My calf is just wider than most of the off-the-rack boots, about 16.5". I have a pair of winter boots (I think Ovation) with XW calves, but they are very gappy at the top. I have a gift of funds coming in and may go the custom route, so following very carefully.
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My navy patent Pioneers were $485 plus shipping, but that was at last years’ exchange rate.
Romatelli boots are cheap ($900), fit like custom and last forever . . .
@kenyarider Mine did not last well, despite having somewhat stiff leather that made them painful to break in. But several people in my barn have them and my experience is something of an outlier. YMMV.
Another thing I don’t love about ariat in general - the leather is made in China. So you could get Italian leather for the same price and the craftsmanship of a handmade Italian leather boot is going to last you much, much longer. Trust.
Is there a good person to measure Fabbris in Connecticut or Westchester County? I live in Tucson. No tack shops here, but I’m going back east in a couple of weeks.
I got custom DeNiro boots about five years ago. I have really tricky measurements for tall boots - wide, flat feet and short, thick calves. I tried a bunch of off the rack boots and had no luck.
The custom DeNiros ran $1200 IIRC. They broke in easily and are super comfortable. I had a zipper break at the back of the heel about two years ago (weird), but my local cobbler was able to put a new zipper on no problem.
I don’t know how durable they’d be for everyday use. I keep them to use strictly for clinics/shows just because they were expensive boots and I don’t want to wear them out. I’ll ride in them for about a week leading up to that to get used to them again. So far they’ve held up great for that purpose.
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Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that. I live in the PNW. My local tack shop (Olson’s Tack in Bellevue, WA) can help you virtually if you measure yourself they can consult you on fit. If they’re off the rack and don’t fit, I’m sure they’re easily returnable. They fitted me for both my Fabbri’s and Parlanti’s and they both fit me beautifully.
My Ariats fit great but bleed dye on my ankles through socks. This is second pair I’ve had this issue with. Anyone else?
Following! I’ve had Ariats over the years and while they fit me pretty well they also don’t last me more than 2-3 years of pretty light use. I recently scored a pair of used Dehners, which fit me well enough though not perfectly, but they have opened my eyes to what a higher-quality boot is like. I called Dehner to find out more about them and they were made in 1986!!! 
They are in amazing condition and are extremely comfortable, I could wear them all day. I’m thinking of investing in a custom boots - I’d rather pay $$$$ for something that lasts then pay less but have the boots bite the dust every few years. Based on my limited experience, Dehners are worth considering!
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I don’t own them, but my trainer is sponsored by Fabbri and his fiancee has the off-the-rack Fabbris—they are beautiful and she wears them every day.
After the initial zipper repair on one boot (which Riding Warehouse handled perfectly), I do like my Ego7s. Would buy from Europe next time to save money, though.
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I got semi-custom Tuccis (partially on the advice of COTH!) and love them. I did my own measurements, and the Tucci rep I worked with was great about talking me through it and sending a sample boot to ensure my sizing/fit (no Tucci reps in person near me). I can’t recommend them enough - they were around $1000 and full customs would have been a few hundred more. I was able to customize the style and take .5cm off the height without being charged any extra price, so I paid the off the rack price. I tried off the track boots that were almost the same cost, and mine have unique details I got to choose that I love.
I love my Deniro boots and think they’ve held up spectacularly well a year in, considering I rarely clean them. I ride four to five days a week on average. I do think the brushed leather makes a difference, as I’ve had both. It seems almost indestructible in the most fantastic way. I also brushed green paddock boots and gaiters, which is a super fun color.
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Ohhh those are gorgeous! Which model, do you remember? I am about to pull the trigger for semi custom Salentos (wide foot (a preference) and custom knee with the xxxl calf 
).
Salento in brushed burgundy.
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Lovely! I may look at the brushed option…
OK peeps, I’m nervous as heck but I hit the submit on the DeNiro boots. I went with Salento Naveen (spur rests seem to be the only major difference), stayed with matte black because I am a quasi-traditionalist, and they are “semi-custom” because the XXL calf is close enough to my measurements that they said go for it. I measured 40.5cm and the XXL is 40.2 so 
I also went with the wide foot, which is 1 cm wider than regular, and custom knee because the typical difference between calf size and knee size is 2 cm, whereas I’m 4.5 and 5.5 respective smaller.
And now we wait 
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Boots are so variable beause my Romatellis were soft and never hurt from day one. They have gone up in price ($1100) but they did last 2 years and I wore them every day in mud and water. However, I just got a pair of Ego7 (not custom) for my obviously “deformed” *16.5 inch calves, size 7.5/8 foot and medium length leg and after a bit of swearing and stretching, they fit!!! So far no pain anywhere and only $499!!! They are the off the rack Tucci I hear. *by deformed I mean - you have to buy custom.
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Yes to Pioneer! I also ordered a pair of the black Atena dress boots, with the black “lace” top last April right before Italy shut down, so it took them about 3 months to get here, since the factory was closed for almost 2 months, but they are gorgeous, I get compliments on them all the time, no break in to speak of, and they only cost $430 including shipping.
The only thing I would mention is that I think their foot size runs a tiny bit big - I wear a 38 in Deniro and Dansko and Birks, and the 38 is a bit too big on me, I have to wear a boot sock and an ankle sock to snug up the foot. Other than that, they are gorgeous and have held up beautifully to about a year of being ridden in 3x/ week.
ETA - oh, and I have supposedly weird calves too - 7.5 size shoe, normal height, but 15ish calf…often hard to find in off the rack!
What model? I checked their size chart and there is no way anything will fit on my calves, and we are the same size. Plus the issue I have is my calves are xxwide but my knees aren’t, so the one pair of Ariats that went up that big were large enough at the knee that I could literally fold the leather.
