Ariat Womens Anthem Waterproof Western Boot Distressed Brown 8.5 Wide Review

I read every review on multiple websites and finally decided to buy these Ariat boots. I've never worn cow-women boots before, but I learned a lot from the comments, and boy were they right. I have normal to somewhat high arches and struggled getting the right boot on; the left was even more difficult for me. I have a slight difference between my two feet, enough to be noticed in these boots. Once they were on my first thought was that they're way the heck too snug, but I was wearing medium weight socks and decided to swap them out for a lighter running sock. Don't laugh, but I also trimmed my obnoxiously long toenails. It's my worst chore ever, poor toes. It was easier getting the boots on and once my feet were inside I kind of just stood there trying to decide if there's any hope these boots are going to stretch and become comfortable. As I started to walk around and bend down and do ninja warrior stuff in them, I was gobsmacked that they were already beginning to loosen and comfort mold to my feet. Some more walking and bending and Jedi moves and I was suddenly in heaven. So right there and then I decided I'm keeping these puppies and taking them outside for some proper work. I spent three hours of hard labor on my property in the pouring rain and was blissed out. I wear trim jeans, not bootcut, and they slid right into the boots without having to adjust them, which was great. My feet were dry as kindling and the comfort was crazy. I have a difficult time finding comfortable shoes, so I was certain my first pair of cow-person boots were going to be a fail for me, but nope. They are fantastic. The traction is excellent. We have slippery red clay for our soil and I stuck to it like glue. The design is really cute, and you don't swim in them. There's enough room for your jeans, and if you have wider calves these should be a good fit for you. As for size, I'm a 7.5 to an 8 depending on the shoe. I wear a 38 in Birkenstocks and don't have a size reference from anything else because I live in my Birks. I ordered an 8 and definitely couldn't do half size smaller. A half size larger and the inevitable stretching and breaking in that started happening straight out the gate would make them way too loose. The remedy would be thick socks, but I don't like thick socks, and I can't stand hot feet. So this turned out to be the perfect size. The composite toes are rock solid. Don't expect to be able to find your toes through them, so if you want to gauge how close your toes are to the ends of the boots, take off your socks and then put the boots back on with bare feet. It's a good way to get a feel for how much room you have in there to spare. My toes felt crammed enough at first that I didn't see how these could possibly work, but I'm so glad I didn't give up on them. A little bit of fiddling and then discovering how quickly they stretch and custom form to my feet and they are winners!! Ladies, this is just Day One for me and I'm smitten as a kitten with these boots. One thing I had in mind in choosing these boots was rattlesnakes. They can bite through leather. That's one reason I like the composite toe, but overall I think these are thick and durable enough to give me some good protection. The running socks will be replaced with longer boot socks. Snakes laugh at socks; they do nothing to help, but jeans do indeed help. Honestly it's best to wear your jeans over the boots. Looser fitting jeans can help keep the snake away from your skin. Anyhoo, I hope this review helps someone. One suggestion I saw is to order half a size down and then choose the wide version. My bare feet told me there's no way they'll tolerate down sizing, and going wide will result in an oversized boot once you start wearing them and they break in. Okay, well there you go. Get these boots!

These boots are well made. They are comfortable and look real nice.I had to return them only because I needed smooth soled boots for riding.

The hardest part of buying this brand of boot is that they look big on the outside, but you have to remember how they feel on the inside. So yes, they look longer than other boots in the foot, probably because of the way the soles are built. Nevertheless, I find that ordering my normal size works best. I have high arches so sometimes I'll order a half size up. If. you have high arches you will need the additional half size with these. They are good solid walking through the mud with the dog boots. I live in the wetlands and it is always gooey, muddy here. They keep my feet dry and warm on the daily.

Fabulous Boots- super comfy - lightweight - great support - love that they’re waterproof. They are really good looking boots too. I will ride in them later today to see how they are in stirrups. I got them out of the box and wore them for 2 hrs doing barn chores.

I love these boots and didn't want to wear them to the barn right away, cause I didn't want them to get dirty! Haha. Love the square toe and the fact that theses are waterproof. I have a regular(not waterprooof) pair of venteks and they have held up very well. I wear an 8.5 snd these fit me as expected. Didn't take long to break them in, so my feet didn't hurt foe very long.

I love Ariat boots but there is something odd about their cowboy boots, their cowboy boots seem narrow around the ankle and it is a struggle to get my foot all the way into the boot. Once I had the boots on and wore them around the ranch, they were fantastic but there is definitely no sliding into them. I have small ankles and wear thinner socks so I can't figure out why it's a struggle getting my feet into the boots...but I do love them, they look great on and are so comfortable once you're walking around in them. If I could just slide my feet into the boots without a lot of tugging or using a shoehorn, I would give it 5 stars.

Ariat boots are always the most comfy and best fit for me - love that these are waterproof and have a rugged sole for walking and riding

These boots are my most favorite Ariat boots. I have 2 pairs and this is the third.•The grip on these suckers are amazing and they look so beautiful even for work boots! •They are definitely rider worthy. Just be sure to hit it with some boot juice for that added waterproof protection!•about an hour for total break in and they mold to your foot so well.