A guide to selection and care of your riding boots
By Natalie DeFee Mendik
This article is reprinted from the May/June 2025 issue of USDF Connection.
Nothing pulls together a dressage rider’s look—whether for show, clinics, or schooling—than a pair of sharp-looking riding boots. But it can be difficult to wade through the many options, and when you finally do, you’ll want to keep your investment looking and feeling great for as long as possible. Read on for expert advice.
Find Your Match
Today’s dressage rider has countless options, including jewel-studded tops, various leather finishes and shades, buckles, full-length laces, and contrasting trims. Traditionalists have choices, too, ranging from leather finishes to levels of stiffness. However, fit and function take priority for Marissa Gentner, owner and founder of The Distinguished Rider, a custom boot fitter based in Quakertown, Pennsylvania—because, she says, color, design, and all the fun bits are the easy part.
When Gentner meets with a client, she starts with a questionnaire: “I ask how often they ride and what their priorities are for the boot, such as comfort, durability, or looks. We also talk about any injuries or conditions that may affect the fit and impact long-term wear. For instance, a high instep will influence zipper placement, making it easier to put the boot on and take it off while also preventing pinching and chafing. My primary concern is the structure and fit of the boot. I know I can achieve the design that the client is looking for.”
Functional details riders may opt for include:
- Strategically placed elastic gussets can accommodate swelling—especially in hot weather— and weight fluctuations.
- Comfort stitching pads the back of the knee.
- Riders who prefer a harder boot can choose a model stiffened with a panel insert between the liner and the leather, generally only on the outside of the boot shaft, Gentner says.
- Tapered ankles are trending, according to Gentner, but a traditional ankle fit remains an option. She notes that riders with larger calves may prefer the more streamlined appearance a traditional fit provides, with the ankle measurement being more closely aligned with the calf measurement.
Get the Right Fit
If you can, get measured and fitted for boots in person at a location that offers try-ons of sample boots and demo models showing the many options, advises McKinley Harvey, owner of the Colorado-based Perfect Fit Saddlery and the DeNiro Boot Company representative for the Rocky Mountain region. If there isn’t a store or brand representative in your area, she recommends visiting vendors at shows and other dressage events, or even hosting on a boot-fitting party with a rep.
“Everyone is so unique and has such individual preferences about what they’re comfortable with and the look they want to achieve,” Harvey says. “I believe made-to-measure is worth it. People often say they have unusual legs or feet, but the truth is, everyone is unique.”
If you’re in the market for new boots and aren’t sure what you want, Gentner suggests visiting a tack store or fitter that offers a variety of brands. Be aware that boots can be custom-made, semi-custom, or ready-to-wear. For a personalized fit and unique design, a brand representative will take your measurements and help you create the perfect look with a bespoke boot. If you opt for semi-custom boots, which provide some options for variation as well as ready-to-wear choices (and are typically less expensive than fully custom), you can have your measurements taken at a shop or by a representative.
Understand the difference between boot manufacturers and those who sell their products, says Gentner: “Companies differ from reps. Each rep will have their own f itting and purchasing process. Not only do you need to find a rep who knows what they’re doing, but you also need to find one who offers warranties and guarantees in addition to what the boot company provides. This way, you have two layers of protection—one from the boot brand and the other from the brand rep.”
All About Boot Care
Now that you have the boots of your dreams, you’ll want to keep them looking their best for as long as possible. We asked our experts for their top tips.
Keep them shining bright. You know those enviable riders whose boots positively gleam with a mirror-like shine? It’s possible they may be masters of old-school shoe-shine techniques (see below), but chances are, their boots have a patent finish.
A patent finish is a brilliant high gloss. A brushed finish is also shiny, but less so than patent. A matte f inish is the traditional leather-boot f inish. Brushed finishes, which are a happy medium of sorts, are quite popular today, says Gentner.
Brushed and patent boots can be shined with a special cleaner that is sprayed or rubbed on and wiped with a microfiber cloth; traditional boot creams and polishes work best on smooth matte finishes, Gentner says. With skill and effort, she adds, smooth matte boots can look as polished as their shinier cousins—but a full-grain matte, like buffalo hide, will not attain that same sheen.
