Riding boots with suit?

[Ianiceman]



From the gentleman gazette article it seems to be immediately after the invention of vulcanised rubber in 1844, a Victorian era.

Interesting.

I posted earlier in this thread and somehow the post vanished. I was objecting to the inferred hierarchy in formality between jodhpurs and Chelsea's, as unless someone is paying close attention they look very similar from ten feet away. Jodhpurs being less common and thus more 'exclusive' I would suggest if any difference does exist that they are slightly the more formal.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

From the gentleman gazette article it seems to be immediately after the invention of vulcanised rubber in 1844, a Victorian era.

Yes, rubber was one of the major colonial commodities - although the elasticated sections would not have used nylon, which wasn't invented (by Dupont) until the late 1930s.

 

[laufer]



The "more formal" part of this caught my eye.  Could you elaborate on this?  Anyone else?

(2)  For the OP:  Speaking as a former rider who has a few pair of tall dress boots like the ones in your link, they are always worn with breeches, which these days are skin tight and elastic and fit inside the boot, often being no lower than the top of the calf, and for competitions are usually white.  The jacket can range from a 3-button sport coat style (with side vents) to a tailcoat (for upper level dressage, along with a top hat).  But never a suit. (1)

Trust me:  polishing a pair of these is no small undertaking.  And breaking in a new pair of real riding boots might teach you the meaning of pain.

Really even for the custom made riding boots?

 

[fearsomeworrier]

The only way to definitively settle this is with pictures. How about those of you with riding boots try them on under suit trousers and take a picture for everybody? Personally I like this idea, but I once tried rubber riding boots under khakis and that was not, shall we say, klassy with a K.

I really want to try cowboy boots under a dark suit: black/maroon and silver toe tips, paired with a small, ornate, rectangular silver belt buckle. Oh yeah.

 

[Academic2]

Really even for the custom made riding boots?

You’re asking about the break in? If so, yes, although it varies a bit from one manufacturer to another of course. It's not a question of improper fit or poor leather quality if that's what you're thinking. The leather in a dress boot is quite stiff, for functional reasons (and aesthetic ones too, to some extent). In particular, it takes time to loosen up the ankle so it can flex properly. There's always been a demand for well-maintained used boots for this reason.

Used Konig with ankle break:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Konig-Leather-Dress-Boots-Size-10-Black-/261095098032

For comparison, you can see some new Konigs here, along with pictures of the “half chaps” I mentioned earlier:
http://www.dressageextensions.com/search.asp?cat=02_02_01

(You can see in some of those photos the distinctly Spanish top found in dress boots intended for dressage, where the outside of the boot, visible to spectators, is taller than the inside which is not. See photos of the riders of Vienna’s Spanish Riding School for a uniquely extreme instance.)

Zippers are a fairly recent addition (last 20 years, perhaps), and only more recently have they been allowed in competitions. Getting dress or dressage boots on or, particularly, off used to be quite a challenge before then, especially if you didn’t have a helper.

While I’m providing links, here are some Cavallo paddock boots:
http://www.cavallo.info/en/riding-boots/ankle-boots/

The true dress boot, especially the dressage boot, is a thing of beauty and great craftsmanship. It deserves to be seen with the breeches and jackets which evolved along with it. Otherwise it’s like wearing a tuxedo jacket with denim jeans.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[Academic2]

I should add that people who compete in dressage will often have one pair of boots which is used only in the arena, and is never fully broken in.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[Rowan]

OK, not necessarily riding boots with suits, but riding boots on the street. What do you think?

 

[kaizo]

I think last one works. Probably because of the quilted top.

 

[YRR92]

OK, not necessarily riding boots with suits, but riding boots on the street. What do you think?

This guy looks like he's waiting for a woman to approach him and talk about his distinctive footwear choice.

This guy looks like he's wondering if these shoes were the right choice.



This guy's pretty sure they weren't.

Oh dear, he's leaving town in shame. Mostly over the glove, as this is the best over all.

But, I mean, those are all a bit over-styled and would be not-so-great if they had different shoes.

I think it could work with dark jeans*/casual-ish shirt/some kind of outerwear or sweater or something. Like a field jacket, or a big chunky knit pullover with a collar of some kind. Maybe even a Harris Tweed jacket. They kind of overpower the two rigs without jackets, and look a bit affected with the dressy navy blazer.

So, weirdly, even though three of these just don't work for me, they kind of prove that it can be done.

*Maybe faded jeans would work if the boots had a little more wear.

 

[bluemartinez]

I have a few pairs of tall boots that I wear with business suits. Only one pair is actually a true riding boot. The others are tall dress boots designed to look like riding boots. The two above are both by Gucci.

I only wear them UNDER my trouser legs when it comes to work.

Someone asked why one would wear such boots. The simple answer is because they look good and feel great. Furthermore, my wife thinks they're incredibly SEXY!

What is this exact style of the boot called? I myself was also inspired by a Berluti ad I saw with Jeremy Irons and I thought the boots looked great! I just think Berluti is overpriced (and the quality is probably watered down considering LVMH owns them now). So I would love to know what the exact style of the boot is called

 

[dieworkwear]

What is this exact style of the boot called? I myself was also inspired by a Berluti ad I saw with Jeremy Irons and I thought the boots looked great! I just think Berluti is overpriced (and the quality is probably watered down considering LVMH owns them now). So I would love to know what the exact style of the boot is called

that berluti is more likely a side zip boot

 

[bluemartinez]

that berluti is more likely a side zip boot

Thanks for your response. Is there a particular name for this style of side zip boot? I’ve noticed their much higher than many side zip boots I’ve seen.