Ariat Monacos-- how do they fit? True to size?

Title says it all.

Do the feet fit as paddock boots do?

And are the measurements given in their size chart accurate?

Do they drop a great deal?

Many thanks… for saving me some wasted money on shipping… or helping me waste money on tall, pretty boots.

Feet fit the same as the Ariat Monaco paddock boots, and also similar to the Volant lines. But I wore a 7 1/2 in Ariat paddock boots for 20 years and when I moved to the Monacos (when they first came out) I ended up in an 8. My feet definitely didn’t change in that time period, and I now wear an 8 in all Ariat boots. So I think the Monacos led the way in their newer sizing relative to old boots.

Measurements in size chart are accurate.

They do not drop a great deal.

I have the following:
-original Monacos (with new zippers as they had the original dress-like zippers they started with and quickly moved away from).
-original Monaco paddock boots
-original Monaco half chaps (LOVE the half chaps more than any others I’ve ever had)
-newer Monaco paddock boots
-new Monaco stretch tall boots with the patent spot at the top

My only comment on the Monaco stretch boots is that they seem a tad shorter than my older Monaco boots and I ended up sending my first pair back to exchange them for talls (which are really a bit too tall).

My Monaco boots are hands down my favorite ever tall boots and the most flattering I’ve ever had. I’m slightly less impressed with the fit of the Monaco stretch, although they are comfortable and very pretty also. But they gave them a higher spanish cuff that makes them look odd to me from the front as the front of the knee is lower than my other boots, you can kind of see what I’m talking about in this picture.

I love my Monacos. They are a bit more comfortable than my Ariat Cobalts and def more comfy than the Ariat Crowne Pros. They have a square toe so a bit roomier in the footbed. I have wide feet since my kids were born and my feet spread, and need the space. My Monacos do not cause the downright pain the older Crowne Pros did, same size footbed.

Would love Volants but not until my paddocks/half chaps wear out.

I find they drop some and I need the talls but I am so thankful for Ariats, they save me from custom. Few brands are that tall for tall in my size (10). I need all 20 inches. My old ones dropped too much and got too short. I am kind of a ridiculously proportioned human being. All legs. I save them for shows and clinics so they don’t drop too much. They will last longer that way without looking bad. Shorter people might be able to wear them more.

My Monacos feel a bit roomier in the foot than other Ariat boots I’ve had, may be the square toe? The calf width and height is pretty spot on to the size chart. Mine didn’t drop a whole lot. I will admit that I absolutely HATED them until I got them really broken in. Now they are perfect and fit as well as any custom.

I needed a new pair of tall boots because my calves have gotten a tick larger over the past 15 years (since I retired my last hunter). DH took me to the local Dover’s for Xmas shopping.

I started by trying on Ariats - started cheap and moved my way up the price scale. None - NONE - of the models fit the same. The foot in the cheapest model (Heritage?) was huge. I had to go down a half size and then the regular calf was too tight (I used to wear a slim calf). Then I decided to try on the Tredstep boots and the Mountain Horse boots. I didn’t like how flat the foot felt on the inside. I guess I’ve gotten used to the tennis shoe feel of Ariat paddocks. So then I tried on the next most expensive Ariat (challenge?). The foot on the 7 was too small - and I wear a street shoe 7. The 7 1/2 was long enough in the foot, but i really didn’t like where the arch hit my foot. However, the regular calf fit fine (BTW, the regular calf in the Tredstep fit pretty good, but the regular calf in the Mountain Horse had a really unflattering bulge in the back, too big around the largest part of my calf).

So then I tried on the Crowne. It fit me pretty good in the foot, I would say true to size, but the calf on the regular was too tight and they didn’t have a full in stock.

So then I tried on the Monaco. Without a doubt the best fit for my foot, but I like a lot of toe room and my feet are wide across the balls of my feet. So they are wide feeling if you are used to a round toe. I had to go to a wide calf - not just a full calf - and it still didn’t fit right. I am 5’6" and wear a ladies size 8 and have reasonably thin legs - i have a 14 1/2" calf which is not in my opinion an elephant leg! I was pretty disappointed because all of the other stock boots Dover had on hand, except for the Mountain horse, fit perfectly in the calf and foot; i just didn’t like the feel of the foot (I know, i could put Ariat insoles in…) and I left without buying anything. It is my opinion that Ariat is making extremely slim calves now, and once you have to move to a “full” [note: my calf is 14 1/2 inches and is a “WIDE” in the Monaco], they start adding a weird curve around the fullest part.

I am a little irritated with Ariat in general; their clothes get smaller and smaller every year. I have a Grand Prix show jacket that is a 12 and fits great; an Ariat show jacket I just bought measures exactly the same (except for being about an inch longer), is sized as a 16. Their winter coats got tiny this year too. I have a 38 ish chest and can’t get an XL in the Delphine zipped over the girls.

So after leaving Dover empty-handed, I hopped on ebay, found a barely used pair of Quantum Crowns in a 7 full, got them for $85, and really like them. I still like the Monacos better, but they just didn’t fit me right in the calf.

Mine fit pretty true to size, I bought them at the SP retail store, so I had the advantage of trying on and walking around in them. I usually wear an 8.5 in ariat but went up to the 9 to accommodate my calf size. They’re a bit more spacious in the foot than I would prefer, but it allows me the comfort of actually wearing a sock instead of the sheer knee high boots. I love mine, can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can get my feet back in them!

I think they fit TTS but I don’t own any Paddock Boots. My Monacos fit me well because I have thin legs and ankles and needed something narrow but did not want to go custom. So far so good.

Do you guys find that the height given on their size chart and the way they tell you to measure your leg (sitting, knee bent 90 degrees) ends up giving you a boot that’s tall enough?

Boots too short are, of course, an abomination. One should make every effort to avoid that.