I sold my dubarrys after I kids and the calves were too tight. I picked up a pair of Fuller Fillies country boots but they were too big in the calf. Then, last year in Ireland (on the way to the Dubarry store), I stopped in at a small tack shop and bought a pair of Irish knock offs, the Kanyons. I think they are on ebay as well. They were half the price and are awesome thus far!
OK, I had to come back and say how disappointed I am in the ‘long-term’ performance of my Dubarry’s. I bought them at Rolex in 2014. I wore them A LOT. They were comfy and waterproof and I even wore them in summertime at events when I had to be on cross-country with dew still on the grass. Then in December (yes, 8 months in), I noticed that my left foot was wet. Ack. The left boot lost it’s waterproofness. Best I can tell, somewhere between the sole and the leather is allowing water to leak in. OK, so I kept wearing them, just not in muddy, wet situations. Now the stitching on both ankles on the inside has begun to come out. Particularly on the right leg. Boo. $500 down. I have emailed Dubarry, but have not heard anything from them. There does not seem to be a warranty of any sort, so I guess I"m just out. I did wear the stew out of them, but I had figured on them lasting 3 years, not less than 1 year!!
Had my Dublins for 8 months now…and they still look brand new! I’ve not worn winter boots since I got them, and we’ve had some -30 weather on occasion! I’ve walked the dog through snow, ice and water and they have not made my feet wet or cold at all (although in really cold weather I do wear ski socks!)…love them, best $ I’ve spent!
Sweetas–I would be furious! I’m so sorry!
I still haven’t bought boots. I’m headed to Rolex this year, but I really need something beforehand so that I can get it broken in.
[QUOTE=sweetas;8037510]
OK, I had to come back and say how disappointed I am in the ‘long-term’ performance of my Dubarry’s. I bought them at Rolex in 2014. I wore them A LOT. They were comfy and waterproof and I even wore them in summertime at events when I had to be on cross-country with dew still on the grass. Then in December (yes, 8 months in), I noticed that my left foot was wet. Ack. The left boot lost it’s waterproofness. Best I can tell, somewhere between the sole and the leather is allowing water to leak in. OK, so I kept wearing them, just not in muddy, wet situations. Now the stitching on both ankles on the inside has begun to come out. Particularly on the right leg. Boo. $500 down. I have emailed Dubarry, but have not heard anything from them. There does not seem to be a warranty of any sort, so I guess I"m just out. I did wear the stew out of them, but I had figured on them lasting 3 years, not less than 1 year!![/QUOTE]
Dubarry says they have a one year warranty, so you should be able to get them to repair or replace them. Warranty info is HERE. Sounds like yours should be covered since it was less than one year of use.
I still haven’t bought boots. I’m headed to Rolex this year, but I really need something beforehand so that I can get it broken in.
I don’t know about the Dubarry’s, but I recently bought the Dublin Pinnacle’s and there was no break-in period. They wore like they were already broken in from the first time I put my foot in them.
[QUOTE=jen-s;8037616]
Sweetas–I would be furious! I’m so sorry!
I still haven’t bought boots. I’m headed to Rolex this year, but I really need something beforehand so that I can get it broken in.[/QUOTE]
You don’t need to break in Dubes! They are perfectly comfortable right out of the box. I am wearing mine now. I’ve had them 3 or 4 years and never wore them to the barn, but wear them during the winter, the snow, the slush, through the Head of the Lake. I love them and don’t regret a penny I spent on them.
Love my Dublins! So awesome. I got them as a gift and I wear them fall and winter every year. They’re so great! Make sure that you use boot stuffers/shapers so that they don’t sag in the ankle area. I ride in mine and they are good for riding, but the top of the boot gets hooked on the bottom of my saddle flat (I have long legs).
If these ones ever die, I’m buying another pair.
I have never worn the Dubarrys, but I’d have lost my marbles if I paid $500 for any item of clothing!
I have a pair of Dublin River boots that I’ve worn now for two winters. I wear them to the barn, I ride in them, I walk the dog in them, I shovel snow in them, walk through mud, etc.
My feet are dry and warm, which, given the winter we’ve been having here is nothing short of miraculous. Best money I’ve spent on boots.
I love my Dubarry boots!!! They are comfy and you don’t have to worry about walking through puddles. However, I don’t use them around the barn every day because I think they’re too expensive and nice for that purpose. I wear them out to non-horsey places and I wear them at shows to look more presentable (not that anyone but me cares what I look like). For barn chores, I stick with Original Muck Boots.
This has been one horrible and depressing winter. But, every day I have one thing that makes me happy and that I am thankful for — my Dublin boots. I bought them after reading a thread in H/J last fall and they are da BOMB. I have never been in love with boots before like I am with my Dublins.
Slip on/slip off, the warmest boots I have ever owned (no socks) and waterproof.
I am planning to buy another pair so I have some when these get too grubby to wear into town and have lunch.
Seriously, I do not have a single negative thing to say – oh maybe 1: they are so warm that, when spring finally comes I am going to have to put them away until next fall.
I have had my first pair of Dubarry boots for SEVEN years, and they are going strong, with me wearing them as my every day shoes every day all winter long, for 7 winters. They look great, are still waterproof, and are incredibly warm. And no, I’ve done no maintenance or rewaterproofing on them.
