Boots with Elastic Panels along the zippers, or even inserting elastic panels?

[Ibex]

I’ve come to the conclusion I have funky shaped calves. :no: I have custom half chaps, but custom tall boots are simply not in the budget.

What I do have is a barely used pair of Ariat Westchesters that I love in ever way except that there is no give over the calf. I can do up the zippers but about 10min later I get horrible cramps in my legs.

Someone on the dressage forum asked about the Cavallo Summer riding boots, that have a full elastic panel set in beside the zipper. Has anyone tried this? Is this something you might be able to retrofit a pair of otherwise fitting boots with??

[yellowbritches]

The Mountain Horse boots have elastic panels. I loved mine. Very comfy.

I don’t know if I would go to the expense of having elastic put in, if it can be done. It’s probably going to cost a pretty penny (zippers usually run $100 or so, so I have to imagine taking the boot apart and adding a panel is going to be labor intensive and pricey).

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=yellowbritches;7397232]
The Mountain Horse boots have elastic panels. I loved mine. Very comfy.

I don’t know if I would go to the expense of having elastic put in, if it can be done. It’s probably going to cost a pretty penny (zippers usually run $100 or so, so I have to imagine taking the boot apart and adding a panel is going to be labor intensive and pricey).[/QUOTE]

My local cobbler (NOT specialty riding boot place) charges $35 for a pair of zippers. He’s done some custom bridlework for me as well for really reasonable prices, replaced some soles on workboots for $12? or something equally cheap. I imagine he’d be willing to do an elastic panel for similarly cheap.

OP, seek out a cobbler, not a specialty riding boot place, and see what they can do for you. Mine does not speak super great English, so I make sure to bring pictures of what I’m looking for.

[Synthesis]

Try the Fuller Fillies boots. They have field and dress boots with a zipper up the back and a elastic under leather panel up the back. XW is 17"-19" XXW is 18"-20" and there are short, regular and tall options.

http://www.smartpakequine.com/fuller-fillies-1164pc

Lovely, comfortable and loads cheaper than custom. I love mine to death. They were broken-in half chap comfortable from the first wear.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

It is quite feasible but be careful who you get to do it. I had some tall winter boots made of rough-out leather that were too snug–my calves rise too abruptly from my ankles so boots that on paper should work often don’t. A regularly cobbler put an elastic panel in–I think it cost me around $75. However, he botched the job, making the panel just a v-shaped piece, so that the boots were way too big at the top and not big enough at the bottom. I took them to someone who actually makes custom boots and she fixed them and they are perfect. She took careful measurements all along the calf and the first guy didn’t, so I guess that’s one clue that someone will do a good job.

[quietann]

I also am a fan of Mountain Horse. The elastic panels wear well, as do the boots as a whole. Ariats are really made for skinny legs (Even at my thinnest I couldn’t get into their tall boots.)

[Bensmom]

I second the Mountain Horse recommendation, but I had great luck with my local cobbler doing alterations to a pair of Ariat field boots. I went to see him before I bought them, and he said that adding a panel was much easier than adding zippers to a boot that was made without them (I had originally asked to add zippers + elastic panel to a regular pair of wide calf boots). What he did was to add a leather panel to the inside of the boot, making the calf wider in a tapered way. Did a lovely job and it just looks like a thicker “wear” panel on the inside of the boot – if you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t know it had been altered.

I think that cost me $125 6 years ago. I’m so pleased with the result, I will probably do it again when I buy my next pair. Went to so much trouble to get these lovely boots to fit, and then got them broken in, and my foot has gone up a full size in the ensuing 6 years and now I can’t walk in them. grrrrrr. So those are for sale to build up my fund for new boots.

I’m a little worried – my vendor booth at Red Hills is going to be next to the La Mundial booth. I went and looked at their custom boots. <swoon> Someone needs to be put in charge of keeping me from ordering those is a quiet moment . . . .

