Ego 7s……I have both their tall boots and their half chaps (which is used for showing when my zipper was being repaired as they look like a tall boot and are allowed in Canada)
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Can anyone identify this icon? I picked these up used and they fit great and have worn like iron, even the zippers . Definitely a coarser hide leather but I’d love to find another pair.
Tuff rider
Thanks!
I loooove my Ego7s. Relatively affordable and they are actually tall/slim enough for us tall kids. Sturdy enough to be a schooling boot but also nice enough looking to bring into the ring.
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I love the look and fit of my Ego7s, but have had a lot of quality issues. Within months I had two snaps break and the tab that keeps the zipper up came off of both boots. Frustrating, since otherwise I really like them (and they finally fulfilled a long standing desire to have a pair of brown tall boots).
My Ego7s, bought via Fundis for less money than they are stateside, have held up fine since purchased a year (maybe more??) ago. A friend, who rides 2-3 times more per week than I do has not been as lucky. She got hers shortly before mine and had to replace a zipper and now the stitching between the leather and non-leather parts on the calf is coming unstitched.
For me, it is the thin leather insert underneath the laces that is the first thing to go on Ariat boots. The last few pairs, once this is torn, you can only wear black socks otherwise everyone will see the socks through the hole under the laces. 
I have been buying gently used Ariats on ebay because I do not enjoy paying full price, but I can justify buying them used and reduced, since they fit me well…
Ariat has always been the best brand for me. I have yet to find another brand that are comfortable for my large and relatively wide feet as Ariat. Additionally, every item of theirs that I have had has lasted me years. I famously had a pair of Ariat paddock boots with laces in the front and zipper in the back for probably 12 years. I had them resoled and the zippers replaced countless times until the day my leather repair guy told me they needed to be retired 
The Ariat Heritage tall boots have served me well. I’ve had them for years and they were easy to break in and have held up well. I tend to use them more for showing and “special occasions” rather than everyday use which I leave to paddock boots and half chaps.
I recently bought a pair of Mountain Horse Sovereigns during a winter clearance sale so that I could have an everyday tall boot. I was shocked that they fit off the rack. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for them and have them as a schooling boot because I find the elastic gusset on the outside of the calf to be a bit tacky looking and the spur guard/heel cover pops out of its clasp even when I wear spurs (not often). The insole is on the narrower side compared to the Ariats and I find myself dealing with foot cramps more often than not. I haven’t had them long enough to comment on their durability, but I think that they will hold up to daily abuse if I hang onto them. I won’t be buying another pair of MH in the future due to the insole being too narrow, which is a shame because I do like how their other boots look!
I tried the TuffRiders from a friend and they didn’t fit me well. I also watched my trainer go through about three pairs over the course of a year, so I was not impressed with their durability.
Ugh I had the same thing happen - I took them to a repair shop and was quoted at least $150 to replace the part since it is integral to the boot. This pair lasted about 4 years, being worn 2-3 times a week max, and I take good care of my boots. I am on the hunt for a better option…
4 years is actually a pretty good lifespan for boots these days - in reality, for ANY modern athletic shoe!
Style demands a slimmer profile, more comfortable insole (achieved typically with soft materials) and stretch/flexibility. All of this + modern leather and manufacturing = less durability. Add in barn environments and keep them in the car or garage occasionally, and you’ve really put the boots through a lot. Getting a year of use is ‘good’, getting more is fantastic!
100% not piling on you, Apple, just saying that people(g) expect things to last way longer than they are supposed to, especially those that had some vintage models that might’ve been a bit ugly but were almost bulletproof.
For example, a modern running shoe is only supposed to last 200-300 miles, and you’re not supposed to wear them every day (or for errands, or gardening, or to the barn, or at work, etc etc). Most people can do that in a few months, and forget that the walk to the gym and every step at the grocery store after count towards that mileage. Boots are the same way.
That said, durability is a huge selling point for me, especially if I’m gonna shell out $900+ (vs $180 for some runners).
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This is a fair point, except that I have two other pairs of Ariat boots that are the same style footbed, and they are still in great shape after 10+ years. It is just that little flap under the laces that has disintegrated on the “new” pair. The repair lady kind of got on my case implying that it was my fault for not taking good enough care of the leather, but clearly if I have 10+ years on another pair by the same brand, I am not the variable! But I agree that the new, butter-soft leather is not going to last forever, and I am also not shelling out $900/pair.
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Yeah boots in general have changed in the last decade. Updates and new materials and new sources mean nothing is a carbon copy of what we all had years ago. Which is frustrating when things used to fit one way and be made one way, and now the same (on paper) model is completely different!
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