I love them so much, I got a second pair for my birthday/xmas present this year. They are pricey, but spread out over 7+ years, not too bad.
Also – THERE IS NO BREAK IN PERIOD WITH THEM!
(The Dublin boots could be just as good, I just don’t have any experience with them).
I have a knock off pair of Shires. I got them on sale at the local horse expo. I have wide calfs and these fit well. My friend got a pair of Dublins. We are on year three of owning them. She wears hers all year round to ride in. They have held up well. I wear mine primarily in the winter as I find them a little too warm to wear in our humid Va summers. Mine look almost new because I don’t wear them as much as friend does. I think I paid around $130 for them when I purchased and have been happy. I would be very upset if I had purchased the Duberrys and they started leaking as above poster mentioned.
I loved my Dubarrys, too…til they failed! They were comfy right away (I walked for 4 days straight in them). I have contacted them - before I go to the expense of sending them back, I’d like to know what kind of response I’m going to get. I did not keep the receipt, although I paid with a credit card, so there is a record. Haven’t heard back. Guess I will try to call soon. Sigh. It figures if there’s a dud pair, I bought them!
[QUOTE=Phaxxton;6670812]
Am I the only one who was completely underwhelmed by the Dubarry boots? Mine didn’t even last a year without starting to crack and separate at the sole – and yes, I did care for them as recommended. After less than a year, they weren’t even remotely waterproof anymore.
They certainly didn’t hold up to doing basic farm chores for a full winter, and I’m really not all that hard on boots.
Maybe they would last years if I just wore them around casually. I just wouldn’t buy them if you are planning to actually do any real daily work in them.
They are incredibly comfortable, and if I had a lot of disposable income, I’d have a pair for casual wear around the farm or at shows. Heck, they are comfortable enough that if I had the disposable income, I’d just replace them every year if necessary. :lol:[/QUOTE]
I was in love with my Dubarrys for about a year. Wore them daily and cared for them decently. Then the seams came undone behind the heel and around the sole of the boot and the leather cracked over the ball of my foot on the top of the boot. I would like to note that while I wear my boots a lot, I tend to have a pretty good track record with them. While everyone complains about Ariats, I can keep my cheap-o Ariat paddock boots going for years and I do NOT take good care of them.
I wore my Dubarrys to Equine Affaire after a year and a couple months of owning them, walked into the Dubarry booth and the rep took one look at my boots and almost fainted. He then cleaned my boots and told me I needed to clean them after every use and condition them daily. Seriously? After reading rave reviews on the boots, the reason I decided to drop the cash on them was because I wanted something I could beat on and keep with minimal care. I’ve been planning to take them to a cobbler to get the stitching at the heel fixed, but I know their days of being waterproof are likely over. They’re comfortable boots, but I feel so disappointed about the amount of money I spent on them.
Another vote here for the Dublins. Got a pair for Christmas and I LOVE them.
Timely thread. I just put insoles into my Dubarrys. I can’t wear them as is for more than a few hours. It was such a disappointment to spend so much on the m only to have them be so uncomfortable. Need to wear them all day as the weather is going to horrid and I’d like to not have sore feet. For $500 I’d expect them to be more comfortable.
I picked up a pair of (lightly) used Dubarrys last fall. I wear them constantly and totally love them. However I have noticed that they’re getting pretty beat up. I hose them down and then clean & condition them about once every 6-8 weeks. So I’m not neurotic about it but do like to give the leather a little attention.
I was discussing with a friend who has two pairs of Dubarrys. She wears one as barn boots and the other as winter/gross weather/do everything in boots. Time wise she puts a lot more hours into the second pair than the barn pair but she says the barn pair are falling apart much faster. Her best guess is the mucking out breaks down the boot faster. Her second pair goes dog walking through mud and snow and slush, but seem to be fine. So she thinks it’s something about the manure or peed on shavings that’s destroying the other pair.
I use mine at the barn but only for 10 minutes of mucking my stall. Then I’m into my riding boots for the rest of the time, so they don’t get that much barn exposure. So far they’re going strong but I don’t think I’ll get more than 2 years out of them at this rate.
I’ve had Dublins since 2011 and recently got the slim-fit Dubarrys. The Dubarrys are very popular in Philadelphia and somewhat of a fashion status symbol among people who don’t ride. They sell them at a Center City furrier (yuck) and at the Philadelphia Flower Show. I wear mine exclusively in the city so they don’t get horse smelly. So far they look great.
The Dublins are the ones I wear to the barn, all year long. They are filthy but still 100% waterproof and in great shape. I never clean or condition them, just take them off in the garage and leave them there until the next time I go to the barn. That’s another reason I wouldn’t wear Dubarrys to the barn.
I think the Dublins are a much better value, and the only thing I like more about the Dubarrys is the narrower fit.
Well, Dubarry replaced my ‘faulty’ ones! That’s a huge plus. Now, I’m trying to decide when I’ll wear them, lol. I bought some leather Bogs on sale for $29 (on Smartpak - they’re almost gone). They aren’t real attractive, but I think they will do. I feel certain as someone else said that the manure, pee, and possibly the limestone from some arenas did them in. The Dubarry’s are awesome for walking through wet, mucky areas.
