Ariat tall boot zippers are crap!

[Vegashorselady]

I'm so annoyed right now. I have a new pair of Ariat tall boots and I've been wearing them around the house to break them in. Well, last night I was zipping up the right boot and the zipper seperated. This was maybe the fourth time I've worn them, and I've never even been on a horse in them yet! A-n-n-o-y-i-n-g.
I looked at reviews last night and saw that I'm not the only person who's had this problem and my best solution will be to have the zipper replaced at a boot repair shop and have a strip of elastic added to the side of the zippers to prevent it from happening again. Great! That will probably cost me around $100. Oh well, the boots were a gift so at least I don't have any other money dropped into them yet.
I guess the moral of the story is, if you're going to buy Ariat tall boots with zippers just plan on spending another 100 bucks to put better zippers in!

[natisha]

Yikes. Can you return them?

[Vegashorselady]

No, I can't return them. They were purchased for me from a tack store in California...2 years ago...by my ex. They've been sitting in their box in my closet because my horse started going lame before I could take him to a show. But, now I'm ready to show one of the other horses and the boots are letting me down!

[grandmadeb]

Are they the ones that zip up the back? My daughter has the ones that zip up the side and they wear like iron. Her first pair lasted for 4-5 years before she wore a hole in the leather on the inside of the boot. The local shoemaker repaired them with a patch and they became her everyday lesson boots. She got another pair, also side zip and they are going strong.

[natisha]

They were purchased for me from a tack store in California...2 years ago...by my ex. He did it on purpose

[dustys_girlly]

my old boss was sponsored by Ariat and got a new pair of tall boots every year and that was the same problem that she had with all of them. she just took them into the local boot repair man and had a new zipper set up put in and never had a problem.

[WashingtonBay]

Part of the problem is tall boots are so dang tight. Would it have killed them to add a little more room for a normal sized leg to fit inside them? ;)

[Vegashorselady]

Yeah, they zip up the back.

He did it on purpose

LOL! Well, let's just say the boots are a reflection of him, he let me down pretty badly too. :doh:

my old boss was sponsored by Ariat and got a new pair of tall boots every year and that was the same problem that she had with all of them. she just took them into the local boot repair man and had a new zipper set up put in and never had a problem.

Yeah, that's what I've been reading in other reviews. I'll just have to get new zippers put in. Even though the left boot zipper isn't broken I'll probably just go ahead and get a better zipper put in it too.

Part of the problem is tall boots are so dang tight. Would it have killed them to add a little more room for a normal sized leg to fit inside them? ;)

So true! These were a wide calf and they fit fine, I didn't have to struggle to zip them up or anything. I would even understand if they broke after I'd worn them to the barn and ridden in them once but for them to break while I was just wearing them around the house?

[offgridgirl]

Well heck...I haven't worn boots in awhile! I think you are smart to have both zippers replaced!!:)

[AUEquine]

I've heard this alot. Also, I had my zipper replaced in my ariat paddock boots, and it only cost me like $5. And I had an elastic panel put in my tall boots (no zip), and that only cost me $20. So I bet you'll come in well under $100.

[Horseaholic]

The newer zippers are better..I've been POSITIVE I was going to break a zipper getting boots on people and they've held up. I've been selling them like crazyyy and I've yet to have someone come back with zipper issues. It shouldn't cost you $100 to put new zippers on...shop around. :)

what style are they? heritage? challenge?

[AUEquine]

The newer zippers are better..I've been POSITIVE I was going to break a zipper getting boots on people and they've held up. I've been selling them like crazyyy and I've yet to have someone come back with zipper issues. It shouldn't cost you $100 to put new zippers on...shop around. :)

what style are they? heritage? challenge?
Yeah I didn't notice that she said that they were 2 years old. I know Ariat used to have terrible zippers. The ones in my paddock boots were terrible. They never stayed up, and would bust too. I had them rethreaded like 3 times, before the guy suggested he just put his own zipper in there. This one had the little locking mechanism when you pushed the tab down, so they never fell down and never busted again. And even all of that was less than $20. Since the boot is already cut, all they have to do is sew... that's like 5 minutes of work for them. My only problem was when they did my tall boots I had to get them done the day before a show, and they only had brown elastic. But the panel is on the inside of the boot so it doesn't show when I ride.

[Vegashorselady]

Hmm, well I'm taking them in tomorrow morning before I go to the barn so we'll see how much they'll cost. Things tend to cost a little more in Vegas though. It's good to know they are putting better zippers in their boots now, hopefully it will be a while before I'm buying new boots though!

[allie0]

Ariat Zips are like that, they do seperate =/ I hope you get them fixed though for a reasonable price.

[gaited07]

Ariat Zips are like that, they do seperate =/ I hope you get them fixed though for a reasonable price.

I have to agree. I bought a pair of Ariat half chaps that was thankfully on sale (normally $120, paid $60) and it was about a week and the zipper seperated from the leather. Boy I was PEE'D!
I took them directly to my guy (Cleanbay Cleaners/alterations/shoe repair) and they fixed them right up for $8.00