i am looking for a new pair of boots but the tack shops in my area only carry Ariat and some lower end brands. I did quite like my Ariat heritage contours and that may be what I settle for. But I like the look of a square toe and I like when they have the back closure tab which the heritage contours don’t have. I like the Ariat Monaco’s but the reviews are terrible as far as durability. I do like to ride in my boots all the time. Looking for brand suggestions and where to order them from (I am in Canada). And sizing comparisons to the ariats to avoid having to send them back. Don’t want to spend thousands, looking around 1000max (cad) TIA 
I truly like my Parlantis the best. I would suggest NOT getting the essentials though.
I love my DeNiros. I am on my second pair, but my first pair I still use for schooling. I have had my first pair for 4.5+ years and used them daily and while they are not show worthy anymore, they are still very functional and very comfortable. I am in the process of breaking in my second pair, which are the Ottavianos and they have the zipper guard that you want. You may also like the Salentos, they are very similar and tick all your boxes too. Horselife in Alberta is closing down and they have their remaining stock on closeout, they might still have your size. Since they began closing out last spring I have purchased a Antares belly guard girth, a Bucas blanket and then my boots and have had good experiences with all the purchases, but they didn’t have the greatest reputation for actually shipping things before they closed down. I know there is a couple other Canadian retailers that sell DeNiro, but I can’t think of them right now. It is also an option to order them from the UK.
I don’t have personal experience with Tucci, but I know several people that have them and love them. If you order them from somewhere like Just Riding, they would probably be in your budget with shipping. Prior to ordering my DeNiros I was very close to ordering Tucci Marilyns and Just Riding had the best prices that I could find.
Link to the Horselife boots: https://horselifecanada.com/collections/tall-boots
Link to the Just Riding boots: https://justriding.com/collections/riding-boots/tucci
ETA:
I can’t speak to the sizing on the Tuccis, but in the Ariat Heritage Contours I wear a 8 Full Reg and both pairs of my DeNiros are a 38 Large, MC (reg/reg-short) and the height is comparable in both brands, but I would say that the calf is a fair bit tighter in my DeNiros and has made breaking in the new pair take a while. The Ottavianos also do not have an elastic panel beside the zipper like my older Youngs do, which has made the calf width fit a little less generously.
I am in Ontario and had the same issue as you. Ariat rules the tack shops here. Its because the cost of shipping from Ariat to the tack shop is costed into every pair of boots. Sadly Ariats do not fit my leg at all, no matter the style. The chain-store tack shop refused to order in a different style of Tredsteps for me from their corporate warehouse to try unless I promised to buy them. Umm…No, I am not doing that. I am not promising to buy the boots even if they no not fit.
So I had to think outside of the box! I did lots of searching here on COTH reading old threads and settled on a European tack shop with good reviews. I ordered a pair of Petrie brand field boots from Ooteman in the Netherlands. They were easy to work with and their sizing charts are accurate. My calves are wide, and my budget was significantly smaller than yours. My boots arrived in a timely manner, shipping & import duties were reasonable. The boots fit perfectly.
Good luck in your hunt. There is lots of choice out there.
I love my Ego7s. Sprucewood in Ontario carries them, and so does equi products in Alberta. I’m not sure where else in Canada has them. I wear a 7.5 in ariat, and a 38 in my ego7s. I’ve read on here some people find the foot runs a touch big. They’ve got a lot of calf height/width options, definitely worth a look.
I have two pairs of boots I cycle between at shows. My Ariat Monaco Stretch boots and my Tucci boots. I think the Tuccis are a little prettier (they have patent trim on the feet and at the tops), but the Ariat Monacos are a little more comfortable to walk around in.
As far as durability…I’ve had multiple pairs of Monacos. The two regular pair lasted me 4ish years each. And I got new ones because I found a great deal on them, not because they died. Same story for the stretch version. Found a good sale and couldn’t resist. I did have a zipper break on my first pair just a few months after I got them, but they used a stupid dress-type zipper on the first model of Monaco, and Ariat took them back and replaced the zipper with a heavy duty one free of charge. The heavy duty zipper is now standard with all of them.
I love the Ariat Stretch…I ordered them directly from Ariat, with free shipping…
