What Are Tall Boots and How Do You Find the Perfect Pair
Tall boots are very important when completing your riding attire. In this week's blog we will go over what exactly tall boots are and how to find you the right tall boots for you to ride comfortably in.
Tall boots are not always needed but tend to be more comfortable when riding. First we will go over what a tall boot is. A tall boot is a long boot made of leather that goes all the way up to your knee almost like knee high socks. These boots can rack up a pretty penny so make sure you stay tuned for the upcoming blog “Tall Boots or Paddock Boots?” to see if you really need to go out and spend a fortune. When searching for your perfect tall boot you need to keep some things in mind to look out for.
The first question you need to ask will be “what style of riding am I doing’ this is important because there are many styles of boots made for each style. The field boot is a tall boot that has laces in the front and a zipper in the back. It is most common and can be seen in hunters and jumpers. The dress boot is a sleek looking boot that has no laces but they do have a zipper on the back. This is most commonly seen in fox hunting. The dressage boot is similar to the dress boot but it has its zipper on the side.
Once you have established what type of tall boot you will need it's time to focus on the fit to ensure comfort while riding. The height should be as tall as possible without interfering with the knee. It is important to know that they might be a little too tall when you try them but don't worry the padding at the foot will squish down and they will become the perfect height. Your foot should fit comfortably in the bottom just like a normal shoe. The width of the boot is very important, if you have a wide calf make sure you get a boot that will accommodate your calf so you won't be struggling to put them on in the future. Now if it is only a little snug then that is okay because the leather will naturally stretch out the more you wear them. If you have a thin calf make sure to ask for a thin calf boot, regular calf will look big and bulky otherwise.
When you have found your perfect boot there will be a break in period that will sometimes make you regret purchasing them but trust the process. I break in my boots by lathering the leather up with oil just like how we talked about in my previous blog about cleaning your tack. Another trick that sounds completely absurd but works wonders is, stand in a water trough for 10 minutes before you ride then ride in them for about 30 to 45 min (yes this truly does work). It will take a couple weeks to break in that new leather so make sure you take care of your feet with locations and bandaids.
If you have any questions about what to bring to your first lesson or any other questions about riding, send us an email on our contact form and we will help you out.