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ok must find boots, wide calf tall; updated...I think I've found some boots....
Topic Started: May 25 2010, 11:41 AM (1,660 Views)
Barn Girl
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:clap: Glad you liked the Ovations! I haven't seen them in person but have really been impressed with my cheapie Ovation half chaps and new schooling helmet... for the price, you can't beat 'em.

If I were you, I'd see if anyone remotely local stocks the Ovations and go try them on. If not, keep the ones you have and order a pair of the 9XXW from Smartpak, see which ones you like better and send the other ones back. I don't see the 9XW fitting you at all if the calf is .5 smaller than the ones you have that are already tight.

Maybe you should post a pic of the right one on your leg for people to see if it looks too short?
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MayaTy02
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Thanks barn girl...I am taking them to the barn tonight and having my trainer measure me and determine if they're still going to be too short...and if the 9 will be enough added height. such a pain!! Thank you all :)
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MayaTy02
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Barn Girl
Jun 1 2010, 08:58 AM
:clap: Glad you liked the Ovations! I haven't seen them in person but have really been impressed with my cheapie Ovation half chaps and new schooling helmet... for the price, you can't beat 'em.

If I were you, I'd see if anyone remotely local stocks the Ovations and go try them on. If not, keep the ones you have and order a pair of the 9XXW from Smartpak, see which ones you like better and send the other ones back. I don't see the 9XW fitting you at all if the calf is .5 smaller than the ones you have that are already tight.

Maybe you should post a pic of the right one on your leg for people to see if it looks too short?
I just have to update again Barn Girl...I went to try them on again because I really think they are the best I can do, and the zipper broke!! The pull came off the zipper, and it's not even like I was trying to get them over my calf, I had just put my foot in and was just starting to zip. HMMM, not happy about that quality. I am going to try to find a 9 XXW that I can try on because Trainer and I are concerned that the 9 will be too wide in the ankle and top of calf, but at this point, I'm desparate. Ridiculous...I guess I'll just have to live with too short boots!
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jn4jenny
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MT, since you're stuck with the broken-zipper 8 XXW's, why not work with what you have?

Any good bootmaker should be able to:
--stretch the foot slightly to make it bigger

--install a new zipper, and while they're in there they can either add an extra .25" of elastic padding along the new zipper line OR they can make the elastic gusset in the boot more generous. Ask them for the nice zipper--tell them "the one you put on police and motorcycle boots."

--Either now or later, ask them to cut a new Spanish top for your boot to accommodate the eventual "drop." If it were me, I would wait until after the boot dropped to ensure that I got just the right height on the topper. This could really look quite smashing, think similar to the Juan Ayora boot pictured here but in a more subtle matching leather color:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayora-Custom-Boots/105243155957?v=photos#!/photo.php?pid=2303900&id=105243155957

And voila, semi-custom boots at a much cheaper price.

Barring that, your next step up (price wise and customization wise) would be the Ayora Boots from Argentina (long turnaround time, inconsistent customer service, some people have gotten boots that did not match their measurements, but the price is right at $300) or Sergio Grasso Young Rider Boots, which you can order direct from Europe for 215 GBP (so probably around $400 once you're done with postage).
Edited by jn4jenny, Jun 2 2010, 06:34 AM.
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MayaTy02
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jn4jenny
Jun 2 2010, 06:33 AM
MT, since you're stuck with the broken-zipper 8 XXW's, why not work with what you have?

Any good bootmaker should be able to:
--stretch the foot slightly to make it bigger

--install a new zipper, and while they're in there they can either add an extra .25" of elastic padding along the new zipper line OR they can make the elastic gusset in the boot more generous. Ask them for the nice zipper--tell them "the one you put on police and motorcycle boots."

--Either now or later, ask them to cut a new Spanish top for your boot to accommodate the eventual "drop." If it were me, I would wait until after the boot dropped to ensure that I got just the right height on the topper. This could really look quite smashing, think similar to the Juan Ayora boot pictured here but in a more subtle matching leather color:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ayora-Custom-Boots/105243155957?v=photos#!/photo.php?pid=2303900&id=105243155957

And voila, semi-custom boots at a much cheaper price.

