Better boots?

[poiuytrewq]

I have usually bought not great riding boots. It’s always just everyday riding I don’t compete.
Last ones were Shires long boots which at first I loved and for £100 ish was thrilled with. However I’m getting achy feet/foot.
I feel like they are pretty loose at the ankle and probably don’t have the best/any actual foot support.
I also have some older short boots and chaps which are lovely comfort wise and my feet hurt less (still a bit)
I seem to rub my horses side in them though, just hair but it annoys me so I tend not to wear them anymore. They are tighter in the foot and ankle.
So do better boots offer a lot more support? Anyone found making the switch from cheap to decent has solved this kind of thing?

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

Ariat connistons for me. V spendy but no aching feet and still going strong after 4 years. I try to remember to take them off when doing mucky jobs though to keep them going longer.
In general ariat foot beds have been a game changer for me.

 

[milliepops]

Boots are one of the few things i will happily shell out for.
for all-round riding i like ariats, they are so comfortable straight out of the box more or less, and if you just use them for riding they will last for years. and yes the footbeds are wonderful.

When I first bought stiff dressage boots my then-trainer nearly fell over in shock at the difference they made. i have stupid hypermobile feet and ankles and the additional support is a huge help for stabilising my feet. I don't MIND schooling in my ariats but I feel more in control of myself in stiff boots even when they are well broken in.

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

I have found lower back pain much better with ariats. So justify the cost with fewer osteopath visits ?

 

[Red-1]

I too like Ariats.

I used to hack in Mountian Horse Sportives, but they seem to have stopped doing them. I now hack in Mountain horse jodhpur boots and chaps.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Oh ok. Sounds like a resounding yes!
I loved the fact my current boots are so soft and comfortable but I feel like I’m riding with none on almost!
It was the ariat footbed soles that made me wonder.
So along with a new hat that’s my next outlay ?‍

 

[ponynutz]

I too love my Ariats. They're quite wide on me though and I always have to wear thick socks.

 

[Fieldlife]

Boots are one of the few things i will happily shell out for.
for all-round riding i like ariats, they are so comfortable straight out of the box more or less, and if you just use them for riding they will last for years. and yes the footbeds are wonderful.

When I first bought stiff dressage boots my then-trainer nearly fell over in shock at the difference they made. i have stupid hypermobile feet and ankles and the additional support is a huge help for stabilising my feet. I don't MIND schooling in my ariats but I feel more in control of myself in stiff boots even when they are well broken in.

which stiff dressage boots do you recommend? I’ve got a secondhand pair of Konigs but not found anything else as stiff?

 

[oldie48]

I have a pair of Ariat boots which have sat in my boot room unused and rather unloved for several years. I think they are Coniston but they have lacing up the side rather than in the front. They are a 6M and I am happy to sell them to a loving home. I am ashamed to admit that I also have a black and a brown pair of insulated Bromonts, another black pair I use for comps and a brown pair of Tredwells, so the Conistons were just not needed. They are in very good condition apart from the cobwebs which I can remove quite easily. Please PM me if you are interested.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Another here for Ariats.
Still currently riding in the brown insulated Bromonts, 2 x pairs of black ones in the horsebox tho one pair is over 11 years old and are paper thin now on the upper inside leg. Have also the jodh boots and wear them with gaiters (again, more support) in high summer.
Mid winter it's the trusty old Grasmeres tho.

I do change my boots straight after riding.... for Tellurides or the Portland...... ?

 

[oldie48]

Thanks TFF, the boots are Grasmere not Coniston!!

 

[milliepops]

which stiff dressage boots do you recommend? I’ve got a secondhand pair of Konigs but not found anything else as stiff?

Petrie also make some stiff ones. I currently wear celeris most often. I like all 3 tbh.

 

[Fieldlife]

Petrie also make some stiff ones. I currently wear celeris most often. I like all 3 tbh.

I didn’t realise celeris were stiff for some reason I thought soft?
Are all Petrie typically always stiff or just some of them? Thanks

 

[phizz4]

Throw away the original insoles that came with the boots and fit some 'Superfeet'. They make a big difference to comfort and support.

