New Ariat Crowne Pro Field Boots

[TarheelJD]

I LOVE this forum!! The “bathtub method” is fabulous! I don’t know why anyone would try to break in tall boots without doing this!

At about 8:00 am yesterday I put on socks, breeches and boots. I submerged the boots in a bathtub full of warm water (for about 1 minute, took my legs out, and then submerged them again for another 45 second). I could not believe it - as soon as they were wet, they felt so much better around the calf. I went to the barn, did a few things and then rode in them (which in and of itself is a miracle, since they were so tight around the calf before I can’t imagine what it would have been like to try to ride in them), and then left the boots on ALL day. And I do mean ALL day. I finally took them off at about midnight.

My calves are a little sore from being in the boots all day, and the backs of my knees are a bit sore because they still need to fall. But when I put them on this morning, they zipped up like custom made boots - still snug, but zipped with no problem.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with this method – I never would have had the courage to submerge brand new, expensive boots in water if you all had not told me how helpful this process is!

[mojo7777]

I have a pair of Ariat Heritage pull-ons standing in my closet taunting me for not sucking it up and enduring their too tight calves. I tried the soaking method, but I don’t think I allowed them to dry long enough (about six hours) as they are still too tight. Maybe the cheaper and heavier leather of the Heritage as opposed to the Crown Pro takes more time for the process to work….

[mbmarsh]

OK, slight variation on the question - can the bathtub method be used to get calves that have stretched out too much to shrink? I have a pair of Treadstone Italian calf boots that I LOVE, once I finally got them broken in to zip up past my ankle. But the calf section has now stretched too much, to the point that I can almost grab a little bit of leather back there when I’m wearing them. I really don’t want to get new boots, because I just bought these last year. Can I soak them, wear them, and get the leather to shrink?

[TarheelJD]

“Can I soak them, wear them, and get the leather to shrink?”

Some of the posts I read said if you soak the boots and don’t put them on right away, you would never be able to get them on because they would dry even smaller. So, my guess is, to shrink them, you would soak them and let them dry without any pressure stretching them out outward, basically allowing the leather to draw up. But I am completely guessing on this.

[PNWjumper]

[QUOTE=mbmarsh;4973574]
OK, slight variation on the question - can the bathtub method be used to get calves that have stretched out too much to shrink? I have a pair of Treadstone Italian calf boots that I LOVE, once I finally got them broken in to zip up past my ankle. But the calf section has now stretched too much, to the point that I can almost grab a little bit of leather back there when I’m wearing them. I really don’t want to get new boots, because I just bought these last year. Can I soak them, wear them, and get the leather to shrink?[/QUOTE]

I’m going to take a wild stab at this and say no. I don’t think you can make boots shrink (and certainly not to the point that you’re talking about) simply by getting them wet. IME leather is pretty damaged structurally when it stretches out a lot and I don’t think there’s anything you can do beyond taking them in to a leather repair shop and having them slice off a piece.

However, you have nothing to lose by trying, right? It’s certainly not going to damage your boots to get them wet and then let them dry. Maybe it will make a difference and then you can post and enlighten the rest of us!

[Bisoux]

I just got a pair of Ariat pull ons, the ones that usually run for $250. They only came in one size on ebay for $75!! so while they were technically a half an inch to small I figured I could make it work. I think I’m going to wait until I have a day off and try the bathtub method. I have mink oil, neatsfood and feiblings glycerine soap to condition with afterward, I just want to make sure these boots end up staying nice looking afterward!

[doublesstable]

[QUOTE=LulaBell;4967707]
It’s scary, but the bathtub method works. Speaking from an amateur boot-breaker-iner, it works!

I’ve done it with a pair of custom Dehner’s, as well as zip up Ariat Crowne Pros (from like 3-4 years ago).

Give them a good soak, wear them until they dry, and condition, condition, condition! Love the Vogel stuff.[/QUOTE]

That’s what I was going to say. I have heard of people soaking their boots and wearing them for the day to break them in.

[jvlfrenzy]

I LOVE the Ariat Crowne’s! Just bought a new pair to replace my 8 year old ones last year. For the first two weeks I had the bruising on my ankles and had to unzip them the minute I got off to let the blood flow back down to my foot :). They are by far the most comfortable boots I have ever owned now. I bet you’ll love them once they’re really broken in.

As for the person who mentioned discoloration on the inside of the boot, that’s just the finish wearing off. Happens with all boots. I had a brand new pair of boots when I was a kid and my trainer said “Now we’ll be able to see if you’re riding off the correct part of your leg by where the wear marks show up!” She was right!

