Looking for opinions from those who have had or have custom boots recently. I don’t want off the rack, I have those now and they fit good enough, but not in a wow those boots are stunning kind of way. Need to hold up to professional life, plus want a little bit of flair (maybe a topper, definitely a dress boot with a toe stamp). I’m mainly in-between Der Dau and F.lli Fabri. Have heard mixed reviews on both so wanting to expand the opinion pool. Willing to spend up to $1500, but need to hold up and have good customer service are top priorities.
Thanks in advance!
Check out Dehner and also E. Vogel custom boots.
I had a horrible customer service experience with Der Dau. My boots were so far off from fitting that it was laughable, it looked like a mismatched pair because one foot was so much bigger than the foot on the other boot, and I could have stored everyone in my lesson group’s cell phones in my boots because the calf was so big. I sent them back, and they damaged the boots in the process of fixing them and tried to stick me with the damaged pair as the final version. It took six months of fighting with them to finally get them to make the new pair they promised me, and that only happened because the customer service rep I was dealing with was willing to stand behind her word. Joseph Der had them send me a completely nasty email that was absolutely unapologetic about their failings. In the end I got to keep both pairs and they are comfortable, but if you decide to order from Der Dau, I would definitely pay with a credit card so that you have the chargeback option/threat to use.
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I had a hard time getting my Vogels just right. I was measured in their Brooklyn showroom and received the first iteration of my boots about 4 months later. Like @Madison above with her der daus, the calf width was laughable. I had to send them back for reworking 3 different times. On the 4th delivery, and 7 or 8 months after measurement and payment, they finally got them right and they are beautiful. But it took a LONG time and LOTS of firm emails and phone calls on my part. My bestie, who went with me to get measured and ordered his at the same time, also had an issue with his not being right upon receipt. He tried 2 more times of shipping back and forth and ultimately asked for a refund, which they gave him. He ended up ordering LaMundials and LOVED them on the first shot. Others on this board have had issues with LaMundials not being right when they receive them.
I think most, if not all, custom boot makers have their ups and downs. It’s really a matter of how much assertiveness are you willing (or able) to exert if you receive a pair that isn’t what you expected. And how long you are willing to wait for the perfect pair in the event you have to have them adjusted.
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Had fabulous DerDau experience.
Vogels are always a nightmare, we quit recommending them to clients who didn’t specifically ask for them.
I adore the traditional pull on field boots
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Personally, I am a huge fan of DeNiros. I have 2 semi-custom pairs ( standard foot size but custom calf/height measurements). I measured mysef. Both pairs were perfect fits right out of the box. They have tons of customization options for a little bit of extra flair. I am in the process of deciding what I want for a 3rd pair.
Your budget is more then enough. I am planning to spend around $800-900 to be able to get what I want (mild flair).
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I have full custom F.lli Fabbris, and they have been amazing. They fit like a glove from the first time I tried them on, don’t get me wrong there was still the break in period and I did have to wait for the ankle to drop to get the top button done up, but at no point did I require a second person to help me get them on like I have with past boots that ended up stretching so far they were useless.
I do know another person with F.llis that is having to send them in to get fixed when she’s only had them for a year and half, but she treats them like complete crap, does not follow the cleaning instructions when she cleans them at all, traipses through mud in them, and god knows what else, and them company is still going to fix them… for free,
tucci, very wow lots of great options and the leather is much better quality then all the options mentioned here. Customer service is amazing at the tack store that sells them in Calgary but I’m not sure if thar applies to tucci in general as customer service at the calgary retailer is very good in general.
I’ve heard the least amount of horror stories with Fabbri, so that may be a good option (I’ve been drooling over the new faux leather Fabbris). I have Parlantis (the regular miamis), which have been great, but I know parlanti success stories are hard to come by. I school in and love my La Mundials, they fit perfectly and haven’t worn down even in the slightest, despite being ridden in constantly for nearly a year. After a quick wipe down, they look new. Again though, La Mundial isn’t exactly known for their customer service. I’d say go with Fabbri just based off reviews I’ve seen. Also, semi customs/off the rack boots at different companies tend to be slightly different, so it may not hurt to shop around and try on a few different pairs. I’m not sure if you’re located near a major show but they usually have several of the boot companies set up and you could try different semi customs there.
I second La Mundials, I had a perfect experience with them two years ago and I love my boots. Other reviews on them are very mixed, but if you want to see mine and read more about my experience, you can do so on my blog. Conversely, my experience with Dehner (who has a very good reputation) was an absolute nightmare. Boots were too wide, too short, missing details I had ordered…hot mess. Dehner makes a very good, very traditional boot, but as with every custom boot company, sometimes the orders go wrong.