Patent and brushed finishes are generally applied over both the shaft and the foot, except for the inside of the calf, says Gentner. These finishes are eye-catching, but be aware that they tend to show scratches much more easily than a matte finish.
Polish like a pro. What’s the trick to achieving a military-style mirrorlike shine on traditional matte boots? There are variations on the theme, but they all share the same basic premise. You’ll need the right supplies, which you can find in most traditional shoeshine kits; and as your grandpa would say, some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Your boot-shining kit should include:
• Cream shoe polish or boot cream
• Applicator brush
• Clean cotton cloth
• Water.
Starting with clean boots, use the applicator brush or your finger inside a rag to apply polish where the boot does not touch the horse, saddle pad, or saddle. Use the cloth to rub the polish into the leather with small circular motions, and allow the polish to dry. Now dampen the cloth and rub again (this is where the term “spit shine” comes from): Rubbing with a damp cloth brings out the shine. Buff with a cotton cloth.
Give your boots regular TLC. Consistent care helps ensure boots’ longevity. After each ride, wipe your boots with a damp cloth. Gentner suggests lightly conditioning the outsides of matte boots once or twice a week “or when the leather starts to look ‘thirsty’” (avoiding the areas that touch the horse or the saddle and pad) with a beeswax-based product (her fave brand is Christian Lowe Leather Care, followed by Effax Lederbalsam). The Christian Lowe balm “is beeswax-based with tea-tree oil, which helps to fight mold naturally,” she says.
Note that we’re referring here to matte boots only. The manufacturer’s finishing process may cover the pores of brushed and patent leathers, meaning that high-shine leathers don’t really benefit from leather conditioner.
Gentner cautions against using cream-type conditioners as well as saddle soaps or other cleaning products on matte boots, as these can leave a film of buildup that will dull the finish. The beeswax-based products she recommends “actually act very similar to a polish in the sense that they seal and shine the leather,” she says. And never apply any product to a boot that hasn’t f irst been wiped clean.
If the insides of your boots are lined with leather, you can occasionally condition those, as well. Skip it if the linings are synthetic, Gentner says.
Keep your zippers zipping. A zipper lubricant designed for riding boots keeps zippers functioning optimally. Start by gently cleaning the zipper with water and a toothbrush. Then, using the supplied fine spray nozzle, apply a product like German-made Pharmaka Hypofek into the zipper teeth.
“People are really rough on their zippers, but if you are kind to your zippers, they last, especially if your boots are custom,” Harvey says. “Don’t yank your zipper or let fabric get caught. I run my finger up my zipper as I zip so the teeth don’t get misaligned.”
Store boots correctly. Keep your boots on boot trees, preferably made of cedar, which absorbs moisture and deodorizes. Boot trees that include both foot and shaft pieces are especially useful for storing patent and brushed boots, which are prone over time to cracking at the toe cap, where the foot bends while walking, says Gentner.
Limit the abuse. Overall, less is more, says Harvey: “Let your boots air out if they are sweaty, and clean them with a product created for your type of boots. Also, help your boots last by not walking through mud or wearing them in the wash rack.”
According to our experts, durability issues are actually often fit issues. In other words, a correctly f itted boot will tend to last longer.
You Do You
“When I first started with DeNiro, I thought only the jumpers would follow the fun new trends,” says Harvey, “but actually it turned out to be the dressage riders who dream up the great new designs.”
So what’s hot these days? “Brown boots and patent boots seem to be really popular,” she reports, and “lace-ups are always a favorite.”
With the myriad options, including “top trims with unique leather textures and colors” and “fun base colors, like pink, it’s now easy to personalize and create your own look, like with matchy boots and helmets,” Harvey says. “I have many clients who have schooling boots with fun designs and a more reserved pair for showing. Everyone is having so much fun with their boots!”
Natalie DeFee Mendik, MA, is an award-winning writer specializing in equine journalism. Visit her online at MendikMedia.com.
