I am so in love with the Galway Boot. I LOVE it.
I also spend a lot of time in muddy conditions during the winter, so they seem like a GREAT option to wear then hose off and be ready to wear in town.
BUT I don’t think want to spend $500 on a boot. I’m looking at the Dublin River Boot and the MIddleburg H20 Country boot.
Any reviews of the above? OR should I wait it out and save for the Dubarry boots? Are they that much better?
Tredstep has a new boot that looks similar, but itsnt nearly as expensive.
My riding buddy has the tall Dublins and she loves them! She has had them about two years and has worn them last winter thru lots of deep mud( really wet winter here) and rode in them as well. She pretty much rides in them all the time and they have held up well. I have a knock off pair by Shires(needed a wide calf) and have had them the same amount of time. I ride in mine in the winter and have slopped around the farm in them when it is wet and muddy. I don’t ride in them in the summer because I find them too warm, but mine have held up well also.
I have had the Galway boots for at least 7, maybe 8-9 years and they are still awesome. I wear them everywhere, the barn, to work in rain and snow, all around town with sportswear. They were not more than $400 when I bought mine, perhaps a bit less. The big difference between Dubarry and some of the knockoffs is the Gore-Tex lining. Gore-Tex is expensive, but its breathable, I mean really breathable, I once wore them to spectate at a multi-day clinic in July, where the weather was hot, humid and rainy the entire time. My feet were the only part of me that were comfy, never hot, damp and sweaty as many rubber boots are. And my Kyra K “breathable” waterproof jacket was like a sauna, so apparently breathabiity varies. In fact I ended up buying a Gore-Tex rain sheet for the horse, I was so impressed. And check the specs carefully on the knockoffs, some are only water resistant, and others are only waterproof through the foot portion. Dubarry’s are waterproof from your toes to the very top of the boot. If you can swing the $500 purchase price I would go with Dubarry but if not, I’m sure the knockoffs will suffice, although perhaps with less comfort. I also find that I can stand at an event all day and walk several miles of a cross country course in great comfort.
I had a pair of the Dublin Mid River boots (since the Rivers, at the time, didn’t come in wide calf, but they do now). The waterproofing gave out in about 2 months and I was getting water/wet in the foot. This was in the middle of winter. Instead of spending another $180, I decided to cough up the money for a pair of Galway ExtraFits and it was the best decision I ever made–my first week of having them, I went on a solo trip to Ireland and 98% of the trip, wore my Galways. No water, no wet, nothing. Even with the toes scuffed up from hiking the Cliffs of Moher, and in and out of ancient ruins (plus spending time at a stable in Dingle), they show no signs of giving up. I actually have mine on now as the weather here is abysmal…swirling nor’easter off the coast.
It’s better, IMO, to plunk down a big chunk of change on QUALITY that will last for years vs. having to constantly replace or repair cheaper boots. The Dublins are machinemade in China, the Galways are handmade in Portugal.
The Galways are worth every penny of the nearly-$500 price tag.
[QUOTE=Simbalism;7819022]
I don’t ride in them in the summer because I find them too warm, but mine have held up well also.[/QUOTE]
Exactly my point, you can be dry an COOL all summer long in the Gore-Tex lined Dubarry’s. Of course, not everyone can afford $500 to keep their feet cool in the summer.
I have the Dublin version. I’ve had them about a year and a half and so far they’re holding up pretty well…walked through 3 water jumps with my friend on her 1* course last weekend and stayed dry.
Do you by chance think the Dubarry boots are included in the sales SmartPak has? I could wait until black Friday/Christmas time to purchase and hopefully get some discount, but I feel like they’d be excluded from sales.
I’ve watched a friend suffer through some poor customer service when my one but two pairs of Dubarry’s failed to stay waterproof with light use. Considering the price tag, I would want to see some stellar customer service, not a “sucks to be you” attitude. That’s turned me off the brand far more than the price tag.
I have the Dublins and they do exactly the job I need them to do- keep my feet warm and dry. They aren’t as attractive as the Dubarry’s but when I walk the dog in the dew or snow, need to trek through the mud, give my horse a bath, etc, my feet are dry when I’m done. I didn’t get them to keep my feet cool (I have plenty of othe shoes that are far more appropriate for that job), so they can be toasty on the dewey summer mornings when I walk the dog.