[kahhull]

[QUOTE=Pony+ an inch;4969403]
I made it into the science building before I realized my entire lower right leg was numb and couldn’t move it. It took my old psych prof and another prof I didn’t know to pull off the damn thing. The psych prof was ready to go grab a knife and cut the boot off but I screamed “NO” and simply sweated through the pain of getting both boots off. I think both thought I was (more of) a loony at that point.[/QUOTE]

Just found this post and it reminded me of when I got my last pair of Ariats and could barely get them on or off. In college I went to ride in them one day, but on my way home realized that all my roommates were gone for the weekend. I had to go into the office of where I worked on campus and ask my coworkers to pry my boots off. Luckily they were a couple of strong guys who thought it was hilarious, but I learned to plan ahead after that one. :lol:

[BrookdaleBay]

I started riding in my Ariat Challenge II’s this week and my ankles and the backs of my knees were screaming in protest. They are the most comfortable boots I have ever worn… until I get in the saddle. I have tall/slim, and while the calf isn’t circulation-cutting tight, the top of the boot in cutting into the back of my knees. Its still fairly cold here in Canada, so once the weather warms up I will be trying the bathtub method for sure.

[Hunter_Newbie]

[QUOTE=kahhull;5531988]
Just found this post and it reminded me of when I got my last pair of Ariats and could barely get them on or off. In college I went to ride in them one day, but on my way home realized that all my roommates were gone for the weekend. I had to go into the office of where I worked on campus and ask my coworkers to pry my boots off. Luckily they were a couple of strong guys who thought it was hilarious, but I learned to plan ahead after that one. :lol:[/QUOTE]

:lol::lol: This reminds me of the time I come home to my dorm room to find my neighbor (a fellow rider) sitting on the floor in front of my door sobbing… guess she had come home midday from riding in brand new boots to find NO ONE home. :eek: Poor girl had been sitting at my door for over an hour waiting on help

The bathtub method works wonders :yes: (Too bad my dorm neighbor didnt know about it )

[bluebuckets]

Mine won’t break in either.

I haven’t had a problem with discoloration, but I haven’t had them for more than a few years. A friend who’s worn hers more often got holes in the calves. :eek:

My reccomendations would be to not wear them very much, and try using Effax on them. (I’ve been told by two differend people that putting water on them would shrink them, and I didn’t want to take the chance since I’ve already spent $100 getting mine to fit, kinda.)

[TarheelJD]

[QUOTE=bluebuckets;5534141]
I’ve been told by two differend people that putting water on them would shrink them[/QUOTE]

This is true, to a degree. If the boots are wet, and not on your leg, the leather will shrink. So, if you put the boots on and saturate them, but then take the boots off before they are dry, they will shrink, and you may not be able to get them on again.

However, if you put them on and soak them, and then let them completely dry on your leg (I had mine on for about 16 hours to ensure they were 100% dry), the leather dries in that position. Mine went from making the radial pulse in my leg throb they were so tight, to fitting like a perfect glove, after two “bathtub” and then drying on my leg sessions.

[hunterjumpertj]

@Renn/aissance

I am not employed by any tack shop, but what I can tell you is that I desperately tried to get a pair of Ariat Crownes to fit that just wouldn’t. The right boot (on my wider calf) was great, but the left boot cut off my circulation. I had them professionally stretched three times and I would swear in court that they shrunk. They continued to cut off my circulation. I finally sold them on.

It’s a pity because I’d had a pair of the old Crownes and quite liked them. Since they have started to be manufactured in China the quality has gone down.

MEEEE TOO!!! Ok mine are the Quantum Pro Crownes–It says they are made in-- SOB–I got cheated… they ARE made in CHINA NO FREAKING WONDER!! I FINALLY got the right one on & it fit fine in the foot, ankle & just slightly tight in the calf but nothing painful. However the left one I literally have not been able to get it zipped past 3/4 up. And just getting THAT done I’ve made huge blisters & caused my index fingers to bleed. So as I tried to keep them on & maybe stretch them a bit, the side of my left foot began to ache, then began this burning pulsing pain like I’ve never felt and I HAD to get those boots OFF like RIGHT that second!!! This is extremely disheartening to hear because I searched for about a year for good, zip up boots & got them brand new–just didn’t fit the girl who bought them…I read all about they run small & order a size up–these were a size up & I got them for a steal. Ughhhhhhh I just don’t have 💰 to throw around if these don’t work out for me.