Paddock boots that last longer than Ariats?

[ThatBayHorse]

I’ve been buying Ariats for years but my last three pairs have barely lasted longer than 1-1.5 years. They dry rot on the side. Well, I’m due for yet ANOTHER pair, and before I throw another $120 bucks for Ariats, I’m wondering if there is any brands that are either cheaper and last the same amount of time, or of equal or greater price and last a long time?

My first few pair of Ariats lasted years and years but quality has gone down. Unfortunately, Ariats are also extremely comfortable and need no break in period.

[AMWookey]

Do you show or just school with them? I have ariats, but I know a lot of guys who ride in blundstones and love them, saying they last the test of time the best. I have a pair of Dublin blundstone knockoffs that I have worn nonstop for 2 years and they are still going strong.

[snaffled]

Another vote for Blundstones! I’ve been wearing mine for 2 years now after a pair of Dublins fell apart after 6 months of use:eek:

I called the local tack store I bought them from just to ask if Dublin would repair them (stitching around toe) because I knew I was way past getting any kind of exchange form the store itself. The store owner told me to bring them in so she could look at them and then offered to exchange them once she saw them. I opted to pay the difference and upgrade to Blundstones on the recommendation of a few friends.

One friend said they lasted her 3+ years and that was wearing them while cleaning stalls daily, another friend said they lasted 7+ years and not used to clean stalls. So I just rinse mine after I’ve been cleaning stalls in them to keep the urine from eating the rubber

[betsyk]

Related question: recommendations for anything that lasts longer and better than Ariat Terrains? love them when they’re new, but after a season they start cracking at the instep and I’m back to dumping arena sand out of my relatively new boots. Need laceups, not elastic step ins like Blundstones. suggestions?

[akhunterrider]

I have been happy with Tredstep paddock boots. I won’t buy Ariat paddock boots anymore. To me, they are junk.

[Kalele]

My question to people when their Ariats fall apart – Do you clean them after the barn? Not necessarily with leather cleaner, but at least take a damp cloth and remove all of the dirt? Dirt is one of leather’s worst enemies and it’s the #1 reason boots fall apart.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I am also very interested in these responses. I clean my Ariats after every ride and I’ve never had a pair last me longer than a year or two riding multiple horses daily.

[touchstone]

I’m curious to see the answers on this. I find it a little hard to believe that any boot is going to stand up to daily use and riding for substantially more than two years.

Maybe I’m lucky, but my Ariats tend to outperform my expectations, typically lasting a couple of years or more. And I treat them terribly, ride a zillion horses in them, and never clean them. I always buy the top-of-the-line model, the Devon Pro. They cost a lot, but I’ve been extremely impressed by the durability.

If there are more durable boots out there, I want to know about them!

[PNWjumper]

Which line of the Ariats have fallen apart on you?

I’ve found that with Ariat products you get what you pay for. IOW, the cheaper lines of their boots and paddock boots fall apart FAR faster than the more expensive lines. My Monaco paddock boots lasted many years longer than my Heritage boots (and precursor iterations I had over the years).

[Scribbler]

I’ve got the Ariat H20 elastic-sided paddock boots. After one year they are fine. I had a pair of Blundstones previously, and they cracked to pieces in just under two years. Plus they hurt my feet, not when I was wearing them but the next morning I would have hobbling foot pains (ie, every morning). Went away as soon as I got the Ariats.

I went for a while thinking that riding boots should last forever, be traditionally made, leather soles and all that. Then I realized that I had traded durability for comfort and performance in my other categories of sports shoes: sneakers and hiking boots (my hiking boots now have sneaker technology, too). You pay over $100 for a good pair of sneakers, and if you’re doing aerobics regularly, they bust out, lose support, in a year.

Where I live, Blundstones are actually more expensive than Ariat paddock boots, too.

[Ethan_amp_Ella_s_Mom]

I’ve had my Kroops for 15 years and they are still going strong.

[Saskatoonian]

Used and abused (clean them? whaaaa? hahaha) my stock Dehners for 2 1/2 years and they’re still perfect.

[Blinky]

I agree that Ariat no longer has the quality it used to have. I also buy the Devon Pro (Cobalt). My care routine is the same for each pair and what they sold in their first few years of being a brand lasted years! Now I’m lucky if its two years. This coming from an adult rider with a day job that rides 3-4 times a week. So these paddock boots pretty much have an easy life!

I’ve started riding in my boots more often but will gladly check out some of the recommendations.

[Xctrygirl]

3 options:

1. Buy Blundstones
2. Buy Ariat at Dover and exchange for new ones when they die
3. Buy Blundstones at Dover and never worry about a thing. (Would also have the replacement warranty)

Emily

[IPEsq]

[QUOTE=Ethan & Ella’s Mom;8658651]
I’ve had my Kroops for 15 years and they are still going strong.[/QUOTE]

I am on my second pair of Kroops since 1994? The first pair was very heavily abused.

[Scribbler]

[QUOTE=Xctrygirl;8658771]
3 options:

1. Buy Blundstones
2. Buy Ariat at Dover and exchange for new ones when they die
3. Buy Blundstones at Dover and never worry about a thing. (Would also have the replacement warranty)

Emily[/QUOTE]

I killed my Blundstones in under two years. Cracked right across the top. Plus they always made my feet hurt.

[snowrider]

Padddock boots run narrow, if you have wider feet or bunions you will bust them at the toe much quicker than a person with narrow feet. It’s just physics. This is generally why men’s last longer too: they’re wider.

[Herbie19]

I agree with buying top of the line Ariats. My current pair of Devon Pros have got to be 12 years old and still going strong riding two horses five/six days a week. But I keep my paddock boots polished as well as my tall boots and they NEVER (rarely ever) get wet. That is the key. I don’t bathe in them or tromp though mud or if I do I put rubbers on them. I can’t stand dull dirty paddock boots!

[SolarFlare]

My Tredstep Giotto paddock boots finally just fell apart after much use, around 5 years old (I bought them pretty much when they first came out with that model). I went right out and bought another pair They seem to fit my feet well too, and break in pretty quickly. I wore them for the second time today and they already feel like they’re molding to me.

[Covergirl15]

I have a pair of Grand Prix’s that I really like. I rode in them 4-5 days a week for a couple years, but now I have a pair of tall boots for schooling, so I just wear them around the barn while tacking up, untacking, bathing, turning out, etc–but they have held up well!