Also, a few friends of mine who are hard on their boots swear by Dryshod brand boots. I haven’t worn them enough to weigh on on durability but I do like them!
Tell me your secrets because I went through two separate pairs in less than 6 months each time. I even took care of them nicely 
Sole split on the first pair and leather where foot bends on second pair.
When I asked for second replacement the company told me their boots aren’t meant for work - just for light walks outside.
1 Like
Or flyfishing for trout in a sparkling stream.
Not something I do often. 
1 Like
Wow, I’m surprised. Maybe I just got lucky. I do not take care of mine at all lol. They might get cleaned 3-4 times a year with a light coating of tack butter added for fun. I will say it seems like the waterproofing is starting to wane a bit, but that is treatable so I am not really worried about it.
1 Like
What is the calf size like, roughly? I would get a 42 but my legs are a bit bigger than I’d like them to be…
Calf seems pretty normal to me, I’m a regular calf in tall boots and these fit fine. They run a little big overall though. I’m in between sizes and went back for the smaller one.
1 Like
They probably don’t make the exact style/look anymore but I have a pair of Ariat Lakeland (I think that was what they were called. Don’t ask me how I remember) that I got like, a decade ago when I was still riding and in the ensuing years they’ve been the boots I wear when I volunteered at a therapeutic riding barn and have also worked well as winter boots when they’re clean. Still going strong. I know that’s probably not the case for all Ariats and mine barely got ridden in just b/c of the timing of when I got them and when I had to give up horses for the foreseeable future but I think the most I’ve had to do for a repair is glue down an area where the heel was coming slightly away from the boot (it was not leaking, it was really minor) with some shoe goo.
They’re country boot style. Leather and suede, waterproof, no laces which I preferred both for looks and because, uh, I am going to potentially be wearing this in mud and/or snow why would I want laces even if it’s the kind you see on Dubarrys let alone some of the other ones I saw from Ariat then that had a full set of laces going up the length of the boot. I don’t think I’ve cleaned them lately but a few times a year I’ll throw some conditioner on them. They still seem to be waterproof but every once in a while if I’m walking in snow my toes will get cold enough I kind of question if the waterproofing is as good as when the boots were new.
Also have a pair of green rubber boots from Ariat (cannot remember the exact style also probably not made anymore b/c they’re a few years old) that I got after I gave up riding but when I was volunteering regularly at the therapeutic riding barn b/c rubber boots are just practical generally. I’ve probably somehow had those 6-7ish years now at least (thank you pandemic for messing with everyone’s perception of time here) b/c I definitely wore them a few times when I was working part time at the race track (security, nothing directly related to the horses beyond just patrolling barns) right out of college. Still going strong but I rarely need them. They lived in the trunk of my car for a while because they were grungy and I didn’t want to bring them inside. They’re actually really cute when they’re clean and they’re the boots that got me to quit completely hating rubber boots (most of my past rubber boot experience was with the really cheap Tractor Supply store brand type that inevitably got pulled off your foot by deep mud.)
I scored a pair of Bogs from a consignment tack shop for $30. 
They look like new & so far have been comfortable in warm weather - worn without socks, warm in frigid weather with heavy wool socks.
I have a mild case of cankles 
& not slender calves, with an uber-high arch. Boots are easy to pull on (over sweats) & off.
They handle mud & snow easily, need some help with ice. The textured soles aren’t grippy enough for a really slick surface.
I love how lightweight they are & am hoping my habit of using the metal tread on my stairs as a bootjack isn’t going to tear the seam at the heel.
I’ve seen them on eBay for a bit more than I paid.
