How to choose the right size for your riding boots?
Riding boots are essential equipment for any rider. Important on several levels, they above all ensure comfort for the rider, by protecting their lower legs from the repeated friction to which they are subject. In addition, the soles of the riding boots are adapted to the shape of the stirrup: the foot is then better positioned than with standard shoes. The shape of the sole is also adapted to the removal of the stirrup in the event of a fall: thus, the foot does not remain blocked in the stirrup, under penalty of being dragged by his horse for a few meters. Finally, the riding boot brings an aesthetic component to the style of the rider.
Riding boots adapted to your measurements
When a rider wishes to purchase a pair of riding boots, he has the choice between two types of boots: tailor made riding boots, which are made entirely according to its dimensions, and so-called half-measure boots, which are available in many sizes. Depending on the brand, they can be offered in more than 15 different combinations of size, calf circumference and upper height.
The importance of choosing suitable boots
It is essential to choose boots that will be best suited to the morphology of the riders. There may be differences between women riding boots and men riding boots. Indeed, this will avoid the formation of unpleasant and unsightly folds, which could be painful and cause undesirable and premature wear of the boots, especially for leather boots. This material is alive and will indeed stretch as it is used. Boots that are too wide will therefore expand more over time, and then risk slipping along the lower leg. They should fit your calf size, whether thin or wide.
On the contrary, boots that are too tight may painfully compress the calf and put pressure on the zipper, which can also hurt the rider. This can also contribute to stretching the seams, and therefore to weakening them at the risk of seeing them give way after a certain time.
Take your measurements to choose the right size riding boots
It is essential to remember that it is always better to measure both legs for each of the steps. Humans are not symmetrical, and measurements for one leg may not match the other leg.
Once these measurements have been taken, all that remains is to order a pair of riding boots adapted to the size of the strongest calf. Also, some models are equipped with elastic throughout the calf, but not all of them are. It is therefore important to pay attention to this detail, as it can affect the size and the feeling once the boot is on.
Details to consider
While shoe size, calf circumference and leg size are the three key points when choosing the right size pair of riding boots, other details should come into play. For example, the size of the foot: some riders have what is called a rather strong instep, or a rather wide ball of the foot. This can affect the comfort of the boot. Likewise, if the purchase of the boots is done in summer or during the hot period of the year, it should be kept in mind that an additional pair of socks could be added in winter. It is therefore necessary to choose a boot size that allows you to be comfortable with an extra thickness. Finally, riders' feet may be more cramped in a lightly padded boot.
A revolutionary, custom-made boot
Which rider has never dreamed of owning a pair of custom-made boots at a reasonable price? Thanks to its ever more innovative creations, Horse Pilot has made this possible by creating the Teknit Boot. Elegant, technical and comfortable, this boot adapts perfectly to the morphology of riders' legs thanks to the 3D Knit technology with which it is made. The boot then slips on like a sock, without laces or zipper. It is available in many sizes to best suit everyone. Taking measurements is then greatly facilitated, since only the size of the riders is to be taken into account. Equipped with grips and reinforced in strategic places (calf and toe), it has nothing to envy to made-to-measure boots.
A size guide for riding boots
In order for every rider to find the right pair of riding boots, Horse Pilot has provided a size guide. This references each shoe size and will thus allow everyone to choose the perfectly adapted boot size. On the other hand, with regard to the Teknit Boot, it is important to remember that only the shoe size is to be taken into account. Indeed, thanks to the revolutionary 3D Knit technology, the boot adapts itself to the size of the lower leg and the size of the calf circumference. Its elastic material hugs each leg as if it were a custom-made boot.