I would also second the DeNiros…I had been looking at them hard before I did an impulse fitting with La Mundial. Everyone I know with DeNiros is happy and they seem to be a great marriage between stock and custom.
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May I ask who measured you? I am looking for the best fitter.
I have also had bad customer service from Der Dau. Will never buy another pair.
I DO recommend Celeris UK, though. I have two pairs from them and the pricing is pretty reasonable, GREAT customer service, and they can make you anything from ultra-traditional to truly WILD. I measured myself for both pairs and they are perfect fits.
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Oh wow. Celeris is pretty. Do you have pics of yours?
I have two pair of custom Tucci’s and love them. I was measured by the rep from Italy for my first pair, and I think that made a difference as they fit like a glove. I will say that with my second pair the local rep re-measured me and the boots were wrong…way wrong. Tucci took them back and started over and made a new pair with no questions. I have a pair of custom Parlanti’s, they are nice, but the fit is not as good. I had bad luck with LaMundial (they were nice but things had to be shipped back and forth repeatedly when they didn’t fit well, and I had to wait to have a rep in town, and they were only about $300 less than the Tucci’s). Another girl at our barn had a very bad experience with DeDaus that didn’t fit right and very little motivation to fix them.
I’ve wanted to try the Celeris boots as I follow them on IG and they make neat boots. But i likely won’t stray from Tucci again.
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How about a pair from Argentina? Casa de las Botas has a website form with extensive explanation on how to measure yourself. I have had many pairs done there (at least half a dozen). They have great customer service, hold up great even if you ride in them a lot, and have 40 years experience as a boot maker.
Also, with the spiraling exchange rate, you can get a custom pair with all the bling and design you can imagine for under u$s500 including door to door shipping. www.lacasadelasbotas.com.ar
@OutsidersOpinion, have you looked at the Alberto Fascianis? I’m currently coveting the ones my trainer has been wearing and am seriously considering ordering a pair for myself. Not a necessity but the price is really reasonable for semi-custom, beautifully made boots @ under $800USD. I have no idea if any of the features are customizable. I’ve just emailed the company to see if they can make the calf any wider than the posted chart offers but it looks like they’re on vacation until the end of this week.
May be worth a look for your quest:
https://equestrian.albertofasciani.it/collections/standard-collection-40-46
I bought a pair of off the rack Alberto Fasciani’s because I was desperate (tiny foot, short leg, not skin and bones calf). The leather is lovely, but I would never buy them again. There is a huge elastic piece that goes well beyond the zipper area and is cheap looking. The worst part, though, is the “grippy” alleged leather on the inner calf. It has the texture of 40 grit sandpaper and does a number on a saddle. I can’t say how long the leather would last because my saddle cost much more than the boots and I don’t wear them any more. I was just so surprised at how little leather there actually was in the boot for the price. Of course, they were not custom, but you would have to stay away from large elastic areas and grippy leather choices. The leather that was there did take a fantastic shine, though. I have Tucci’s now and find them to be comfortable and durable.
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I have 3 pairs of custom boots ( I know I have a problem).
The Der Dau’s are the most fitted and look amazing on but they are the least comfortable and after only a year or two of using I had to have them totally rebuilt with new soles and all new leather on the insides since they were worn through to my socks. I had this done at a local cobbler, not der dau. The soles they come with are so thin and soft it’s like riding in ballet slippers or something.
My first pair of customs were Parlanti’s and they were so hard to break on but were my daily riders for almost ten years before the zippers broke, and that was the only thing wrong with them. They are so so durable and look nice too, but at that time there were no flair options (they are navy but no fancy tops or toes). Because the leather is a bit thicker, they don’t’ have the extreme fitted ankle that the der dau’s do.
I also have a pair of deniro’s. They are the most comfortable by far and have a legitimate vibram sole, so they seem quite durable. Sadly I haven’t had the chance to test this since I am too fat for them. I am considering ordering another pair of deniro with bigger calf since they are so comfortable and they have unlimited options for flair.
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Yikes! I’m going to have to take a second look at the pair my trainer is wearing and ask her about the leather on the inside and see if it’s wearing any on her saddles. Good to know!
If you look at the brown boots you can see the amount of elastic and the inner panel more easily. As you go up in price there is more leather on the outside of the boot, and the elastic moves to the inside. I just think the “rubberized” elastic looks and feels cheap.
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