FYI Friday: Lake Country Boots Review

It's no secret that I'm something of an incurable tomboy.  I only dress up for horse shows, which is coincidentally also the only time you'll catch me showing any interest in ribbons or braids.  So I never thought I'd be the kind of girl who got all excited about shoes.  Regardless, I think I'm in love...

Meet the K*ty Lake Country Boots (previously listed as Lake Yard Boots). When a rep for the UK-based Equestrian Clearance Warehouse contacted me about testing them out, I thought it was too good to be true.  I wouldn't be a wannabe-eventer if I wasn't secretly jealous of the very popular boots that everyone and their auntie seems to wear on XC course walks.  Plus, the timing was perfect, as I had recently shredded yet another pair of shoes and needed something to keep my feet dry while I worked.

Naturally, I jumped at the chance.  Little did they know, I was going to test the ever-loving crap out of those boots!

Oh yeah.  I went there.
Every day.
For a month.

I have now owned the Lake Boots for a month and I have worn them just about every single day -- and if you know me, you know my typical day means a LOT of hours on my feet, in the barn!   You also know that I am a destroyer, particularly when it comes to my footwear.  (See above statement about shredding.)  The average lifespan of my boots is about six months, and by "lifespan" I mean I wear them long after normal human beings with any shred of dignity would forego the duct tape and throw them out.  I can lengthen this a bit by having a pair for everything that I do -- mucking, riding, walking around, bathing horses, driving farm equipment, shoveling snow -- but it's such a pain to keep taking shoes on and off, especially if there are laces, zippers, or bootpulls involved.  And I still manage to destroy everything!

I'm used to wearing clunky muck boots and tall boots everywhere, but the Lake Boots felt soft and broken-in from the moment I put them on.  Like a pair of nice field boots, they are designed to get a "crinkle" at the ankle and drop slightly, but they fit pretty much the same at thirty seconds and thirty days.  At end of a long day I get home and I still don't want to take them off!   I wear them while getting hay and grain and water to two farms, trudging through the fields, climbing into and out of the hay trailer, over sand and gravel and mud and tall grass and up and down stairs.  I hiked over Assunpink hill and dale in them, despite my worries that the soft leather shell would get scraped and scratched by wilderness.  Nope!  These puppies are still good as new!

I tried hacking in them several times, and while I wouldn't do an intense school in them, they are quite lovely in the saddle, too.  We walked, trotted, cantered, and galloped, and my legs never felt bloated or pinched or slippery.  I have relatively small 4" stirrups, and the Lake Boots still sat nicely in them -- I didn't feel like I was wedging my foot in and risking a scary accident!

Another important factor for me is that I can drive safely and comfortably in them, and while it might only take two minutes to change a pair of shoes, that two minutes is important sometimes!   Plus, now when I run to the grocery store on my way home, I actually look like an equestrienne instead of an extra in an LMFAO video.

While I'm obviously far from a fashionista, it is nice to look nice, particularly when I occasionally stumble into a professional equestrian setting.  Imagine my surprise when I worked a championship dressage show a few weeks ago, and had random strangers come up out of the blue to ask where I had gotten my boots!  When the Dressage Queens are interested, you know you've got something good!

My one complaint is that these boots are, indeed, only water resistant, meaning that if you submerge them enough times they will eventually soak through.  However, after three weeks of wading through puddles, bathing horses, trudging through wet grass every morning and hosing them clean every night, they only gave in during our freak October Blizzard, with all the freezing, pelting rain and snow for a straight day and a half, after already being constantly subjected to the elements for my testing purposes. Even then, my socks barely got damp.  But after a night in front of the dehumidifier, they were completely dry and ready to go!   I haven't had a repeat of the problem, and I've continued to stomp through puddles, bathe horses, and traipse across the morning dew ever since.  I may treat them with a waterproofing spray before the winter just because I do get so much mileage out of them, but for the average person, who is likely not nearly as rough on their clothing as I am, I don't see this being a problem.

The boots do have UK sizing, but if you pay attention to the measurements and reviews on the website (and use this handy-dandy conversion chart)  you should be able to figure out your size no problem.  I am usually somewhere around a US 9.5, and these boots are a UK 7.  They fit comfortably with just a plain pair of cotton socks, although I have plenty of room to layer heavy wool ones for cold weather, too.   The calves are generous, and even with thick jeans and knee-high winter socks on, my regular-to-wide calves don't feel cramped at all -- and I am a die-hard "regular jeans" wearer, the practical sort that covers your leg and doesn't try to be breeches!

In short, if you, too, covet the fabulous look of the "river" boots that are trending, the K*ty Lake Boots are a great choice.   Like your favorite Super Standardbreds, they're hardy, brown, and versatile!  :)  There are actually a few different color options, and even with international shipping, they're still cheaper than similar boots selling at the top US tack stores.

I should mention, too, that Equestrian Clearance Warehouse is a very much site after my own heart.   Not only is "clearance" right in the name, but they have a blue-and-gold theme and you can actually shop by color.  So, you know, it makes it that much easier to get your holiday shopping done for all your favorite horse people!