I had a pair of Tredsteps and HATED them. I always thought I was too short for them and that was the problem but I’ve heard of others who has the same problem. They fit well, looked fine, rode well, but DESTROYED my ankles if I walked in them. I couldn’t even wear them to walk a course, they were that fast to put holes in my ankles. I got rid of them after a year and cut my losses and bought off the rack Parlantis and have never looked back.
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I do not recommend. They fall apart way too quickly. First the buttons got screwed up, next thing I know you couldn’t even zip the dang things. Save your money for a different brand. Even with the lower pricetag, they are a total pain in the butt.
They gave me scars on my ankles that took months to fade and I never even made it past the break-in period.
I love mine. I only use them for lessons and shows. No problem around the ankle for me but the zippers do fall down occasionally.
Tredsteps seem to be hit or miss. I had a pair that fell apart in as few months with only light use. Another friend went through two pairs and gave up- one had the zipper break within a few rides, and the second rubbed her ankles so badly they bled.
My favorites are Mountain Horse Venezia for daily use. They are classy, break in easily, and last longer than other brands I’ve tried. Plus, you can often find them on sale. I have a pair of custom show boots, but I’ve worn my Mountain Horse to show in and felt nice and neat.
I have a pair of both Donatellos and DeVincis. Pretty much hate them both. As many have said above, they have murdered my ankles. They’re both broken in but have dropped so much that the wrinkles continue to chew my ankles up if I’m on my feet much. The DeVincis had a snap break after very little use, the Donatellos have a zipper coming apart. Not like broken zipper, but the stitching is coming apart from the boot. I think the foot and ankle fit a little better in the Donatellos, looks a little more elegant. But both have dropped so far that they look cheap and sloppy at the top as they’re too short. The DeVincis have stretched so much, I used to have trouble zipping them (even after break in) but can now fit my hand (nearly a fist) down the top of them. I’m just going to let themselves fall apart through schooling, try to keep them clean for showing, until I can afford two pairs of Deniros (have horses at home, and one across the country in training, so need boots in both locations).
THose saying that they didn’t like them because they hurt their ankles - it’s a personal conformation thing. They fit skinnier in the ankles than some other brands, which is precisely why I like them. if you have a narrow ankle, you likely won’t have any issues.
I had to replace my zipper after 3 years, and I’m not on year 4 of using them. It’s about time for me to get a new pair.
I have had the same zipper issue with my Donatellos on the right boot at the heel. I hadn’t had them for very long when it happened. I had it restitched and it looks like it might be trying to come loose, again. A girl at my barn said the same thing happened to hers.
I don’t have the skinniest of ankles in the world and they do not fit me in the ankle. The several-year-search continues for a boot that is skinny enough in the ankle. Mine have dropped 2 inches or more and all that drop is in the ankle.
I owned a pair of tread steps for six months and they broke at the lease and they stretched out a lot
I have a pair of Tredstep Donatellos and I love them! I have small calves and ankles so I have always struggled with finding a boot that fits me. (I am size 7 with a xsmall in width and tall in height for reference.) These boots have been great for me; easy to break-in, comfortable and have kept in super shape. I ride 4-5 times a week on 1-4 horses in these boots for almost a year now and they are still in fantastic shape.
I think you are lucky. I found mine to be THE most uncomfortable boot I’ve ever set my foot in. They rubbed the back of my ankle raw if I had to walk for more then fifteen minutes in them. BOO.
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Not a fan. Bought a pair of Medicis that had a major, unrepairable blowout along the seam in less than a year of light use.
Add me to the list of they fit great, I have thin ankles, but they murdered the back of my Achilles. Got a pair of Ariats and didn’t even keep the Tredsteps as a back up pair - straight to the trash!
Haha, maybe! It does seem like I have gotten lucky with mine, as the other replies do not say the same. Maybe it’s just my weird legs… :lol:
The Donatellos were great to ride in. However, like many others they MURDERED my Achilles. I sold them and bought Ariat Volante S and they are miraculous…
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I recently got a pair of Donatellos and they broke in quickly, fit quite well and are comfortable to walk and ride in. I do, however, have scrawny ankles and chicken legs–long very thin calves. Perhaps this is the conformation that is best suited to the boot.
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I’ve never bought Tredsteps, but put me on the list for Mountain Horse boots. Ariats have never fit my foot correctly no matter how many times I tried. I bought a pair of Venezias probably close to 10 years ago now and they’re still holding up beautifully. The first 3 years I had them they were ridden in 3x/week or so, including a few shows. After that they were only used sporadically while I was in college and then after, getting settled into “adult life”, but I’ve been riding again once a week for the last 6 months or so in them and they’re still extremely comfortable and I’ve had no issues with anything like dry rot or broken zippers. Even the elastic side panel has held up for me and a quick dab of shoe polish makes them look brand new - I could wipe them down and show in them today.
I also bought a pair of their OG yard boots about 7 years ago - I don’t think they even make them anymore and have since replaced them with the Devonshire Tall boot. I wore them every cold/wet/snowy day all through college (in Chicago, that’s basically half the year) and have even ridden in them. Now I live in CO and still wear them on the regular. The only problem they had was they ended up slouching quite a bit (not really that surprising), and I had to replace the insoles after a year of walking all over campus in them 5 days a week (also not surprising).
Granted, I don’t know if production quality has changed in the last decade, but I really recommend Mountain Horse to anyone who tells me that Ariats don’t fit.
I loved the fit on my Tredstep Dontaellos, but they disintegrated in ~6 months. That being said, their fate was for being a daily schooling boot for me as a working student - I rode holes into the calves and killed the zippers, irrc. They also didn’t work well as “walking around” boots for me as I have high arches and they rubbed both my arch and my achilles. I would have been more inclined to repair them had they been better on the ground. I LOVED how comfortable they were in the tack, however. The IEA riders who are riding 2-3 times a week seem to get really good mileage out of them.
Yup, same here! 12” calves and tiny ankles. Donatellos off the shelf fit me like custom, have never destroyed my ankles and have worn great. That said, I’m a 2x weekly rider and mainly train in half chaps so the tall boots are not abused. I wear them occasionally for lessons and show six weekends a year. But I love my “Donnies” so much I’ll happily buy a new pair when they do wear out!
