The Ariat Vaquera: Hello, Gorgeous!

We asked our marketing director, Emily Luciano, to review the new Vaquera boot from Ariat. Luciano is  an accomplished horsewoman. She’s competed in several Extreme Mustang Makeovers and has trained for years with her dad, Jim Thomas, a FullSizeRendernational clinician. The Vaqueras have a 13 inch shaft, a square toe, a roper heel, and extensive detailing. They retail for $259.

I have to say that when Ariat said that I could review the Vaquera, I was pretty excited. Stoked, actually. It was time for me to get a new pair public-worthy boots anyway. I think as horse women (you know what I mean by that), we have our feeding boots, our mucking boots, our fence-fixin’ boots and our riding boots. Though we might wear any of these boots to the feed store, we probably won’t be stepping out on a Saturday night in them. My beloved full-quill ostrich Justins have filled this role for the past seven years, but it’s time they get resoled again. Enter the Vaquera.

IMG_5467I’d be lying if I said I didn’t run across the yard to grab the precious Ariat box right out of the UPS driver’s hands upon delivery. I was like a kid on Christmas morning! Upon opening the box, I was hit with that delicious smell of new leather. Once I peeled back the paper, I was ecstatic with the amount of detail which the photos online don’t quite capture. The stitching on the toe is more detailed than it looks online, and the shaft of the boot is actually a deep purple color. Pair that with the high quality, butter-like leather and you’ve got a striking pair of boots.

I was pleased to find that the Vaquera runs true-to-size. I ordered a size 8B, which is what I wear in all other Ariats. Like any leather-soled boots, they took a little bit of wearing to get comfortable. This was no IMG_5477biggie, as I literally wanted to wear them EVERYWHERE once I received them. And, boy, have I gotten compliments. The nurse at the doctor’s office even left the room to pull in another nurse to check out my boots.

Within a month, these boots have become an irreplaceable piece of my wardrobe. They’ve taken me on date nights with the hubby, to the feed store, grocery store, doctor’s office, livestock auction, rodeo, and horse show. And we’re just getting started! If you’re looking for a high quality pair of boots to add to your collection, definitely check these out.

Check out our review of Ariat’s Monaco Zip Paddock Boot.

Posted in Gear, Reviews and Links and tagged , .

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *