I am looking into custom boots. I’ve had two pairs of Vogels in the past, but I’ve gained weight each time. Sigh. Anyhow, some of the custom shops don’t list prices, so I was wondering what you guys thought was teh best deal for a custom boot. I’ve heard you can get some from Argentina on the forum at some point, but can’t find the thread.
Some of the brands I’ve heard of are:
LM boots are the most inexpensive customs. Mine are great and no problems for me at all. However the previous owner was less than stellar, and they have some negative reviews.
DeNiro is also great and not too pricey. I was looking at getting some customs for around $900.
I have Tuccis. I paid about 1200 for them I believe but you can probably get them a bit cheaper. I had some extra accents added to mine.
I love them, they are still super soft but not “leather sock” soft like the Parlentis. You will get a lot more life out of them then you would other brands.
I would steer clear of Parlanti’s for several reasons. My trainer’s custom boots are awful (per her!). The leather is too thin. You can get wonderful, “soft” boots with more durable leather (Tucci & Fabbri). I’ve known several people who have gone through multiple pairs of custom Parlanti’s in a short time span, or been unhappy with how they’ve turned out.
That being said…
I would highly recommend Fabbri, even though they aren’t on your list. I’ve had my off the shelf Fabbri’s for SIX years. They’re my daily wear, bucket scrubbing, horse bathing, AND show boots. The zipper finally broke on one boot, so I’m getting that fixed now. The leather on the inside of the calf has softened, but has almost no signs of wear otherwise. Worth every penny & actually high quality.
Romitelli. Soft but not flimsy and not expensive. Love mine.
Some folks here have raced out their Ego7s. IIRC they are lower end but more durable version of either Parlanti or Tucci?
I believe Tucci.
As far as full custom and longevity I had a pair of Vogel’s for around 10 years before the shoe guy finally told me he could not replace the zippers again. They were so comfortable and I actually keep holding on to them, maybe they will make one more comeback.
I never had good luck getting my LM to fit right. But they are beautiful and well made.
I adore my ego7. I am in them all day riding, grooming and teaching. They have by far been the longest lasting boot I have had in years, and I absolutely abuse them. I mostly use them for home boots but polish up great too. They are a not super soft to start though. They took me a couple weeks to get fully broken in. That said they are very comfortable now.
I’ll put in another vote for LM. Was super concerned when I first placed the order but the boots came to me in a timely manner and fit wonderfully well. Actually I’m hoping to get a second pair at some point this year. Never had boots fit me better, and I keep mine on for all barn stuff around the horse, too. Do get the extra leather patch on the interior of the boot.
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