothing but compliments on them, and they are available online in grey, brown, red or black. The grey and brown are my personal favourites… but take a look HERE to pick out yours.

I noticed these boots are ideal for walking around town, but aren’t what you’d call “winter hiking boots”. That being said, they are warm enough to wear in cold weather and look great with some cabin socks. Living so close to downtown I often scoot down to Wise & Wright to grab a coffee with them or walk around Vermilion Lakes in Banff to take in sunrise or sunset.

These boots are exclusive to Arnold Churgin, in fact, about 75% of their merchandise is their own product and they also have a wide selection of handbags. Because I love featuring and promoting Canadian Brands, Arnold Churgin was exciting for me to put up on the blog. Not only do they design their own products, but they are incredibly selective with what they carry and are a family business that is committed to quality.

I spent the week between Christmas and New Years up in Banff. It had been a rough December and it felt good be in the outdoors again with my camera, and without cold feet! I scooted up to Lake Minnewanka for a walk around the lake. It was overcast despite the weather conditions saying “mostly sunny” and with the windchill it definitely did not feel like -1 C.

It was a typical windy day, but the snow flurries were pretty and there were locals and tourists snowshoeing and tobogganing.

Along with the Jinxxi boots, I also picked up a pair of their Pajar Gripzip boots in black, which ended up coming in handy for this day. These ones were perfect for trudging through the snow as they are waterproof and also lined with wool. They are weather rated to minus 30 degrees Celsius and have great tread grip. Unlike my Sorels, they are very lightweight and easy to move around in. They also come up to just below my knee which is preferable for trudging through snow, keeping me nice and dry. They are also available in blue and brown at Arnold Churgin, along with many other styles and brands for winter hiking.

Although I’ve featured products that are essential for the outdoors, Arnold Churgin also specializes in dress boots and occasion heels. They carry one of my all-time favourite designers, Vince Camuto, and they always seem to have designed the perfect black patent pump when i’m looking for it. Recently I bought THIS pair for New Years Eve by Vince Camuto.

My foggy day at Lake Minnewanka finished up with a beautiful sunset glow as we headed back into Canmore. Combined with dry warm feet and a cup of coffee, I’d say it was a perfect (Canadian) end to 2016.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best heading into 2017!

Comment below with your thoughts and suggestions, i’d love to hear from you!

 

 

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