Barring that, your next step up (price wise and customization wise) would be the Ayora Boots from Argentina (long turnaround time, inconsistent customer service, some people have gotten boots that did not match their measurements, but the price is right at $300) or Sergio Grasso Young Rider Boots, which you can order direct from Europe for 215 GBP (so probably around $400 once you're done with postage).
well I'm not stuck with them, as I called Smart Pak immediately and they said it sounded like a defect and that they'd send them back to the manufacturer and I can still return them for a full refund. Interestingly when I put them on this morning, they seemed really small in the foot, whereas yesterday they felt a little small, today it was uncomfortably so (hello water retention). So I would need a bigger foot anyway, and the 9 will give me a 1/4 inch in height more. Still not enough but better. I am curious about those added tops, is that something they can do with any boot? I'm so disappointed that I can't find anything tall enough, it was the bane of my existance when I was a kid too = I sooo hate too short boots. but this may be the best i can do without going custom, which really won't help me with a show in 3 weeks :)
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vxf111
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Jn4jenny is 100 percent on the money. It's the same as the advice we gave you with the hunt coat. Not everyone fits perfectly in off the shelf stuff. But slightly too big/small and take the boots to a cpompetant bootmaker to have them adjusted. Whether its adding an elastic gusset, a zipper, elastic along the zipper, etc. A bootmaker can adjust off the shelf boots to make them work. You are driving yourself nuts looking for cinderella's slipper when you could have taken one or more of the *close* boots you've tried and made them into that cinderella's slipper- for probably what you've paid in gas/postage trying other boots.

The hardest thing to fix is height. I would fine boots that are tall enough (mens?) And perhaps too wide. Take them to a bootmaker. Have them taken in and add a zipper with elastic down the side. All that should probably cost no more than $75 (that's what the ex vogel guy here would change) and you'll have custom looking boots. Even a pair on ebay can be adjusted that way and can turn out looking really nice.

Honest! I've had boots worked on and the results look custom!
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vxf111
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Sorry about the typos, blackberry posting :)
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MayaTy02
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I hear ya V, and I am completely ready to take them to Journeyman to do work if I can find the boots that are close enough. The issue has been height. If I could find the height I need in a boot that almost fits, I will definitely work with them, but the question is how close is almost :). I had a pair of Tredstones that I loved and was going to see about tailoring them (but i was early in the process and thought I could find something that worked better because I could not even get them close to going on. I may end up going back to them because they did have the height. They already have a zipper and elastic though, so I guess I'm unsure of the process when those are already installed. And I heard that putting new zippers in cost around $200 so that seemed excessive. If the elastic gusset could be stretchier, they would have worked...I just needed about a half inch probably to zip them.

Mens boots, I just don't see how they are going to be any better because my foot is small (not even sure what size a woman's 8 would be in mens) and the equivalent calf and height is no better than womens. But perhaps I'm missing something. I also do have small ankles so I wanted something quite tailored through the ankle.

I am seriously considering the pair of Vogels on ebay after getting their measurements, but am worried they are still too short.

Oh and by the way I did find a nearly perfect coat for my daughter so it can happen :) LOL (she better not have grown out of it already!)

ETA: I found the Ovation boots at Saddlery Liquidators in the 9XXW, so I will be trying them tomorrow - wish me luck :)
Edited by MayaTy02, Jun 2 2010, 07:40 AM.
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vxf111
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MayaTy02
Jun 2 2010, 07:09 AM
I hear ya V, and I am completely ready to take them to Journeyman to do work if I can find the boots that are close enough. The issue has been height. If I could find the height I need in a boot that almost fits, I will definitely work with them, but the question is how close is almost :). I had a pair of Tredstones that I loved and was going to see about tailoring them (but i was early in the process and thought I could find something that worked better because I could not even get them close to going on. I may end up going back to them because they did have the height. They already have a zipper and elastic though, so I guess I'm unsure of the process when those are already installed. And I heard that putting new zippers in cost around $200 so that seemed excessive. If the elastic gusset could be stretchier, they would have worked...I just needed about a half inch probably to zip them.