[Ibex]

Thanks for the feedback! I wish the mountain horse boots fit me, but they’re too short

The fuller filly calves would work, but I have skinny ankles. And they’re too short. (Think cyclist calves… even tho I haven’t owned a bike in years :lol: )

[Hawks_Nest]

Have you tried treadsteps? I always had to go up a calf size in ariats and mountain horses never fit me (too short). I tried on a pair of treadstep donatellos and was floored at how well they fit. They have a narrower ankle and a more filled out calf, especially with the stretch panel along the zipper. They fit even over several socks but aren’t super loose in just my summer stuff, not to mention they fit my two different sized calfs nicely

[hb]

The Mountain Horse Richmond boots in wide width have a relatively narrow ankle for the calf width, and elastic alongside the calf. I like them much better than most other wide boots that also have wider ankles.

[baxtersmom]

Elastic panels are the greatest thing since sliced bread! No more loss of circulation in my feet!!!

There are a few other brands that do them besides MH and Tredtep. Dover’s Middleburg, I think Devonaire has one, and now a bunch of the Ariat field boots have them.

[Lori_T]

http://www.devonaire.com/Devonaire-Ladies-Camden-Zip-Back-Field-Boot-Brand-0-CPath-30-pid-2757.html

These are my new favorite boots.
I have a pair of Vogels, which I love, but I did not put a zipper in them.
A blood clot in a leg a few years ago left me with a slightly bigger calf on the left leg and after hours in the saddle, it really swells. So I cannot wear my vogels unless I ride early in the morning.
These are really comfy, I love the zipper and the elastic gusset and they are fully lined. They have a lot of extras for less money than the closest competitor. And they come in a variety of calf widths, including xxw.

[Ibex]

Sadly, still no go. To give you an idea…

Over breeches and socks, I’m about 14" at the opening. Nearly 16" at the widest part of the calf. Below the calf “matches” the above the “opening” area. It’s the part in the middle that’s the problem! I used to be a Slim-Tall in Ariat, and then gained leg strength.

Pants are awesome fun too. :grief:

[SnicklefritzG]

[QUOTE=Ibex;7397574]
Thanks for the feedback! I wish the mountain horse boots fit me, but they’re too short

The fuller filly calves would work, but I have skinny ankles. And they’re too short. (Think cyclist calves… even tho I haven’t owned a bike in years :lol: )[/QUOTE]

I think that’s the problem with some of the “Fuller Fillies” products. The boots, for example. They assume that if the person’s calf is big, that the rest of the leg is proportionally bigger and that is simply not true in all cases.

Devonaire has some boots with a larger calf but trim ankle. Ovation is coming out with a new boot in late February/March in a similar style. Both come with some sort of elastic along the back. They would both be worth trying to see if the calf width is in the right place for your leg.

I had elastic panes retrofitted on my boots at the same time the zippers were replaced. I think I paid about $100 for the zipper and not too much more for the elastic panels, maybe another $50? If you were only doing panels, I think it would be more just for that part.

[normandy_shores]

I had elastic gussets and heavier duty zippers put in my old ariats at the shoe renew place. I think my total ran me $130ish? They weren’t elastic panels the whole way down, but my gussets do go significantly further down than stock. He cut them and pinned them while I wore them, so the fit is basically custom. I was very happy with how they turned out.

He even swapped out the snap covers so they were all black and less noticeable.

[La_Chasse]

Hmm…most people are wider at the calf muscle belly than the opening I’d wager based on anatomy. The trick is how much wider.
I wonder if you could get dressage boots (bc of zipper placement along the leg) & have a cobbler put in a panel mid-calf–right where you need it-- in an ellipse shape. Or just a regular panel depending on what they’d think would stretch the best.
I had a pair of lovely chaps with mid-calf panel put in the the same reason but the place wasn’t good. They used neoprene as opposed To elastic. Still can’t zip them
Up & they were customs…not mine. eBay.

[Lindsayah]

I would really try the tredsteps. I have the donatellos because I too have wonky shaped calves and they fit wonderfully. The elastic insert looks like leather and is quite stretchy ( I have yet to find a combination of breeches and socks that don’t fit in the boot).

[Ibex]

Hey n_s… is this the place by the Army/Navy store??

I’ve used them in the past on some little things and been very happy… just didn’t know how they were with bigger jobs.

[eponacowgirl]

One of my clients had the same issue- just a little too tight, could wear them but not ride in them- and she just had the zipper removed and stitched back in as far out as they could and now she loves them! She would have been disappointed with any extra give.