A friend has the Ovation version and they are lovely. When I saw them the other night, I thought they WERE Dubarry’s.
I didn’t know Dubarry boots are sold by Smartpak, but why not call them and ask? It can’t hurt to ask.
I have the Dublin River boots, for maybe 3? years now, and have been quite happy with them. I’ve worn them hiking, around Ireland, to walk XC courses, to bathe my horse on show mornings, to walk the dog in the snow…they’re still holding up well, keeping my feet warm and dry. I’d buy them again, quite happily.
I have the Dublin River boots as well, and I really like them. I haven’t had mine long, but I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on them and they are so incredibly comfortable.
I don’t care if they are cool in the summer or not because I live in Texas and only wear tall boots in the summer if it’s required. The River boots would not be acceptable to wear when I would be required to wear tall boots, so no big deal.
[QUOTE=BAC;7819061]
I didn’t know Dubarry boots are sold by Smartpak, but why not call them and ask? It can’t hurt to ask.[/QUOTE]
I was surprised when I saw them in the Smartpak catalog, but there they were! Only made me want them more!!
The Dublins keep my feet dry and warm during our winters in the Appalachians. Lots of snow and lots of mud. I’ve had them for two or three years now, and they’re holding up well. I also ride in them during warmer months sometimes, and they’re not much warmer, IMO, than my half chaps.
The Dubarry’s are extremely nice, but for less money, I like the Ovation’s. They did a great job capturing the “look,” and they are a lot less money. My problem with the price is that I really like to get new boots every year or every other year and at $500, I can’t justify getting new boots as often.
The Ovation’s have lots of different options, and I can afford to get a new pair when I want.
As much as I want the Dubarry’s, it sounds like Dublin, or Ovations will do. I don’t plan on wading in water with them, but I do intend to wear them on wet, warm/cold nights at the barn, as well as duck hunting adventures with my boyfriend (land hunting as I have waders to wear when we’re in water for an extended period of time) and also just when I’m out and about during the colder months.
I do live in Texas and in the Summer I don’t think I’d EVER attempt to wear the boots for an extended period of time, like to town…even if I did have the breathable Dubarry’s, they scream “winter/fall” apparel to me. I just want them as a good solution to keep my feet warm in the winter and also something to put on cause I’m tired of getting my paddock boots/half chaps muddy!
Rain country here … (but not me as they just do.not.fit my foot at all 
)
Dubarry - 4 -10 years later & still working great
Dublins - replace every 1-2 years
The problem … occasionally you end with a Dubarry that does not remain waterproof, if you’re within the warranty, it’s great, get a new boot :yes:
If you look into other UK shops, there are many alternative “country boots” 
but I don’t know anyone else that has the display boot in a water tank & then lets you try on that dry boot :lol:
Note that while Gore-tex lining improves the water resistance, it’s also “hotter” than a non-Gore-Tex, so depending on climate & activity & personal preference …
When you’re looking at waterproof boots, pay attention to stitching & attachment of upper to shoe bottom, ask about zipper waterfastness, about where the Gore-Tex etc lining end
My Dublins are about 6 years old. They have held up well for 3 season use. The only issue I have is that the lining on one has torn and as a result when I put my foot in, the boot sags. I can get it straightened but it’s bit of an annoyance. That said, they are old and I think I paid about $150 for them when my local tack shop offered a coupon for “liking” their FB page.
I used to ride in them from time to time but now the upper is a bit too soft and it crushes down when I ride. They still keep my feet dry in snow and rain/slush.
[QUOTE=Pennylane;7819131]
The Dubarry’s are extremely nice, but for less money, I like the Ovation’s. They did a great job capturing the “look,” and they are a lot less money. My problem with the price is that I really like to get new boots every year or every other year and at $500, I can’t justify getting new boots as often.
The Ovation’s have lots of different options, and I can afford to get a new pair when I want.[/QUOTE]
Do you by chance know what model of Ovation you had?
I have the Middleburg all-weather tall boots. I only recently got them so I can’t speak for the durability but they feel well-made. I went with them because I can wear them to ride since they’re taller, and they come in slim calf. Hoping that the upper part of the boot only being “water-resistant” won’t be a problem! They’re super grippy for riding.
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