Having been burnt once buying used field boots online, I was hesitant to do so again. The Dehners I got for $100 fit all sorts of wanky. Excessively tight in the calf and so loose in the ankle as well as too narrow in the foot. Ugh.
My dreams are filled with the Ariat Heritage Contour Field boot. The 6/regular fit me as if it was made for me. Drool worthy. But…. the kiddo needs a new summer wardrobe having outgrown everything from last summer and well that is just more important, so the $300 boots will have to remain on the shelf until such a time as I win a bunch of money or Christmas rolls around.
I took to the internet to see what my options were and landed on Riding Warehouse. They had the Ovation Synergy Field Boot on sale for only $68 and while they are synthetic versus leather, I figured it as worth the try. At least they were returnable and for $68, they could last a season or two while I make sure this new adventure is going to be worth sinking money into.
They arrived on Friday and while not the precise fit of the Ariat boots, they actually don’t fit that bad. The ankle is a bit too wide, but I have insanely narrow ankles so that isn’t a surprise. In fact, I could likely fit better in a 5.5, but they don’t offer that or at least Rising Warehouse doesn’t offer it on their site.
Overall it’s fine for a $68 synthetic boot at the beginner level of everything and will serve my purposes well. The only question I have left is WHY ON EARTH DO TALL BOOTS CAUSE SO MUCH PAIN OH MY WORD!!!
In other shopping news, somehow I managed to gain an entire pants size in 11 days 😦 I had tried on a pair of the Kerrits Microcord Full seats in the store in an medium and they were huge. The smalls for me very well. They only had them in black, so the store ordered me the small in tan. I thought it was a done deal.
I picked them up with my new Jump girth (yay! I can finally ride her in the jump saddle!!) Friday but when I tried them on they were awfully tight. Borderline obscenely tight. Um? How???
Sigh.
I called the shop prepared to be told I couldn’t return them since they were special order and all. Thankfully she was happy to take them back and put them out on the floor. I decided to just order the Irideon ones in medium in both tan and white. My endurance tights are Irideon mediums in both the Issential and Synergy lines, so I would hope it is a pretty safe bet that the mediums in the cadence would fit well. I’m sure they won’t.
In the meantime I am cursing at these field boots and wearing them around the house to break them in.
The Roaming Rider 
Tall boots are the absolute *worst* to break in. My last trainer always said if they weren’t a literal pain to wear, they didn’t fit right. I would be wearing band-aids on the backs of my ankles and my instep while breaking in my boots, which sometimes could take a month or more. With leather you can apply conditioner to the problem areas and that helps with the stretching/molding process but I am at a loss with advice for accelerating the breaking-in period of synthetic boots.
I hope it doesn’t take long!
IME, the Cadence full seats run about a half size smaller than the knee patch Cadences and the Issentials. I take mediums too in these two lines and the Synergy. The medium full seat Cadences are a titch uncomfortable when first pulling them on (mainly because that thick synthetic suede seat doesn’t stretch: this is the #1 reason why the fit is a little different) but the material stretches out somewhat while riding. It’s better that the full seat be snug than even a little loose because the material can cause some nasty chafing if the synthetic suede gets wrinkles while in the saddle. I have everything crossed that your mediums work out for you!
LikeLike
I tried googling synthetic boots and wear but nothing useful came up. I doubt many people over the age of 12 wear them but it was what I could afford. It’s my ankle bones that hurt so hopefully they stretch around them a bit.
I ordered knee patch breeches because I’ve never used full seats and they fit wired. Now that you explain the reason I get it. The medium full seat Kerrits felt like I had a diaper on and were gross feeling. The smalls were too tight. I need to either gain a bunch of weight or lose it. Gaining would be more fun 🙂
LikeLike
Ugh, I *hate* breaking in tall boots. My best advice: condition them in the spots that are really tight — like around the ankle. That helped me SO MUCH.
LikeLike
What did you use to condition? I wonder if the synthetic material will absorb the conditioner. I am guessing not.
LikeLike
ugh i hate when different pants of the same maker fit differently. it’s so real tho 😦
re: the boot pain, you might try putting heel lift inserts or sole inserts into the boots, as i’ve heard that can really help reduce pain around the ankle and knee as the boots break in and drop. seems like a great deal tho for a starter boot!!
LikeLike
I’ll try that! I have plenty at work, so we will see if that helps. The ankle is the most painful at the moment. I couldn’t pass up $68. I can always get leather ones later
LikeLike
I hate wearing my tall boots. I only use them for shows. I really like these for making them somewhat more tolerable. http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/EquiFit_GelBands_for_Riding_Boots_Short_Pair/descpage-EFGBSP.html
LikeLike
I sell those in toe size in my office. Interesting. I can’t understand why tall boots have to suck so bad. I mean seriously, do they really need to be this way? Ugh. I wonder if custom boots are better, not that I can afford them
LikeLike
Leather boots will stretch. Not sure if the synthetic ones will- but you can always have a cobbler put in a gusset.
LikeLike
I bought new tall boots this spring too, so I’m feeling the same pain. In fact, the other day when riding, I decided that what I need to find is an identical leg twin (like Joey’s identical hand twin on Friends) and then have my identical leg twin do the breaking in for me. Other than that (obviously winning) suggestion, I use Pessoa oil on boots around the ankles and the top to soften the leather but I’m not sure that would work the same on synthetic. Just know you aren’t alone in wearing boots around the house and wincing. If it is any consolation, the boots look really nice in the pictures that you posted!
LikeLike
Lol!!! I LOVE Friends 🙂 I wore them in a lesson last night. It was interesting, but I didn’t bleed or cry so I considered it a win.
LikeLike
I’m glad you got the Friends reference! Also, yay for no bleeding or crying from the boots. That’s a total win 😀
LikeLike
I always have a pair of shoes handy for immediate switch over when I get off my horse 🙂 my tall boots rub the snot out of my ankle if I walk around in them bc they’re just a little to big. Plus having a change of shoes will make you boots last longer- synthetic or leather 🙂 I see all these people walking around with their boots half zipped and I just want to zip them back up bc that’s the number one way to bust your zipper.
LikeLike
I did notice that at the Farm House. I know they aren’t comfy but then don’t wear them when not riding.
LikeLike
If they were leather boots I would have some tips on breaking them in, but I don’t know how synthetic would hold up to my methods. lol
LikeLike
They aren’t terrible now that I’ve ridden in them but they aren’t pleasant either
LikeLike