Leather riding boots are your ultimate choice for nearly all riding activities. These boots are specifically designed to offer a snug fit to the wearer’s foot and leg while providing maximum support. Including shielding the leg from horse kicks, knocks from obstacles like tree trunks and gateposts, riding boots also serve as the warmest and most stylish boots money can purchase.
Materials used in Riding Boots
Riding boots are crafted from different qualities of leather. Box calf leather is a common choice due to its affordability. On the higher end of the spectrum, you’ll find Bordeaux leather which undergoes an extended vegetable tannage process to become waxed calf. Bordeaux leather is unique in that it requires boning for upkeep rather than the standard polishing.
Custom-made Riding Boots
For the best fit, consider investing in custom-made boots. Only a handful of manufacturers offer this service, and although made-to-measure boots can be quite costly, they guarantee the perfect fit. This is crucial, as boots that are too big can actually lead to sprained or broken ankles due to a lack of proper support.
Alternatives to Custom-made Boots
If your legs and feet conform to what boot manufacturers deem as the ‘average’ size and shape, ready-made boots may suffice. These boots can sometimes be adjusted to provide a better fit if they’re only a bit off in one or two places.
Different Types of Tall Leather Boots
Mainly, there are four types of tall leather boots available. These include butcher boots, top boots, race boots, and polo boots. However, for those who prefer something less hefty, there are short jodhpur boots. These ankle-length boots are popular among children wearing jodhpurs, as well as adults who wear them with chaps or leggings for everyday riding to prevent chafing.
Butcher Boots
Butcher boots are iconic footwear, largely recognized for their place in the realm of hunting and equestrian sports.
Characteristics of Butcher Boots
These boots, popular among the tall boot varieties, sport a plain, full-length design, typically outfitted with matching garters. Commonly designed in black, these boots also come in brown leather variations. Each pair features shaped legs and feet, leather soles, a square heel, and garters. It’s worth noting that the garters are traditionally fastened on the inside of the knee with any extra strap neatly trimmed near the buckle.
Availability and Fit of Butcher Boots
You have two main options when shopping for butcher boots. They can either be customized to your measurements or purchased ready-made. In recent times, ready-made boot manufacturers have highlighted the importance of diverse fitting options, ensuring different widths and heights for the perfect fit.
Specialized Boots for Equestrian Sports
In countries like Germany, butcher boots have been tailored to the specific needs of equestrian sports. Major boot companies have developed boots specially designed for dressage, factoring in the unique leg position required in the sport. These boots feature a synthetic whalebone support at the back, honed on the inner leg to aid riders in giving clearer leg signals. Although these boots have a challenging walking angle, they offer good leg positioning for riders and wrinkle less around the ankle compared to traditional butcher boots.
Dress Code Stipulations
Butcher boots always remain the correct dress choice for women. For men, they serve as the appropriate footwear option anytime a scarlet coat is not part of the attire.
Jodhpur Boots
Jodhpur boots showcase a distinct leather design, with a focus on foot and ankle support but minimal calf support.
Features of Jodhpur Boots
Traditionally crafted from leather, jodhpur boots incorporate leather soles and heels that mirror the style and height of butcher boots. Available in both black and brown variations, these boots come with either elastic sides or strap and buckle fastenings. For children, the elastic-sided design tends to be safer, as it eliminates the risk of getting the buckles caught in the stirrup irons.
Support and Usage of Jodhpur Boots
Jodhpur boots excel in providing support to the feet and ankles; however, they lack the calf support offered by tall boots. As a result, children primarily wear jodhpur boots for competition work until they reach their teenage years, at which point they transition to butcher boots for enhanced calf support.
Rubber Riding Boots
Once unremarkable in design, rubber riding boots have evolved in their finish and design, becoming difficult to distinguish from their leather counterparts at first glance.
Evolution of Rubber Riding Boots
Initially, there was minimal difference between rubber riding boots and the rubber or synthetic waterproof boots used for garden work and similar tasks. However, design advancements have significantly enhanced their look and feel, making them visually comparable to leather boots.
Limitations of Rubber Riding Boots
Despite improvements, rubber boots are not without their drawbacks. They don’t provide as much grip or warmth as leather boots, regardless of their design quality. Apart from being significantly lighter, these boots lack garters and can induce foot sweating during warmer weather.
