Why Are So Many Nearly New Riding Boots Being Sold Second-Hand?
Why are high-quality riding boots, sometimes worn only a handful of times, already being offered for resale? And why do we even see made-to-measure boots among them?
Anyone who regularly visits Facebook groups, equestrian marketplaces and other platforms for pre-owned riding equipment will notice a remarkable number of riding boots described as “only worn a few times”, “almost new”, “unfortunately too tight” or even “made to measure, but sadly have to sell.”
After more than 65 years of working with riding boots — fitting, altering and repairing them — I find this particularly striking. So I decided to contact several riders who were offering nearly new riding boots for sale.
Their experiences revealed a number of remarkably similar patterns.
1. Very often, the problem starts with the measurements
A riding boot can be beautifully made, but if the measurements supplied to the manufacturer are incorrect, it is impossible for the manufacturer to produce a perfectly fitting boot from them.
Professional fitting involves far more than taking measurements. A leg has to be read, not merely measured.
The shape of the leg, ankle, transition into the calf, instep, heel, position of the widest part of the calf and the proportions between all these measurements need to be considered. Measurements only become meaningful when they are correctly interpreted by someone with experience.
In several of the cases I discussed with riders, inaccurate measurements or an incorrect interpretation of those measurements repeatedly appeared to be part of the problem.
When the finished boots do not fit properly, a second problem can arise. The retailer refers the customer to the manufacturer. The manufacturer finds that the boots were produced according to the measurements supplied and refers the customer back to the retailer.
Ultimately, one person is left with the problem:
the rider, with an expensive pair of riding boots that does not fit properly.
I have difficulty accepting that situation.
If you measure a customer, advise them and sell them a pair of riding boots, I believe you also carry responsibility for the final result.
2. A boot that originally fitted perfectly can become too tight
Not every fitting problem means that something went wrong when the boots were measured.
Legs change.
I see this in practice all the time. Particularly during warm weather, legs can swell considerably. Changes in body weight, training and other circumstances can also affect calf circumference.
A riding boot that originally fitted beautifully may therefore become too tight later.
That does not automatically mean that a good pair of riding boots has to be discarded or sold.
Depending on the model, construction and position of the zipper, there are several possible solutions. In certain cases a shaft can be professionally stretched, an elastic insert can be fitted, or a leather gusset can be inserted.
3. A properly fitted leather gusset is not simply a triangle
This is something I see surprisingly often.
A professionally made leather gusset must follow the actual shape of the leg. More room may be required around the widest part of the calf, while the gusset may need to become narrower again towards the top of the shaft. Its exact shape depends on the individual leg.
Simply inserting a triangular piece of leather at the top because the boot will no longer close often fails to solve the actual problem.
Worse still, it can permanently spoil the original shape and elegant lines of a good riding boot.
When an alteration is carried out properly, both the outer leather and the lining are carefully adjusted. The objective is not merely to create additional room, but also to preserve the original appearance and lines of the boot as much as possible.
That requires craftsmanship.
4. Shafts that have become too wide also require expertise
The opposite can happen as well.
Legs can become slimmer. A shaft that once fitted closely may become too wide over time.
In many cases, a high-quality riding boot can be altered.
But again, the result depends very much on who carries out the work.
With boots that have a front zipper, for example, I sometimes see alterations where the rear seam or piping no longer runs straight up the leg after the shaft has been taken in. Instead, it curves noticeably to one side.
Technically, the shaft may now be narrower. Visually, however, the character and balance of the boot have been lost.
A good alteration should not only solve the technical problem. It should preserve the original lines of the riding boot wherever possible.
5. An incorrectly replaced zipper can cause considerable damage
Another problem I unfortunately encounter regularly is an improperly replaced zipper.
On a high-quality riding boot, the zipper is part of the construction of the shaft. It should be professionally fitted between the outer leather and the lining.
Yet I see repairs where the original zipper has simply been cut away along the edge. Sometimes the protective leather strip behind the zipper has also been removed. A replacement zipper is then placed on top of the lining, glued and stitched into position.
The zipper may work again, but the original construction of the riding boot has not been restored.
It pains me every time I see this.
A good pair of riding boots can last for many years when properly cared for and when necessary repairs are carried out professionally.
6. What should you do if your Petrie riding boots do not fit correctly?
I want to be very clear about this.
If a newly purchased pair of Petrie riding boots does not fit properly, the customer should first contact the retailer from whom the boots were purchased.
The retailer knows the original order, took the measurements or advised the customer on the appropriate standard size, and should therefore be the first point of contact.
Alterations to standard-size boots are naturally different from corrections to individually made-to-measure boots. A manufacturing or material defect is another matter altogether. With made-to-measure boots, there are generally more possibilities for assessing and, where appropriate, correcting a fitting problem.
I am regularly contacted by people who purchased their Petrie riding boots elsewhere but have subsequently been unable to find a satisfactory solution to their problem.
Where possible, I am always willing to assess what technical options may still be available. However, I cannot automatically take over the responsibility of the original retailer.
7. A second-hand made-to-measure boot was made to measure for someone else
This point is frequently underestimated.
Suppose you find a second-hand made-to-measure boot in exactly your shoe size, with a 36 cm calf and a 48 cm shaft height.
That does not mean the boot will fit you correctly.
The original owner may have had a completely different ankle, heel, instep or calf shape. The widest point of the calf may be in a different position. Even the left and right boots may have been made to different measurements.
In effect, you are buying someone else’s made-to-measure boots.
If such a second-hand boot subsequently does not fit, you cannot automatically expect a retailer or manufacturer to transform it into a perfectly fitting made-to-measure boot for another person.
Anyone considering buying second-hand made-to-measure riding boots should understand this risk before purchasing them.
8. My advice after more than 65 years of experience with riding boots
A good pair of riding boots should not be purchased on brand, price or appearance alone.
Seek professional advice. Have your legs properly measured. And before buying, ask what will happen if you experience a fitting problem later.
Choose a specialist who not only knows how to sell riding boots, but also understands how they are constructed and which alterations can be carried out responsibly and professionally.
Even after more than 65 years of experience, I would never claim that a rider’s legs cannot change.
They can, and they do.
What matters to me is that a customer with a problem is taken seriously.
When someone comes to me with a riding boot that no longer fits correctly, the first thing I want to know is:
Why?
Has the calf changed? Is the problem confined to one particular area? Can the shaft be professionally stretched? Does it need to be widened? Can it be taken in? Or is the real problem the zipper?
And sometimes the only honest answer is that a truly satisfactory solution is no longer possible.
But sending a customer from one party to another, leaving them alone with the problem, is not a solution.
Selling a pair of riding boots is one thing. Being there for the customer when those boots later require attention is, to me, part of the very same craft.
More about riding boot fit, measuring and fitting problems
A riding boot is much more than a shoe with a leather shaft. The shape of the foot, ankle and calf, shaft height, zipper position and the proportions of the rider’s leg all influence the final fit.
On Van Huet Riding Boots you can also read more about standard sizes versus made-to-measure boots, different leg and foot shapes, very slim or particularly wide calves, zipper positions and why professionally measuring a rider is not simply a matter of recording a few centimetres.
For a more comprehensive introduction to choosing and fitting riding boots, you can also read my e-book “Doe mij maar rijlaarzen.”
Peter van Huet
Van Huet Riding Boots – Bunnik, The Netherlands
More than 65 years of experience in riding boots, professional fitting, alterations and repairs.