I have a beautiful pair of 12 year old custom Vogels that I will not give up! They have a gusset on the inside top, so they do go on fairly easily. I only wear them at shows or clinics, so I always have someone to help me with getting them off…which is a really good incentive to NOT GAIN WEIGHT!! Or eat salty foods the days I wear them. I love them so much, I have decided that when I can no longer wear the boots, that’s the sign for me to hand over the reins to a younger rider!
I do not want zippered boots either. I am not wlling to take a chance that one will break at the least convenient time (which is when things usually break) Not having zippers means one less thing that can go wrong. I found a nice little fox hunting shop down in Arkansas that did a semi-custom job on a nice pair of pull-on dress boots - they added a little elastic gusset at the back and near the top of the boot. The gusset is invisible while mounted and makes pulling them on, and yanking them off with a boot jack a piece of cake. I wish I could remember the name of that shop but it was about 15 years ago and I’m having senior moments. Anyway, my boots are trouble free and still in great shape and I only paid around $500 for them, customizing and all.
I ride in Dehner’s and Cavallo’s. I hate zipper boots. Don’t like the look or the major annoyance of wardrobe failure.
I refuse zipper boots. IMO they ruin the look of the boot. I have beautiful Vogels-just beautiful. They were a high school graduation gift and my mother said, “the next pair you buy in 20 years will be on you.” When I was in college and riding in them every day (we had to lesson in our tall boots grrr) I came home for break and took them to Journeyman in Middelburg and tried to get zippers put in for the ease. Pumpkin was like, no, I want you to sleep on this, they will ruin the beauty of the leather, you should never have zippers on such a gorgeous boot. Alas, I slept on it and am still zipperless. I have seen too many firedrill situations with the zipper breaking right before a class at shows. No thanks.
I LOVE my zip boots. The only problem is when they’re made with cheap zippers. That’s where “being prepared” (aka, having your car double as a tack closet and possibly being a packrat) comes in handy - my spare boots just so happened to be in there at the one horse show I’ve ever popped a zipper at.
[QUOTE=mortgagemyhorse;7334919]
I have seen too many firedrill situations with the zipper breaking right before a class at shows. No thanks.[/QUOTE]
They never seem to break AFTER a class. Or at the end of the show season when you don’t need them for a while. I, too, have seen the frantic fix-up with black vetrap. No, thanks.
I agree with the above poster who hurt their ankle. I ordered a custom pair of Vogels and then promptly sprained my ankle to the point that the Dr. told me I would have been better off breaking my ankle. I tore every ligament and tendon. My new boots arrived and to my dismay I could not point my toe to get the boot on. I had to send them back to Vogel to have zippers put in. I think that they look just fine and honestly as I am riding by the judge they would never be able to tell.
No. I don’t like them either. The zipper spoils the elegant look. It says “I don’t care how my boots look.” Besides I don’t trust zippers on a garment that costs as much as boots do. I love pull-on paddock (jodhpur) boots, and pull-on tall boots as well. And no, I do not have slim long elegant calves! 
No. I don’t like them either. The zipper spoils the elegant look. It says "I don’t care how my boots look.
Really? Because for me it makes my boots actually fit, which in my opinion looks a lot less awful than wearing a pair of pull ons that don’t fit. And I’ve never had a pair of pull ons that fit as well as my zips do, or as closely. And if you’re staring at my boots judging that I don’t care about how they look, you’re clearly not a judge and not watching what my horse is doing.
OTOH, after a calf injury, I must say, the zips are considerably less painful for me. At this point, it’s worth it just for that.
If it helps - these are my old boots without zips. They weren’t custom, but you can see how boxy they were.
Here are my newer pair with zips. They definitely fit much more closely (and were a steal at $36 on ebay!)
Thanks everyone for making me feel less idiotic. John has been told repeatedly how much I appreciate a gesture this grand.
I really am a purist at heart I believe. But to be very clear I don’t think it’s a right vs wrong thing. I am thrilled for the folks who enjoy the zip boots or who have found the best fit and the most comfort in them. That said I may not be one of this group but we’re all riders and it’s nice to know that by and large the boots we all wear can be useful to all of us.
~Emily
You mentioned La Mundial, and I love mine, but mine have zippers. Of course they make them without, and I think they are still the most reasonably priced for custom boots.
I refuse to jump on the zipper boat. When I got my customs a few years ago, I went pull-ons. I was too afraid to spend that kind of money and then have an ill-timed zipper blow-out.
I’ve gotten some great looks from the kids at the barn when I whip out my boot pulls to put on my boots. Most of them have never lived in a world where boots didn’t zip up so pulls are foreign to them.
[QUOTE=Indy;7335223]
I’ve gotten some great looks from the kids at the barn when I whip out my boot pulls to put on my boots. Most of them have never lived in a world where boots didn’t zip up so pulls are foreign to them.[/QUOTE]
It’s like having to explain the concept of “clockwise” to kids today. :lol:
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I can certainly see the value of zippers, but I’ve also loved and treasured my non-zipper boots, and honestly prefer how they feel (nevermind wear). It distresses me to see the non-zipper boot disappearing as an off-the-shelf option.
Couldn’t find anything without a zipper - nothing without going the custom route. Sadly, not in the 2013: Year of the Raging Equine Budget Bonfire could I squeeze in a pair of customs without a freaking zipper.
So…we went with some off the shelf Ariats. They fit really well - and truly much better than the 20+ yr. old customs that were stretched at one point to fit my fat pregnancy legs. BUT I’ve seen these zippers just give out - one rider used Gorilla tape to hold her boot on so she could finish out the weekend. Ridiculous but you do what you have to do. My old school pull ons are headed to So Pines for a tummy tuck even though the leather is starting to crack just behind the toe cap. Don’t want to be stuck w/Gorilla tape as the only option. :-/
Dear John,
If you’re gonna marry a horse girl you gotta learn to pull off boots! After all, look where she’s gonna plant her booted foot and look at the mechanics of pulling off the boot. I wouldn’t have a problem at all with my DH (read, SO) planting his booted foot on my arse and sticking his other leg in between mine while I pull.
Either that, or get the woman a bootjack if you don’t wanna be a bootjohn.
Sincerely,
RPM
Reading this thread as I just got my I custom no zip Dehners today. Planning to love them
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OMG RPM I died laughing. John thought it was pretty funny also.
Thanks for the giggle.
~Emily
I have custom Der Daus (stiff dressage boots) without a zipper; instead I had them put in an elastic gusset down the entire back length of the boot. It’s very discreet and you don’t notice it. Joe Jr. tried to get me to at least have inside front zippers put in but I resisted.
Honestly, though? I wish I did get zippers. It would be faster to take them off and on, and I think they’d fit better. Though they are supposed to be a stovepipe boot, there are areas of the boot that need to be closer to my leg that a traditional pull-on can’t give me, but a zipper could.
I’d never get a pair of back zips as those are just ASKING to fail, but an inside front zipper, that is properly taken of, shouldn’t fail—there isn’t as much stress in that position as a back zip. However, properly taking care of any zipper should ensure they last longer!
Der Dau makes a lovely boot, though. 