Rubber and Leather Boots
Rubber and leather boots combine the features of both materials, focusing on improved breathability and slightly enhanced ankle support, while leaving calf protection minimal.
Advantages of Rubber and Leather Boots
The fusion of a rubber top and leather foot in this boot design provides multiple benefits. The primary advantage includes better breathability for the feet. Additionally, these boots offer more support to the ankles, ensuring increased comfort during wear.
Compromised Calf Protection
Despite the improvements in design, these mixed-material boots still leave the calves with inadequate protection. Thus, riders looking for greater calf support may need to explore alternative boot options.
Polo Boots
Polo boots offer a unique spin on traditional butcher boots and are manufactured using a distinctive vegetable-tanned polo brown calf.
Polo Boots and Their Unique Color
These boots are brown in color, a preference among players primarily due to a traditional issue. White polo breeches, a normal part of the polo attire, could get stained with black polish from the boots, which was more difficult to clean off than brown polish. To avoid this problem, polo boots evolved to be brown in color.
The Ankle Design Shift in Polo Boots
Historically, polo boots were laced at the ankle’s front, eliminating the potential risks of buckles. The absence of buckles prevented the chances of catching another horse or rider during a ride-off. However, modern polo boots have moved away from this design and are often left plain without laces.
Top Boots
Top boots mirror black butcher boots, save for the distinct mahogany tops and white garters, a fashion that has roots in seventeenth-century Britain.
Origin of Top Boots Fashion
The fashion of wearing top boots can be traced back to the cavaliers in Britain during the 1600s. These individuals used to turn down the tops of their boots, showcasing the colored linings for aesthetic appeal.
Modern Use of Top Boots
Today, top boots maintain a prominent position in men’s fashion, being worn in conjunction with scarlet coats. This striking combination offers a nod to the past while fitting seamlessly into modern fashion trends.
Race Boots
Race boots, while similar in hue to their counterparts, are uniquely characterized by their lightweight composition, with mahogany tops adding a touch of elegance.
Features of Race Boots: Lightness and Material
Race boots stand out among other types of boots due to their lightweight nature. This lightness largely arises from the materials used in their construction. Most race boots are primarily crafted from thin yet sturdy leather types like pigskin.
Keep Them Up: Elastic Bands and Fabric Race Boots
In some cases, race boots deviate from the standard leather material and are made of fabric instead. This modification in design necessitates the use of elastic bands to ensure that the boots fittingly stay up when worn.
Boot Jacks
Boot jacks play a critical role in facilitating the effortless removal of boots, making the process hassle-free for riders.
How Boot Jacks Work: A Step-by-Step Process
Secure the boot jack: Utilizing one foot, the rider firmly holds the boot jack in place against the ground.
Position the heel: The rider places the heel of their other boot into the jack’s wedge.
Grip and remove: Thanks to the secure grip provided by the wedge, the rider can now smoothly pull their foot out of the boot.
Boot Trees
Boot trees are essential tools for maintaining the integrity and form of tall leather boots, preventing them from sagging at the ankles.
Importance and Usage of Boot Trees
To maintain their shape, particularly around the ankle area, tall leather boots require the insertion of boot trees immediately after use. Without them, leather boots are prone to sagging and losing their form.
Varieties of Boot Trees
Boot trees usually comprise shaped pieces of wood slotted together, customized to fit snugly inside the boots. However, alternatives made of plastic or metal also serve the same purpose.
Emergency Solutions for Boot Preservation
In a bind, one can turn to everyday items for maintaining boot shape. Rolled up newspapers, although not perfect substitutes for boot trees, can be used in emergencies to prevent boots from sagging.
Boot Hooks
Boot hooks are essential aids in assisting riders to wear tall leather boots with ease and effectiveness.
The Essence of Boot Hooks: Helping Riders On
The primary function of boot hooks is to assist riders in donning tall leather boots. The structure of these hooks is simple yet efficient – a handle, often made from bone, ivory, wood or metal, fits atop a metal hook.
Utilizing Boot Hooks: A Step-by-Step Guide
Boot hooks are typically employed in pairs and are slotted into cloth loops conveniently situated inside the boots. This handy tool sets the stage for boots to snugly fit around the rider’s legs.
Expert Tips: Making Use of French Chalk
Applying boots, particularly ones that fit snugly, can sometimes present a challenge. However, employing French chalk eases this process by making the interior of the boots more accommodating for the foot’s insertion.