Mens boots, I just don't see how they are going to be any better because my foot is small (not even sure what size a woman's 8 would be in mens) and the equivalent calf and height is no better than womens. But perhaps I'm missing something. I also do have small ankles so I wanted something quite tailored through the ankle.

I am seriously considering the pair of Vogels on ebay after getting their measurements, but am worried they are still too short.

Oh and by the way I did find a nearly perfect coat for my daughter so it can happen :) LOL (she better not have grown out of it already!)

ETA: I found the Ovation boots at Saddlery Liquidators in the 9XXW, so I will be trying them tomorrow - wish me luck :)
Cinderella's shoe may well be out there (like the hunt coat, yay!) I am just trying to save you some time/hassle.

In my experience (and it will vary by brand) men's sizes are 1 size smaller than women's. So a women's 8 may be a men's 7.

Also you should probably plan for boots with zippers (even if after market) to drop less than boots without.

If you found a pair that worked everywhere but the width (the Treadstone) you could probably have either elastic put in down the zipper (or stretchier elastic than what was there-- or even some added leather) for under $100. Or, maybe even adding a generous guesst at the top would be enough, and that would cost even less. You don't need Journeyman's to add a gusset-- it's not THAT complex of a surgery ;) I have not paid even close to $200 to have zippers/elastic added to boots-- but it wouldn't surprise me to hear Journeyman's is on the expensive end of the cost. I have had simple elastic gussets that added an inch in width added to boots by a regular old cobbler (not a riding boot person) for $20 and they worked fine.
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vxf111
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A while back I sold a pair of semi custom Konig boots that were way too tall and way too wide...

http://www.classicsaddlery.com/boots/konigcavallo.htm

They come in a dizzing array of widths and heights, including quite tall and quite wide.
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MayaTy02
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cool I'll check it out V :) thanks
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MayaTy02
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back to the drawing board...tried the Ovations in a 9 XXW and they are way too wide at the top, and still too short. Took them to Journeyman and they quoted me $242 to take them in due to the finish of them, bringing the total cost to $500 and I have a boot that is still going to be too short.

ARGHH....I am not bidding on the Vogels because they are going to be too short too and it seems the height will be the most expensive to fix. I am going back to the Tredstones which I really liked but couldn't zip up, and going to try to have them stretched. They at least had the height and seemed like they were more tailored at the ankle and tops. ARGH. Nightmare.
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kbrethauer
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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I don't have time to read through the thread again to figure out if these are too short but here are some vogels on ebay...
Vogels
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MayaTy02
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kbrethauer
Jun 3 2010, 09:56 AM
I don't have time to read through the thread again to figure out if these are too short but here are some vogels on ebay...
Vogels
yes I saw these and was going to bid on them but just got the full measurements and they are going to be too short.

Thanks for thinking of me though! :clap:
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Jersey Fresh
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MayaTy02
Jun 3 2010, 08:26 AM
back to the drawing board...tried the Ovations in a 9 XXW and they are way too wide at the top, and still too short. Took them to Journeyman and they quoted me $242 to take them in due to the finish of them, bringing the total cost to $500 and I have a boot that is still going to be too short.

ARGHH....I am not bidding on the Vogels because they are going to be too short too and it seems the height will be the most expensive to fix. I am going back to the Tredstones which I really liked but couldn't zip up, and going to try to have them stretched. They at least had the height and seemed like they were more tailored at the ankle and tops. ARGH. Nightmare.
Just an FYI, most places cannot stretch boots with zippers easily (or inexpensively) because they need to remove the entire zipper to do it. I found this out when I inquired at Beval (who had stretched several pairs of non-zip boots for me). And I never had luck at a non-horsey store with stretching (like a regular cobbler).

Good luck. Its a PITA! I with Vfx in that if you can find a pair that looks good but not perfect, go with that even if they are a bit short. I'm willing to bet no one will notice but you :)
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