Is it just me? Wherever I look there are Ariat paddock boots and limited other brands available for purchase. I have not been impressed with the Ariat comfort or quality and would like to find an alternate option. They just dont seem to exist. It would be nice to see other options besides Ariats. ok my rant is over. Thanks for listening :).
I’m ranting with you in my head. Ariats used to be my perfect boot. Then the quality and fit changed and I think they’re trash now, but finding a replacement???
I love my Grand Prix paddock boots, but I agree–I had to order mine bc all our local shops had was ariat! But they fit well, are comfortable, and… the zippers didn’t break after 6 months like they did on my last 3 pairs of the ariats!
I bought lace up Ariats that are not black. They are made of a quality leather and don’t even show dings. They were originally $150.00, but found them "Like new " on Ebay for $25.00 . I expected near like new. But these were really like new. Very nice quality. They are a dark brown.
I know what you mean about those zip up paddock boots. They were really poor quality and I got rid of mine.
I think I’ve owned every brand of paddock boot out there but my favorite to wear with half chaps is still Blundstones!
Ah my Blundstones died. The bottom sole sadly started to disintegrate. I just can’t bring myself to spending another $200 again. 
What about those Hoof & Woof boots? Those look nice to me.
[QUOTE=caper;8561619]
Ah my Blundstones died. The bottom sole sadly started to disintegrate. I just can’t bring myself to spending another $200 again. :([/QUOTE]
I bought my last pair of Blundstones for $30 last year from Sierra Trading Post. They were seconds (but seem fine) and I had an extra 30% off coupon. Pay attention 
I love these as a basic barn and around the property boot.
Sadly Blundstone quality is not what it used to be, either
[QUOTE=caper;8561619]
Ah my Blundstones died. The bottom sole sadly started to disintegrate. I just can’t bring myself to spending another $200 again. :([/QUOTE]
Rossi! Still made in aus and about $100 shipped from Australia.
i’m surprised – i LOVE my ariat clothing and boots.
i just saw an ariat booth yesterday and touched everything - i was really impressed with their new dublin-esque riverboot, loved the feel… and their sweaters/vest combos were so comfy!
for those of you complaining about a difference in quality, what are you noticing? i’ve had very good luck with their entire line and i probably get 1-2 new articles of clothing from them every other season or so (perks of working PT with a tack retailer). my only complaint with them is that their jackets run slim and don’t always accommodate my uh, front end :lol:
So far, so good with these.
Ariat zippers do suck, but if you aren’t getting zipped boots, I have found the quality is still great. They fit my foot really well and the footbed is very comfortable.
I was lucky to find some of the “sports clogs” on clearance on Sierra Trading Post (also at 30% off like Piedmont), and they are the bomb! They are dressy enough to wear with slacks and a suit jacket - I have a professional job that requires me to be on my feet for 8 or 9 hours - and they are my FAVORITE work shoes 
I have a pair of pull on paddock boots that I got (also on clearance) that are uber comfortable - again, no zippers. I think the zippers are the weak link in Ariat products.
I’ve tried a few other brands, and Ariats are still my favorite - that and Danksos (they make a paddock boot too).
[QUOTE=beowulf;8561786]
i’m surprised – i LOVE my ariat clothing and boots.
i just saw an ariat booth yesterday and touched everything - i was really impressed with their new dublin-esque riverboot, loved the feel… and their sweaters/vest combos were so comfy!
for those of you complaining about a difference in quality, what are you noticing? i’ve had very good luck with their entire line and i probably get 1-2 new articles of clothing from them every other season or so (perks of working PT with a tack retailer). my only complaint with them is that their jackets run slim and don’t always accommodate my uh, front end :lol:[/QUOTE]
With my last pair the zipper broke after two months and the interior padding of the boot started to disintegrate about the same time. My pair before the above mentioned pair started to fall apart in the seams as well as the leather at the foot break tore after just a few months. I was able to return both pairs due to the defect.
[QUOTE=Megaladon;8561625]
What about those Hoof & Woof boots? Those look nice to me.[/QUOTE]
I have a pair; they are fabulous. Tennis shoe comfy from the get go!
The Ariat boots are just too narrow for a lot of people and are too structured to stretch so they start literally bursting at the seams after a few months for quite a few users. I used to work part time at a tackshop and you’d see people just stuffing their feet into them like sausages. We still expect leather shoes to stretch but most don’t anymore. The thin leather just tears or it’s backed in which case the seams blow out.
I’ve been buying blundstones from zappos. Usually $130-160 but you can find them on Sierra Trading Post and 6pm for less quite often. Never when I need a pair but decently often. They seem to last OK.
I will try the Rossi suggestion above next time for sure though.
I have multiple Ariats (lace up zip paddock bought 2008, H2O slip-on paddock, winter lace-up paddock, older Heritage unlined field boots bought 2011 and a pair of new close-out Challenge field boots still unworn).
They are a good fit for me, foot and shaft, and the footbed is more comfortable than traditionally-made boots. I’ve bought both my Ariat field boots on deep discount, so they seem like a good deal. I’ve replaced the zippers on both the paddock and the field boots. I’m resigned to the fact that they are not going to be the longest-lived boots in the world, but that is true of all “high tech” shoes. Sneakers wear out very fast if you are actually running in them, and tech hiking boots the same.
I bought the Ariat H2O last summer to replace two year old Blundstones that had started to crack right across the top (they were cheaper than Blundstones). Also, the Blundstones did make my feet hurt after a day at the barn. I thought I was just tired, but as soon as I switched to the Ariat H2O, my foot pain went away. I am middle-aged, and my feet are less forgiving than they were 30 years ago.
That said, I do think of Ariat as an “affordable” brand, and I don’t think I would be in the market for their higher-priced models. I think you could get something more interesting for $1000, or even for $500, though I must admit I have never gone looking.
I should add that I’m a bit of a connoisseur of traditionally made shoes, and love shoes that are leather, leather lined, leather soled too. So it’s a bit inconsistent that I like Ariats, which have more sneaker technology going on inside them. But I guess in my mind I have ended up classifying my riding boots as “sports shoes,” where comfort and performance outweigh traditional durability. I also made that tradeoff in hiking boots, when I gave up the old leather-lined, hard to break in, heavy heavy last for 20 years boots for ones with sneaker technology.
I’ve had a pair of zip up Ariat paddock boots for nearly 4 years and they’re still just fine! My chaps are even older and nothing wrong with them either. I’ve got super narrow feet though, so the Ariats fit really well. I also only wear my boots for riding, and switch to either sneakers or a pair of muck around boots for everything else.
Ariats are pretty much the only thing you can get over here!
Whoops, double post!
Snowrider, when you say “too narrow”, do you mean in the calf, or in the footbed? Because I have a wide foot - and Ariats fit me much better then many other brands that ARE too narrow. Blundstones and Danskos are wider, but many of the Italian and other European brands are narrower. I find an Ariat “B” width is really more of a “C” width - at least in the shoes I’ve owned.
