Savvy Boot Shopping

Unless you're among the lucky few whose foot and leg slip into a ready-made boot as neatly as a plug into a socket, finding a stock boot that fits is a challenge. To boost your chances of finding great-fitting stock boots…

By Laurel Scott

Measure meticulously.
Most tack shops have staff trained to measure for boots. Or you can follow boot sellers' detailed instructions for measuring yourself, preferably with a helper.

Shop around.
Most stock boots, including those in the more affordable $125-$175 range, offer choices in calf width for each size, but the widths offered vary from maker to maker. Available variations tend to increase with the price of the boots; from $250 up, for example, some makers offer choices in shaft height--and again, specific dimensions vary with the maker.

Ask about options.
Some boot manufacturers offer additional stock choices that your tack shop or catalogue customer-service department will describe if asked. Some high-end manufacturers will also semi-customize a stock tall boot, combining a shaft made to your specifications with a standard shoe size. This costs more, but you'll still pay less than for a fully custom boot.

Fit Fixes.
Unless you have the budget to invest in semi-custom, though, the boot that comes closest to your taste, your conformation and your purse may still not fit quite right. A qualified shoe- and bootmaker (ask your tack shop or distributor for recommendations) has techniques to bring almost any leather boot's fit closer to the ideal; with careful measuring, most such work can even be done through mail order. The work isn't cheap, but your total outlay will still be significantly less than for semi-custom or custom. Alterations can also be made to re-fit your boots when you've lost or gained weight or exercise has changed your leg shape, or to improve the fit of pre-owned boots when you find an irresistible bargain at the consignment shop or online.

Gussets
wedge-shaped elastic inserts in the top edge of the boot--are helpful for legs with large calves. They stretch as you pull the boot over your calf, then return the boot top to its correct, snug dimensions. Some higher-priced stock boots come with gussets; adding them costs about $60.

A zipper
installed the full height of (usually) the inside front of the boot from top edge to the top of the instep, allows a wide-instep foot to slide into the boot without a struggle. In adding a zipper, a bootmaker can also narrow the width of the entire shaft by removing extra leather, or can contour the boot top to accommodate a large calf/smaller top width. If the boot is slightly snug in the calf, installing a zipper may also increase the calf width at least 2 cm. Cost: about $105.

Simple shaft-width reduction:
If the shaft is too wide and you have no problem getting your instep into the boot, the bootmaker can take English dress or field boots apart at the back seam, remove excess leather, and re-stitch. (For dressage boots that have a “stiffener” built into the back, this is not an option; you'll need a zipper.) Cost: about $65.

“V” leather inserts
are effective for fitting a leg that doesn't taper the standard 2 cm from calf to knee. The inserts, which widen the boot top, can be used in conjunction with a zipper. The bootmaker may need to do in-person measuring for this exacting work, which is individually priced.