I feel like they do stretch a fair bit. That said, I had a zipper issue with mine. My left calf is bigger then my right. The boots fit my right leg perfectly but the zipper on the left boot doesn’t lock and constantly slides down when I’m riding. Very disappointing. I like the boots a lot and got them on clearance, but probably wouldn’t buy them again.
I have them, I have huge problems finding boots that are comfortable and I LOVE these. I have the blue top which is extra icing on the cake as my helmet and jacket are blue…
I had the blue top V Sports and the zipper collapsed weirdly against my achilles tendon once they were broken in. They were fine for riding but walking around in them was impossible. I had to send them on down the road. ðŸ˜
Bumping this up instead of creating new: how do the shoe size fit compared to street shoes? I’m a solid 7.5/38 in everything but find that some tall boots tend to be a hair long and I catch the toe and trip.
I wore the same in street and V sports.
I also had the weird issue that @Suspiria had with the zipper into the tendon…
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I am an 8 and 3/4 
and wear a 9 in Ariat.
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I find them to be close to my street shoe size edging towards generous. I like that because I can wear thin socks in the summer and thicker socks in the winter. I just ordered a second pair because I like them so much and, as with all things Ariat, they will someday be discontinued.
I’ve had my original pair for almost a year and ride in them almost daily. However, I almost always take them off if I need to hose down my horse and I really believes that approach contributes to the longevity.
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Just wanted to update that mine took a while but have broken in well and I LOVE THEM!!! Like you, lintesia, I try not to walk around or do ground chores in them too much, so I hope they last a good long time.
generous long or generous wide?
Generous in the footbed. But not like a whole or even a half size. I think I have the slim calf and having slightly thicker socks are fine there as well. My previous everyday schooling boot was the Ariat Heritage Contour and I only ever wore thin boot socks with those.
Just to clarify – I totally wear these around the barn. They’re only off limits in the wash stall!
Excellent. I was going back and forth between these and Deniro Tricolore because I hate the stiff uppers of most tall boots, but honestly a comfortable foot bed is way more important. I’d be riding and doing some barn chores in them, not a lot of walking since my barn is at home.
@JBCool and @lintesia Smartpak isn’t available to ask right now; my right calf is 15.5 and my left is 16.5, do you recommend I go with the smaller or the larger size? The wide is 15.5 and the xw is 16.5 of course :lol:
Just wanted to bump this with the new format do you suggest I size up or down for calf size?
Jenners, not sure with that much difference. That being said, the size chart says my boots are 12.5", but both my calves bare measure 13.25. Mine barely zipped over bare calf with knee high pantyhose when new and now fit great.
I can’t advise on that, but I can tell you that the calf will stretch. I just got the new pair that I ordered (slim calf) and it’s snug. But with my broken in pair they’re just right/comfortably roomy. In comparing the two – brand new vs. 10 months of 5x/week riding (one horse), the broken in calf is slightly roomier and the boots have dropped by 1/4 - 1/2 inch. The footbed is unchanged.
I think I’m happily set for schooling boots for many years to come!
Bumping this thread as these are my favorite schooling boot situation EVER and I am not sure if Ariat is discontinuing them but they are currently marked down on the Ariat site from $359 to $219. I just bought two pairs in my size hoping they will last me for years. Here is a pic of my last pair still going 3 years in. No I don’t work for Ariat just trying to let people know about a good deal.
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I was just revisiting this thread and noticed this post. As a fan of the V Sports, back in 2000 I ordered a second pair to have on hand for when my first pair bit the dust. I don’t recall when that was and when I started wearing the second pair, but the exact same thing happened to me as to @Suspiria – once they were broken in, they rubbed horribly against my achilles tendon to the point where I could ride in them but I couldn’t walk in them at all. I contacted Ariat about this even though I no longer had a receipt and couldn’t remember when, much less where, I had purchased them. Ariat asked me to complete a form and send photos and very soon thereafter sent me am email agreeing that yes they were defective and letting me know they were sending a replacement. (Which I’ve been wearing for years without any problem – yay!)
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Yes, they are discounting them 
. I ordered myself a “next” pair too. When I tried to order from Ariat, they were all out of stock, but I was able to find a pair from StateLineTack. So I’m going through the breaking in pain all over again!
I am so bummed that when I went to order direct from Ariat (contemplated buying multiple at that price), the order went through, and about 5 days later got an email that my order was canceled because my size was out of stock.
Anyone else have any ideas for boots that I can abuse yet could stand in as show boots in the event that the show boots have a catastrophic come apart, in the $300 or less range? I hesitate to try other brands as I know exactly what Ariat size will fit off the shelf. And the V Sport felt broken in off the shelf.
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