Sick of Tucci Boots - what other brands are we wearing?

[Peregrine21]

I have been buying Tucci boots for years and I think I am finally done with the quality (particularly the zipper) from the last few years.

My first pair was the paddock boot and half chaps that lasted me 4 years. I still have the paddock boots which are actually in ok shape.

Purchased custom Tucci’s in 2022 and they actually ended up being WAY too short when they dropped, plus zipper broke twice.

Decided to purchase off the rack Tucci’s in late 2023. They went on in the store (tight but they fit), zipper broke in the first week. Had it replaced with another Tucci zipper, it broke. Had local shoe maker fix the zip and he kind of f’d up my boots. Then drove 2 hours to a place that had experience fixing high end riding boots (cost of $350) and this zip has lasted, he did a great job but after almost a year the teeth have come apart at the bottom on one boot and I just can’t stomach the 2hr drive + price tag. I’m just ready for new boots.

This is probably more a me problem than a Tucci problem - I probably need something with a strong zip.

PLEASE give me your recommendations for boots that should last me more than a year!

I’m thinking Fabbri? Or do I just go back to the half chaps (at least it is very easy to fix that zipper). I think my calfs (36cm at widest part) are too big for Parlanti (or at least that’s how the sales rep at a local tack store made it seem). Any other options?

I am in Canada so very limited to what is around unfortunately and if I am switching brands I prefer to try on.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

First confession, I’m not a tall boot connoisseur. I’m lucky enough to have a generic leg, off the rack is typically fine. I buy on sale and have found that EGO 7 boots tick all the marks for me - affordable, good fit, sturdy leather but not agony to break in, haven’t busted a zipper yet (why do I feel like I’ve just jinxed myself!?).

Maybe try those? I know Sprucewood carries them but am reasonably sure other canadian tack stores do as well.

[starsandsun]

I have had Dehner’s for years, and I love them. They fit great, wear great, and last a very long time.

[Small_Change]

I also have a pair of EGO7’s I’m really happy with! I can’t speak to the purchasing experience, as I was lucky enough to get these from a friend who wasn’t happy with the fit (but they couldn’t fit me better even if I went custom ). I believe she ordered them from Europe, and got a very good price on them that way.

[SinMiedo]

My Dehners are 25 years old and look basically brand new despite my appalling treatment of them as a youngster. In the event of a nuclear apocalypse, I’m pretty sure it’ll be cockroaches and those boots that survive.
For a more modern model, I bought a pair of Tredstep Medicis about 6 years ago that I’ve been very impressed with. They’ve been used and abused and are now paper thin on the inner calf, but I’m nursing them along because they fit beautifully and I don’t want to break in new ones.

[TT211]

I treated my Dehners the same. The inside was so thin and the soles were so worn that I finally bit the bullet and sent them back to Dehner for some much needed attention. When I got them back, they looked so good, I thought they made a mistake and sent me someone’s brand new pair. It took about 4 weeks, and I can’t remember the cost, but it’s bought me another decade of use.

OP- I’ve had good luck with Ariats for day to day wear. I don’t ride as much as I did 10-20 years ago (damn being an adult with responsibilities!!), but I’ve had them for about 2 years and have held up well to riding 1 or 2 horses 4-5 days per week.

[Erika]

I love my Petrie’s and I short with wide calves. Ariat boots didn’t fit my leg shape at all. My Petrie’s have fit me like a glove, no break in period and are off the shelf models. I purchased them sight unseen from https://www.ooteman.nl/ladies/riding-boots

A friend of mine purchased her Petrie’s from EFO and had an excellent experience.https://equestrianfashionoutfitters.com/collections/petrie-boots-2

[CanteringCarrot]

While they’re not high end, I cannot kill my Mountain Horse dress boots. Cannot. I got them on sale years ago and I am so impressed by their longevity. I believe they’re the Opus boot.

They’re softer and not fancy, but they’ve lasted.

I have some Ego7’s that I haven’t ridden in yet, but for $300 they look alright! I was also satisfied with my Cavallo Insignis boots too, but I didn’t use them as an everyday boot.

If I were to buy another “nicer boot” I’d look at Petrie and DeNiro.

[PNWjumper]

I love my Tuccis, so normally that’s what I would say, but I will refrain from doing so here, lol. I will say that I own 6 or 7 pairs of them, I think…2 belong to my daughter, one pair I bought used off of FB Marketplace (and obviously that person had broken a zipper because they showed up with a wonky zipper which I haven’t managed to get fixed yet), 2 pair are my former show boots before I lost too much weight to wear them, and the last is my current daily rider and show pair. The only zipper issue I’ve had is on the one used pair I bought (despite those having the burliest zipper). The others have held up through a whole lotta abuse. Oh, I guess my daughter’s show pair has a “zipper” issue, but it’s not the actual zipper, it’s that the elastic next to the zipper is ripping apart. So that’s two pairs with issues. Ok, maybe I’ll pay attention to this thread too The reason I keep going back is because they just have such a nice slim fit compared to all of the other boots I’ve owned.

I have a couple of pairs of Fabbris that I picked up from a friend who was retiring from riding. They were too small for me, but my daughter could just squeeze into one pair of them…and one of the boots blew out the zipper almost immediately. If you can get them zipped up the zipper SHOULD hold! So I wasn’t overly impressed.

