Since last Winter, I’ve been on the hunt for a good pair of ropers. I have a few pairs of cowboy boots, but I find myself wearing them less and less. Not sure why, but it is what it is. Ropers, however, are boots that I wear quite a bit. I have an old pair of Red Wing 1178s that I wear a bunch, but they are seriously sh!t kickers that that I clean with a hose.
I came across these Ariat Clanton Western Boots a few weeks ago. It was a ‘jackpot’ moment. Here’s what I was looking for:
Brown leather, bison or chromexcel preferred (nothing shiny)
Roper
Leather sole
Round toe
Sturdy build, but not ‘bulky’
Classic look – something I can wear to a dove hunt or to a date at the club
Checks across the board, and at under $300/pair, it was a no brainer. Out of the box, it’s obvious that these are serious boots. The ‘Bench Made’ line from Ariat is an elevated leather and construction, and it’s obvious. The fit of these is like most boots – 1/2 size up from your loafers I wear a 9D in Alden and a 9.5D in these fit perfectly. From the Ariat website:
- Hardy American bison leather
- Removable All Day Cushioning insole with genuine vegetable tanned, anti-odor leather sock liner that molds to your foot
- Cork filled forefoot for added comfort and cushioning
- Resoleable 11-iron butyl leather sole is supremely durable
- Resolable stacked leather heel
- Channeled Goodyear leather welt construction
- Four-row stitch pattern
- Bench Made leathers are hand selected for their unique character and beauty, no two pair are identical
So far I’ve been very happy with the boots. I’ll report back after they have a few miles on them. For now, here are some pictures:
These look pretty good. A lot of ariats these days dont hold up like they used to. I hate that redwing discontinued the 1178, that is one of my all time favorite boots! Id love a pair of Chisos no.6 ropers but they’re a little spendy. I have heard nothing but great things about their quality though.
Very nice boots. How would you say they compare to Tecovas?
Tecovas are from Texas and emphasize on dress boots. Ariat is close to it and is famous for working Cowboy boots.
Lucchese has some really nice roper boots as well!
Do you have any ropers in a 9.5 or 10 narrow?
I love my Ariat Heritage. I have 3 pairs!
I just got a new pair of Ariats!!