Heritage R Toe Western Boot

These boots are the most comfortable I have ever had! The sizes are perfect. Usually in boots you have to go up one size but these shoes are true to size. I love these boots!!

These boots are the most comfortable I have ever had! The sizes are perfect. Usually in boots you have to go up one size but these shoes are true to size. I love these boots!!

I compared them to my old pair of Abilene's that has the same heel height and could not understand why I was experiencing this downward slant with the Ariat's. I finally discovered the problem, it was the removable insole which has thick padding at the heel and a thin padding at the ball of the foot. I removed this insole and replaced it with two Spenco comfort insoles (one Spenco on top of the other Spenco). Ahhhhh, finally, I could walk flat and not at an angle. Now to address the stiff leather which makes the boot feel very clunky. I read even more reviews, then eventually found a few people that mentioned needing to condition these boots to soften the leather. I did that and will continue to do so. I am sure over time, these will soften a bit. I know I will not be able to ride in these anytime soon though. I ride horses and I have 3 other pairs of boots I ride in that are 25-30 years old. It was time to get a new pair and I have heard so much about Ariat's comfort that I had to try this brand. After extensive research at many websites and reading dozens of reviews, I decided to try the Heritage R toe. I was sadly disappointed. Everyone said that there was virtually no break in time needed for these.....they could be worn for hours straight out of the box. Not true. These are the stiffest boots I have ever worn. I wore them around the house every day, gradually increasing the time. It was a relief to take them off. My feet would be sore, especially the ball of my foot. The leather is so stiff that I can not even drop my heel in the saddle. I felt like I was wearing high heels, like I was on a slant. Sorry Ariat, I really wanted to try your brand, but I think I will look elsewhere next time.