In-Depth Review of the Ariat Womens Terrain Taupe 7.5 Hiking Boots

Great boots. I do a LOT of gardening and landscape work. There was no break-in time with these boots. The first day I wore them for 5+ hours and at the end of the day my feet felt great and were kept warm and dry. These boots are heavy duty enough to do what work boots should be built to do, but light weight enough to work in all day. I have had my boots for 2 months and have put over 100 hours on them. They're still super cute - dirty but cute, and have held up GREAT. Before writing this review I checked them over completely to see if I could find anything coming undone, loose, or anything that could be a potential issue. I found nothing. Comfort and arch support are great. I do a lot of kneeling, squatting, bending, and walking, walking, walking. These boots have to move differently for each activity and they do flawlessly. Truly, couldn't be happier

This is my second pair. They are extremely comfortable and offer great support. My first pair lasted for a long time and a great deal of hiking in the Rockies. I would recommend these to anyone who wants a great pair of boots.

This is a nice little boot. I have trouble finding footwear - partly because I am very particular about what I want in a shoe, and partly because I have some pretty serious orthopedic issues that make it hard to find shoes that really work for me. These popped up in a "suggested" sidebar post in my social media one day, and I thought "why not? I like my Ariat cowboy boots, so I'll give them a try." That they were on a good sale was a bonus. Anyway, regardless of how I came to own them, let me tell you about the boots.1) They are Ariat quality (and that's a good thing). Everything seems to be very well-made so far (I've only had them a few months). The sole is well-attached, the lace grommets are solid with no rough edges, and the overall construction is pleasing.2) They look good. Let's face it, that's a factor. Some boots look like floppy clown shoes. Some look like they really wanted to be sneakers. These boots do neither. They are hiking boots with understated style.3) They are lightweight and don't have any extra bulk. It seems like a lot of hikers are getting the "padded" treatment, leaving you with an odd, indescribable feeling... something between being wrapped in balloons and wearing a shoe box instead of an actual shoe. Not so with these Ariats. They are streamlined without being pointy, and close without being tight.4) Along the same line, these Ariats seem to breathe much better than the last pair of "other" boots I purchased, even though those were labelled "breathable fabric" and these are honest leather.5) If I had to make a complaint, it would be about the insole, which doesn't seem to offer much support. That said, they do offer much more support than most hikers I have tried lately, and a good deal of that problem is probably due to my freak-feet and their issues. It was a problem easily fixed by swapping out the insole for a custom orthotic with the arch support I need.There you have it. I would recommend these boots to anyone who needs a solid, dependable hiker. Yes, they are a little more expensive (so keep an eye out for sales), but they seem to be built to last.

The quality is great, the comfort of the footbed is good. Took one star off because you can really feel the "ledge" where the heel is, I know that heel is there so we can wear them riding, but it takes some getting used to the feel of it in the boot, and it really should not be so noticable inside the boot.One note that I did not take stars off for is the sizing is odd. I strongly recommend you go try these on somewhere before you buy them. They are unlike other Ariats in their sizing.

Typically a size 8(38 Euro), slightly wide feet(C) and extremely high arches, compounded by older age and a certain abuse of my feet and knees in youth, can make shoe/boot purchases "challenging". These are the perfect boots to trudge forward in these "sunset" years as an outdoorsy person, (forced to slow down a bit sadly) but getting the fit right has provided the usual sorts of challenges of buying any boot: Will my feet swell and how much? Thin or thick socks? Will the trusty Green Superfeet insoles remedy any problems? The size 8's arrived and were too long in the toe area; width fine; heels were slipping however. So, ordered the 7 1/2 and eagerly awaited their arrival. Length is good, with a bit of extra toe room; however, the arch support in the smaller boots' insoles weren't properly aligned with my feet. Removed Ariat insoles carefully, and inserted the trusty Green Superfeet insoles. Heel still slipped; arch support was a bit "off". Fiddled and fussed for an hour(all inside, both shoes look brand new btw) and almost was going to start over and go through the entire process again with Keen Targhees (a brief reality check reminded me that those long haul hikes are probably just a memory...and I really, really wanted leather...)Decided to return the 7 1/2s and work with thick socks and the size 8's. (PS: Before a multi week LONG walk, I went through the same process with the Targhee I, and chose the smaller size. Big mistake. Think big! Much pain in the smaller Targhees after a year of break-in and a 15 mile haul on Day 1 of a three week trail) Will report back in a year and let you know how the Ariat choice worked out. (I have an irrational trust in Ariats at times, and can only hope I chose wisely this time) I chose the larger size, 8 over 7 1/2. When you critique, I think most people want size details. Hope this helped.