 

[Fjord]

Ariat are lovely. I'm also very fond of my tall De Niros, I'm sure they help my leg position.

 

[Fjord]

Although having looked at their website I think I must have got lucky when I bought mine, they were cheaper than Ariats at the time. ?

 

[milliepops]

I didn’t realise celeris were stiff for some reason I thought soft?
Are all Petrie typically always stiff or just some of them? Thanks

Depends on the style with both. Petrie polo boots tend to feel softer but the dressage style are stiff. Celeris make some stiffer than others.

 

[teapot]

Ariats here too - long boots to ride in, and live in my short ones for pretty much everything else bar going to the office

 

[poiuytrewq]

Throw away the original insoles that came with the boots and fit some 'Superfeet'. They make a big difference to comfort and support.

Well that may be a cheaper option for now. Thank you!

 

[scats]

I have some Broginis for everyday schooling and then I tend to wear my Dublin Pinacle leather grain for hacking or farm rides.
Im always put off Ariats because of the cost, but I might give them a try.

 

[palo1]

I am one of those people for whom Ariats don't work!! I love them and they are extremely comfortable but I have never had a pair that didn't crack over the foot and go to holes within 12-18months. And I have always looked after them. It must be something to do with my toes lol. Anyway I gave up on them some years ago and have since found Tuffa boots really lovely as well as Mountain horse boots wrt every day riding. I love my Tredstep long boots but they are not stiff at all.

 

[Peglo]

I have some Broginis for everyday schooling and then I tend to wear my Dublin Pinacle leather grain for hacking or farm rides.
Im always put off Ariats because of the cost, but I might give them a try.

I wanted a new pair of pinnacle boots. Are the new ones as good as the first edition? I’ve had mine for years but they do need replaced. I would like a pair of grassmeres but I just don’t have the money for them. Happily spent £300 on hoof boots though ?

 

[equestrian7474]

Another one for Ariats! Absolutely love mine.

 

[Squeak]

Throw away the original insoles that came with the boots and fit some 'Superfeet'. They make a big difference to comfort and support.

I was going to suggest this too. You can get Ariat insoles which look like they are basically what are in their boots. I haven't tried them but if I was you I'd give insoles a go if you're happy with the rest of the boot.

 

[humblepie]

I am another one for whom Ariats didn't work - splashed out thinking they would be good and long lasting and they weren't so went back to Brogini and currently have a pair of Dublin ones which are very comfy with a lovely sole. These are short boots not long.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I was bought a pair of Ariats for last Christmas as a present. They were the most comfortable boots I'd ever found but after a couple of weeks and very little light use the surface of the leather started coming off in the toe area and calf area. I can't fault Ariat customer service who offered either replacement or full refund straight away but I was so disappointed in the quality and didn't want to take the chance of it happening with another pair. They had also started to sag badly already despite always having the boots trees in.

I must be doomed never to have Ariat long boots as I bought a pair of Bromonts online a few years ago and whilst one was, again, super comfortable the other one was cut so that the high side twisted round to the front of my knee.

My short Ariat boots I've had for 10+ years and are still going strong however!

 

[oldie48]

I wanted a new pair of pinnacle boots. Are the new ones as good as the first edition? I’ve had mine for years but they do need replaced. I would like a pair of grassmeres but I just don’t have the money for them. Happily spent £300 on hoof boots though ?

You're not a 6M by any chance??

 

[Skib]

My short Ariats are 20 years old but my very expensive long boots are not stiff at the ankle but very supple which my RI approved.

 

[Peglo]

You're not a 6M by any chance??

I am a 6. I will PM you ?

 

[scats]

I wanted a new pair of pinnacle boots. Are the new ones as good as the first edition? I’ve had mine for years but they do need replaced. I would like a pair of grassmeres but I just don’t have the money for them. Happily spent £300 on hoof boots though ?

A bit hit and miss. The leather grain ones were fine but I ordered another pair of normal ones and they leaked instantly so I sent them back.