Are you looking for the best ladies tall riding boots? Yup, I was too. But I found the perfect pair of tall riding boots! Continue reading to learn what I was looking for and what I found with the boots I ordered.
My requirements for new tall riding boots (Yours might be different!):
I do a lot of walking and working in my boots so I really wanted to find something COMFORTABLE. A pair of tall riding boots that have a thick comfortable sole. The Ariat Heritage Contour field boots that I already own have a thin sole that I feel every rock through. It really annoys me, so I know I need a thicker sole with more support for being comfortable walking around.
The tall boots I choose must have zippers up the back. The zippers make it easier to put on and take off the boots.
I want black boots. I don’t mind if there is some variation in styling/texture of the leather, but I like black.
I am a recreational rider, so I don’t need show quality boots, but I am happy if the boots could be worn at a horse show some day if need be.
Things were a bit different than the last time I shopped for tall riding boots. In the post COVID-19 era, I didn’t really feel like trying to navigate going to the store, and a lot of stores aren’t even open. So I ordered 5 pairs of the best rated tall riding boots that I could find.
Side note about credit card use: If you don’t have the money to still pay your credit card if the boots don’t get refunded before your bill is due, then you should not do this!! You should order just one pair of boots if you cannot afford to pay off a credit card in full with multiple charges on it. In case you’re new to reading some of my finance posts, you should NEVER spend money on a credit card that you don’t already have the cash to pay off!
Now that my side rant about using credit cards is over, let’s get back to the boots.
So I ordered 5 pairs of tall ladies riding boots:
- Tredstep Donatello Tall Field Boots $299.99
- Ariat Heritage Contour II Field Boots $319.95
- Ariat Volant S Tall Boots $399.95
- Mountain Horse Sovereign Field Boots $349.00
- Deniro Salento Field Boots $799.00
Let me just say that I did not plan to truly buy $800 boots (ie the last ones – Deniro). I knew I wanted to spend less than $500 on tall boots. But I read some raving reviews about the Deniro Boots so I thought I would add them to my order as an outlier to see if I loved them enough to spend that much more money on boots.
I think all of these boots look very nice in photos. I was really looking for a comfortable boot that I can ride and walk and work around the barn without being uncomfortable.
To try on boots, I put on *clean* medium weight riding socks (not my thinnest, but also not thick winter socks) and my FITS breeches. I wanted to make sure that the boots would fit with my thicker clothes on.
First Impressions of each of these tall ladies riding boots:
All the boots look nice. The Deniro boots do have better looking leather than the other boots, but they better feel like a cushy tennis shoe for $800…
Another random thought about multiple pairs of boots is a feature that I had not seen yet was the two sets of buttons along the zipper in the back. I didn’t realize this was a new style trend. Hopefully it will help prolong the life of the zippers at the back of the boots.
Tredstep Donatello Tall Field Boots:
Whoa the calf is SO tight on these boots. They are a regular calf so they should have fit just fine (depending on the boot I am in, I am almost always a regular, so this was surprising to me). These boots are pretty stiff, but look really nice and beautiful on. I would like a more comfortable foot bed though so these are not the boots for me. I bet that once you wear them more, they would become more flexible and comfortable.
Ariat Heritage Contour II Field Boots:
They feel like the 8 year old Ariat Field Boots that I already own. The sole doesn’t feel thick enough to be comfortable, and I had kind of already ruled these boots out. I wanted to try them on to see if they have improved since I last purchased almost the same model of boot. The boot has improved, the sole feels a bit thicker, but still quite a stiff boot.
Ariat Volant S Tall Boots:
First impression was that these boots look kind of funky. They are not field boots – more like a dress boot by design and the sole almost looks reminiscent of a tennis shoe. So I didn’t think they looked very attractive, but I put them on and was in comfort heaven! This boot has a squishy sole and some actual arch support. It was SO comfortable! Wish it didn’t look so saggy around the ankle, but keep reading to learn more about that.
Mountain Horse Sovereign Field Boots:
Very beautiful looking boot in the box. When I was reading and ordering boots, I thought these would be my favorite boots. They were a touch too tall behind the calf for me – although I’m sure that they would fall after wearing and breaking them in. The foot was probably the 2nd most comfortable (The Volant is the most comfortable), and the leather was beautiful.
Deniro Salento Field Boots:
For $800, I thought these boots should be crazy comfortable and beautiful. They are beautiful and I do notice a difference in the quality of leather. But, they are not as comfortable as I had hoped, nor as comfortable as the Ariat Volant boots. The toe appears more pointy I think, which makes me think they are fancier, although a bit tight around the ball of my foot.
My overall thought after trying on the boots: I want the Ariat Volant Boots! I really wanted comfort and despite my initial visual impressions of this tall riding boot, the comfort has won me over.
My only negative comment about the Ariat Volant is that the calf fits large and I would say the foot size runs a tad large. I usually wear a size 9, regular calf, regular height. But they didn’t have a 9 in the Ariat Volant when I placed my order, so I ordered an 8.5. The 8.5 fits perfectly. I think that they are a bit wider near the toe which makes it feel like it fits larger. The regular calf was comfortable but I ended up ordering a slim calf and am much happier with how they fit. There was a bit too much loose leather around the ankle, but with the slim, it is tight around the calf and less loose leather around the ankle. I want to have room for the leather to stretch and sink down a little as tall riding boots tend to do.
Send back the boots that didn’t fit.
I re-packed all the boots that I didn’t keep, in their original packaging and made sure they looked just the same as they did when I received them. Most retailers will offer free return shipping, but I could have put these into a box all together and mailed them all back.
So far, I am LOVING the Ariat Volant tall riding boots! The foot bed is so cushy and comfy. The only problem I have is that the zipper right at the back of my achilles rubs a little. Hoping that is because I have only worn them twice and once they are broken in, that won’t happen anymore!
There you have it – how to shop for tall riding boots from home! It was easy and comfortable to try on the boots at home and I found a comfortable boots that fit my needs perfectly. If you need a new pair of ladies tall riding boots, keep in mind that it can be as easy as placing an order online!
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