Review: Ovation Kenna Country Boots

The Kennas have arrived!

I will put up a more detailed review as I wear them more, but here are some initial photos and thoughts from my first weekend rocking them.

Both photos show left, without Lederbalsam, right, with. 

1. I LOVE the color. The chestnut leather with the back suede is very stylish, and while they are still a country boot and have a tough sole and functional foot, I will not hesitate to wear them to work or around town. Some buyers have complained about the lack of finesse in the foot, but if you're into country boots, they look like, well, country boots.

Again, Before and after Passier Lederbalasm. 

2. The chestnut leather on my boots came a bit distressed, but is soft and good quality. The foot is stiffer and took about 2 hours of walking and wearing to get a crease on the top of the foot. Once the crease happened, however, they were much more comfortable. I expect that they will continue to break in, and will do so beautifully.

The boots have a small brass detail on the outside and the OV insignia on the outside of both heels. There is a leather stripe down the back, as well, which should help the boots stay rigid and not collapse too much at the ankle. The chestnut leather, as you can see, has a definite patina but the whole look is very classy. 

3. So far, these boots are super easy to wear. They do move a bit on my heels but the foot bed is narrower feeling than my Dublins. However, my mom, who struggles to get into her mid-height Dublin River Boots, found these boots easy to get into (she has an ankle that was broken in the past, and getting into her Dubs appears to take effort similar to child birth sometimes...) and promptly attempted to steal them from me. For myself, I might consider a heel lift or orthotic of some kind to cup my heel better, but that thought only formed after several hours of Christmas shopping at the mall. The boots also fit my calves easily and have an awesome plaid interior that is super cute.

More review-ness will come as I've worn them more!

A.

Review: Ariat Brossard Tall Boot

These boots are the best on the market, hands down.

Follow up - Almost 1 year later: I popped these boots on for a chilly morning clinic about a month ago, where many of these photos came from. After riding in my Ariat Breeze Half chaps and Mountain Horse show boots all spring and summer, these boots felt a little lose in the calf. I probably have also lost some weight, and was wearing a few less layers than usual. The ankle is also a bit of a shock after being in a tight ankled boot for so long, but they were comfortable. I will probably want to use some saddle tight especially on my smooth jumping saddle (pictured) but again, I think with some muscle increase (I know I've lost muscle in my lower leg... it swings like crazy all of the sudden) I'll be tighter in the tack. 

Insulation: Thinsulate is the best you can buy - not too warm that your foot will sweat, but has kept my frostbitten-in-the-past toes warm in Minnesota's Artic Vortex -20+ degrees with windchill cold with wool socks and a toe warmer. In warmer areas, I anticipate these will be warm without being too warm. They are insulated all the way up the leg.

Fit: Foot is spacious - I wear a 9 in the Heritage Paddocks and a 9.5 in these boots. My older pair of Ariat winter boots (10 years old and still kicking - not water proof above the ankle but still great boots) are the same foot size and I found the toe to be more spacious in these, which I like. I like being able to move my toes and the space provides more area for the heat to build up. I wear mine with one or two layers of socks - smartwool alone or with a coolmax liner sock, and have been using toe warmers. I wear a M (14 1/2 - 15 1/2) in the Ariat Breeze half chaps and these boots were snug on first zipping but are comfortable and stay up nicely. They do seem to have stretched slightly so there may be some leeway.

Height: These boots are shorter than my usual taste in tall boots but have not caught on my saddle flaps in short, medium or dressage length stirrups. The heel does seem slightly higher than usual for boots, but they are not uncomfortable.

Materials, Aesthetics: The materials are quality and should last for a long time. I like that they are suede and leather, not synthetic, which has cracked on me in the past. The leather foot is water proof and there is a membrane in the foot which crosses the zipper around the ankle - sometimes the zipper catches here, but usually I just change the angle (put my heel down) and the zipper glides smoothly. The ankle is flexible and I am able to wear spurs and use them with finesse because I can feel and move my ankles. Inside calf is grey suede, which I believe I will rub smooth in the future but don't foresee it degrading or developing holes. Some of the nylon parts (outside of ankle, top) is a slightly purple hued grey, but the boots are not PURPLE as they look in some pictures. Zipper is quality and doesn't catch except sometimes around the ankle membrane, which is easily resolved. These boots are waterproof but I wish the zipper was wholly waterproof as I've stepped in some deep drifts and felt a bit damp because the snow was above the waterproof membrane.

             

I did think they looked a bit clunky on others, but love them as they are warm and not clompy/heavy/oppressive to wear on the ground or in the tack. The round toe still allows for a narrow profile and I have never had concerns that these boots will catch in my stirrups as other brands have. I was dragged in another brand of winter boots several years ago after they turned and wedged in my stirrup after a fall. I have never felt these boots get stuck or wedged, but still ride in break away stirrups in winter as a preventative. Comfortable on the ground and to ride in, I am recommending them to anyone who hates cold feet but wants to ride or work through the winter