Hate to start another boot thread but couldn’t find what I was looking for.
basically I would love to hear reviews, differences, preferences between the ariat challenge contour or the quantum crowne pro field boots. I’m torn between which ones to get. Any input is appreciated…Durability, break in, ankle size… Ect… Thanks 
I have the Ariat Challange Contour boots and love them. I got the after the Treadstone Tuscany’s and like them a lot better. Took a good few days to really break in, but the leather polishes up beautifully. I wasn’t a huge fan of the look of the old Challenge II boots, but I love these ones. I can’t say much for durability as I have only had them since June and have just been using them for shows and clinics (5 or so days per month) apart from the initial break in but so far haven’t had any problems. I haven’t tried the Crowne Pros but have always loved the way they looked online. I think the Challenge’s are a great boot for the price point.
I don’t have the challenge but I do have the ariat heritage contours which I LOVE! Took absolutely no break in time, super comfy, clean up great and look great! I’ve had them since they first came out, so not quite a whole year yet but so far I have no concerns about the durability but of course, time will be the true test. If they fit and you like them then you can’t really beat the price that’s for sure! I was thinking of getting another pair just for showing since I like them so much but we will see. I haven’t had the chance to try the crowne pros but a friend of mine has them and likes them quite a bit so I will ask her about them sometime soon.
I’ve had the Ariat Challenge Contour boots since early last summer. They’re the first pair of tall boots I’ve owned, so I don’t have much to compare them against. I do like them though!
I have a size 8 tall slim (19 1/4" / 13"). Height from my heel to knee is 18 1/2", and calf circumference is 13 3/4".
The height is good, but I think I may have been better off with a regular calf (13 3/4"). The sales girl insisted that they would be too loose though and I didn’t try the regular calf on. The ankle fits me well and I have less-than-defined ankles (8 1/4" around) and a moderate instep.
The elastic panel alongside the zipper and the elastic gullet do stretch a bit when I have the boots on, and I think they really help the feel of the fit.
They broke in fairly easily after I sprayed the interior leather with warm/hot water and then wore the boots on my stationary bike.
The leather is soft and cleans well. People still ask me “when did you get new boots?” because they still do look brand new. I wear them 2-3 times per week and am pretty diligent about wiping them down with a damp sponge after almost every ride. I also use Effax leather cream soap on them about 2-3 times per month.
For my price range, these boots were a good choice. I didn’t like the way the Heritage boots fit (bulk around ankles), so moving up to the next model was worth it for me.
Thanks for the info… maybe I just need to make time to dive to the Dover store and try the contours on…
I think you should try them on - in my experience the various Ariat tall boot models fit very differently. I currently have a pair of the old Ariat Heritage and a pair of the Crowne Pros (not Quantum Crowne Pro) and they are like night and day. Same size (9 tall slim) and the Heritage is baggy and much too short for me, whereas the Crowne Pro is much slimmer (the slim is actually almost too slim for me! I had to get them professionally stretched and some days I still have to ride around with them half-zipped until I’m warmed up) and the Spanish top is much higher.
I’m sure they’ve changed a lot about both models but I think there may still be some significant differences.
I have the Ariat Quantum Crowne Pros and they are great! I actually went in looking at the Monaco’s and the Sergio boots, but neither of them fit me quite right. The QCP’s fit really well and the leather was very nice (and they look great too). They broke in very quickly and have held up well. People constantly ask me what kind of boots they are and are shocked when I tell them (they expect them to be some fancy $$$$ boots).
