I just wear my Dehners and I am not kind to them and they are great
Another vote for Tredstep Giotto front-zip boots. Mine are five years old, and I’ve worn them pretty much non-stop since new. Excellent boots, super comfortable and look good enough for daily wear with a quick polish.
I’m really hard on my paddocks boots, probably about as hard as you can get on them while still being an ammy adult that doesn’t have to, say, muck stalls at her own barn or anything. I normally ride 4-8 horses 4 days a week, which includes bathing, lots of walking back and forth retrieving horses, lunging babies in the sand, etc. I generally find it to be a miracle to have a pair that lasts longer than a year, but a couple of personal experiences:
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Ariats are useless for me unless buying the serious high end ones. I managed to pick up a pair of Monacos for a screaming deal and they lasted me about a year and half. I’m hoping to have the holes patched so I might get even more time out of them. :applause: The Monacos have by far lasted me the longest out of any paddock boots I’ve purchased in the past 6 or 7 years.
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I had a pair of the original Tredstep Giottos and the lack of durability was shocking. I loved the boots themselves, but had replaced both zippers within 5 months…then had the boots just completely disintegrate less than 4 months after replacing zippers. Yes, those suckers were absolutely useless within 9 months, even with repairs. Never again.
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I inherited a pair of Sergio Grassos that were heavily used. They’re already on their last legs with me, but they’ve survived 6 months, so that’s already worlds better than most Ariats in my experience.
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Random Dublins only got to 6 months.
I know I’m not particularly helpful, I’m just looking for the magical pair that isn’t going to break the bank but can survive, oh, 18 months. A girl can dream, anyways…:lol:
[QUOTE=chicagojumper;8659485]
I’m really hard on my paddocks boots, probably about as hard as you can get on them while still being an ammy adult that doesn’t have to, say, muck stalls at her own barn or anything. I normally ride 4-8 horses 4 days a week, which includes bathing, lots of walking back and forth retrieving horses, lunging babies in the sand, etc. I generally find it to be a miracle to have a pair that lasts longer than a year[/QUOTE]
This seems about right to me. Paddock boots are one of the only pieces of horse equipment that I expect to replace on a regular basis. I budget for it, and try to buy new pairs ahead when I see them on sale.
But one person’s year may be another persons’s five years. When I just rode one horse a day, my boots would last a lot longer.
I am in agreement with the people that say your expectations for paddock boots should stay in check! I am very hard on mine. Every time I get a new pair, I promise myself not to get them wet all the time or clean stalls in them. But that promise ends soon.
I just got a pair of Tonics from Dover. I wanted to try something different from Ariats, which are my paddock boot of choice. The Ariats H20 really do keep your feet dry. But my Ariats tend to feel great at first, but then feel to wide for my foot.
The Tonics are very sturdy. They are narrower than Ariats, and were too snug (in width) when I first put them on. But they were long enough in the foot, and I liked the style, so I gave them the bathtub treatment and wore until dry. They became extremely comfortable with wear. The double zip makes the front of the ankle very comfy.
The thing that makes me think they may hold up well is that they have a leather reinforcement on each side of the toe box at the widest part. I have not had them long enough to test this out, but I do have a feeling these are going to end up my favs.
I’ve had the same pair of Arait paddock boots for 8(ish) years. I will see if I can find the type, but they are the best. When I was a WS, they were used and abused (so a steady three years of wear, and I got them used from a guy that was quitting). They aren’t used daily anymore, but I still love them. They aren’t on their last dying leg yet either.
It sounds like, unfortunately, nothing lasts except for the super high end. My Ariats are comfy, I just get sick of replacing them, but I know the exact size that fits and will be broken in immediately. Hate to do it but probably will just get another phd ugh!