I just got my daughter a pair of Cavallo Linus Slim boots that are really nice, especially for the $400-ish price point. But we haven’t had them long enough to know how long they’ll hold up. They seem to have a nice fit, but are a tiny bit wider just below the knee than Tuccis. But that fits her leg conformation well. She’s just coming out of a pair of Mountain Horse Sovereign boots that held up for almost exactly a year and now are basically disintegrating around her leg. To be fair, she treats them like teenagers tend to treat things - not exactly with tender loving care. And the zippers held up great. I don’t love that the Mountain Horse boots have weirdly long feet, so never bought a pair for myself after trying on the ones my daughter got. I think there were a solid 3" of toe sticking out in front of my toes in the size I normally wear!

On a side note, my assumption is that all boots will die within a year or two…just a fact of the matter with daily-worn boots. I’ve had many over the years (Tuccis, Deniros, Ariats, and others) that made it a solid 1-2 years and were still functionally fine, but just looked bad at that point.

My other favorites in recent years have been my Deniros. I’ve had several pairs of the Deniro Ride N Fly boots, which are the tennis-shoe-bottom ones they offer. They were so much comfier to walk around in than regular boots. Each pair seemed to last a decent 2+ year stretch as daily riders.

And I’ve had many pairs of Ariats over the years and haven’t had zipper issues with any of the ones I’ve had in recent years. I tended towards the Volants and “comfier” styles, so can’t speak to their other lines in the last decade or so. But they seemed to have the zippers pretty figured out after the first few iterations of Crowne Pros (and the like) back in the olden days (lol).

[BeeHoney]

Why not Ariats? They have multiple styles, comfortable footbeds, and a reasonable array of sizes. They last more than a year, and Ariat has a great repair service through NuShoe. The oldest and most wretched and abused pair that I haven’t thrown away yet has worn through in both calves and look like they were worn in the civil war, but the zippers are still going strong. Ariat has a good shipping/return policy (don’t know about Canada) and their measurements are pretty standard across boots. Maybe some people don’t find the Ariat’s trendy enough, but my every day boots lead a hard life and it would stress me out to use something fancier.

I also have a couple pairs of DeNiros for showing, love those.

As an aside, be sure you practice good zipper care. Keep your zippers clean, and lube them with zipper lube periodically.

[HJdaydream]

For full custom- Celeris

For semi custom or off the rack- DeNiro

I have 3 pairs of DeNiro and 1 Celeris. Both are heavier duty leather than Parlanti & Tucci, but they LAST and look great. I have had the zippers replaced on one of my older DeNiros, but it was simple. DeNiro sent me the zippers for free and my loca cobbler was able to swap them out for $80. You’d never know they were repaired. Can’t recommend these boots enough!

[Peregrine21]

Thank you for this! I hope you didn’t jinx yourself for me
I have heard good things about EGO 7 and will go try some on.

[Peregrine21]

I hadn’t heard about Dehners but will definitely be checking them out. They sound like a great and reliable company. I will definitely try some Ariats for schooling too. Even if they held up for 2 years, at the price I can justify it so those could work. Thank you!

[Peregrine21]

These look beautiful, I will check them out!

[Tha_Ridge]

I sell DeNiro in my store and have just added Fabbri to our line-up as well. DeNiro, as others have said, wear extremely well and offers loads of customization options without huge upcharges. They make a very durable boot and the “low-end” Amabile model is only $599.

[Peregrine21]

I say I am sick of Tuccis but my heart keeps going back to them as well - they do look fantastic on (especially when they are new) - my leg looks long and slim. I also have been riding a fair bit over the last year, wear them when washing horses and haven’t been waxing the zippers whatsoever - so it probably is more a me then them thing.

I may check out Ariats as well for everyday as I likely won’t be showing much this year anyway. Deniros have also been on my mind.

Thank you for this!

[Peregrine21]

These both looks like beautiful boots! Thank you for this. Will be looking in to both!

[Peregrine21]

Love this! I am going to look into Ariats for every day but it seems DeNiros are getting a lot of love in there too so I’ll be checking them out.

I definitely didn’t practice good zipper care so it is likely due to that and excessive use more than the Tuccis themselves.

[2DogsFarm]

Well, now I feel like a
Dehner has been in business since 1875.
I have a pair of 22yo custom paddock boots - my 3rd since 1990-something.
First 2 were zips & I got tired of zips breaking from arena grit, so #3 is slipon.
They’re ugly as sin due to my lack of care
But I’m still wearing them to ride & drive my mini.
Exhibit A:

You might look into Vogel, out of NYC. They’ve been making boots since 1879.
My dress boots are custom Vogels - circa 1989.
Back then they cost $500.
But they are still very presentable - no thanks to my care - & have been back to Vogel only 3 times.
1st to get an elastic calf gusset
2nd for full back zips
3rd around 15yrs after the zips went in, for 1 to be repaired.
Exhibit B (haven’t worn them for a year or so, can’t find my boot trees. ):

[SinMiedo]

Dehners are very much old school style-wise and I’m not sure if they offer a zipper option, but they’re absolutely built to last. They’ll also resole and repair them for a very reasonable cost for the life of the boot (which might be longer than the wearer’s )