The quality of Ariats has gone far south. I used to ride daily in terrains and only rode in them. Never did barn work in them (I have separate shoes for those). The terrains have a thicker rubber sole and also have a nice protective coating on them around the base. I liked them better for riding in all conditions and I like lace ups. The soles completely fell off my last pair. I still have them and ride in them in fair weather but they literally fell apart. I recently bought a new pair and I am highly disappointed.
Had to go 3 sizes down as they were too big and now the heel/upper part of the boot is too high for my ankle compared to the old pair. Constantly getting rubs from them not fitting a women’s lower leg/heel properly. The boot is 5x roomier inside and find my foot wobbling around in the boot. I also feel like I’m walking on a piece of cardboard.
Not a fan of Ariat anymore…at all.
word to the wise, I have also invested in those rubber boot covers for my regular paddock boots. If you have Ariats, they fit well. They work wonders on protecting your boots, keeping them relatively dry, and keeping your feet dry. Invest in a pair.
Take them off ever few weeks and clean the leather as normal
I don’t have another suggestion as I am an ariat lover for my paddock boots, but I do wonder how you are storing them and post wear care? I dont ride anything close to the amount that I used to, but at my busiest I would always have a pair of Ariats Zip ups last for about 1.5-2 years, which I thought was great. This was riding 3-7 horses a day, rinsing, grooming, and doing all the working student tasks that one does around the barn. Usually it was the zipper that would break first, not the actual boot. I have never had the dry rot issue (Live in southern CA so a dryer climate), but I would wonder where you are keeping them when not in use and do they have good ventialition? I would wipe mine down with saddle soap and a little oil every so often, but I was not a religous boot cleaner by any means and they lasted well for how much I put them through. They are still some of the most supportive and comfy shoes I own!
We’ve found that the Ariat Cobalt Devon Pros (the $200 paddock boots, zip-up style) last for years. I hate to admit that we don’t take particularly good care of them, either.
They (five pairs between the two of us) have lasted far, far longer than other, less expensive Ariat styles we’ve tried.
I’ve been wearing Ariats since the 90s and have always found them to be durable. I always buy the top-line boot and, while I do wash horses in them occasionally, I never clean stalls in them. The Devon Pro VX (newest version) is made wider in the last and toe-box than the others, so my wide feet are happier than they’ve ever been. 
I had a pair of Hadfields that held up very well. I bought two pairs of Tucci paddock boots, one black and one brown. I wear the black ones every day. If you buy the high end ones they can be resoled, the leather can be stitched when it comes apart. But I love my Tuccis so far. They are expensive but I think in paddock boots you get what you pay for. I am on year three with my Tuccis. So far so good.
[QUOTE=touchstone-;8658472]
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![/QUOTE]
I’m on my second pair of Cobalt Devon Pros; both wore very well. I rode in them 3-4 times a week and never cleaned them. First pair lasted about 6 years. Second pair is 2 years old and is still going strong. They are expensive; I got my first pair on closeout (they were the discontinued Cordovan color) and the second pair I bought slightly used on ebay.
Following this conversation
I blew through my new Ariat paddock boots after working 2 months in them. Granted I was doing everything in them and working 10 hours a day (riding, lunging, bringing horses in, bathing, mucking) so that wasn’t very nice to them…
I’ve had my Ariat paddock boots for 5 years which seems to be unheard of. And they have zippers which still work perfectly! I ride 4-5 times a week.
BUT I NEVER EVER do chores or stand in the arena in my paddock boots. I wear my rubber boots to get horse from paddock and change before putting on bridle. My half chaps cover nearly the entire zipper - there’s maybe half an inch exposed. I also brush dust off and wipe down after every ride. Or most rides anyways…
But I really think the key to long lasting paddock boots is not wearing them for anything other than riding. Don’t stand in the dusty arena and don’t do chores in them.
Shopping tip: if you’re looking at Blundstones, check to see if Amazon Warehouse has your size. I stumbled upon a pair in like new condition for $55! The page said consistent with having been worn once or twice - but mine are brand new without a single mark on them and came in the original box.
