Ariat Men's Rambler Phoenix Western Boot

I think the reason a lot of boots get sent back is because people don't know how to break them in and fit them to their feet. Don't expect boots to be super comfortable right out of the box. I've worn cowboy boots all my life and I always break them in well before I even wear them all day for the first time. This process involves oiling them down several times and putting them on and taking them off several times in the process. It's easy to do. First, put them on and check the fit right out of the box. If they feel a little tight, and are a bit hard to put on, that's OK. But, they shouldn't be so tight they hurt your feet or you can't get them on. If they are, they are too small. Send them back. Next, use a good leather conditioner with a high concentration of oils to soften up the leather and allow it to stretch and mold to your feet. I'm sure many people have their favorites, but I like to use Weiman's spray leather conditioner and cleaner. This contains nut oils and boot leather seems to really drink this stuff up. Liberally spray the boots down good with this stuff and rub it in with your hands/fingers. Make sure you really work this stuff into the seams that hold the boots together. Let the boots stand for a few minutes to let the Weiman's soak in and put them on and walk around for a bit. Take the boots off and repeat the spray and wear process two or three more times. I promise you, as you do this, you will feel the boots start to loosen up, soften up, and mold to your feet. You will find that where these boots once felt tight, they have stretched a good one-half size and are starting to fit your feet really well. This whole break-in process shouldn't take more than a few hours. Don't try to wear them all day until you get them feeling really good on your feet. You don't want to get turned off by them starting to hurt or cause a blister. Repeat the treating process as many times as you need to. When you get them right, they will feel really good. Once you are able to wear them all day, treat them with the leather conditioner once a week more for about a month. Before long, they will feel better on your feet than your best tennis shoes. I have used this method on every pair of boots I have ever owned, and it works. And, it worked great on this inexpensive pair of Ariat boots. And, these are now comfortable boots, even though they have no fancy cushioned lining. The leather conditioner has darkened their color, but they still look good. We'll see how long they last.

I really love these boots, beautiful craftsmanship, built solid, built to last. It really helps to KNOW your shoe size, not what you think your size is... get your foot measured and know for sure. I read a lot of comments about ordering a size smaller or size larger. I first ordered a pair a little smaller, and guess what they were a little smaller, I exchanged for my correct foot size which is 12 2EE (what I normally wear) and they fit perfect on my good foot, and I had to do a little stretching on my left foot boot due to an accident I had several years ago that actually prevented me from wearing boots again. Was too painful to break in boots, so I hadn't wore boots for almost 20 years because of it. Well I decided to take a chance on Ariat boots, and I'm glad I did. Once I stretched my instep a little more so I could get my left foot into the boot comfortably, they fit like a glove, and I don't anticipate any break in pain with these boots. This will be the first pair of many more Ariat Boots to come in the future. FYI... I didn't order any fancy boot stretchers, I just used warm water on the boot in the area where it needed to be stretched and stuffed a Mason Jar in the area, and pressed rags with a solid peace of stick into the Instep area until the insteps started to stretch where I needed it to. Let it sit over night, and checked the fit, repeat process until desired stretch. Worked like a charm for me.

Just gottem . Broken in. Excellent boot very comfortable. Absolutely no complaints

Typical good Ariat fit and construction. The stitching pattern is unique and looks great. Just want to let people know the color is much darker brown than shown ... I understand there will be variations, but this is quite noticeable. The color is more of a dark chocolate brown than a medium brown. Otherwise they are great and hopefully last a long time.

Comfort fits perfectly

These are amazing boot and look good

I love the intricate design of the Phoenix, several people have commented on how nice they look...this is actually my second pair of the exact same boots. The first pair the soles wore out after about 2 1/2 years and I could have had them re-soled but honestly they are priced so well that it was just as cost affective to order a new pair and way more convenient. They fit very well and are super comfortable, they come with great insoles with gel cushions at the ball of the foot.

The boots are excellent. They have a snug fit that breaks in to the shape of your foot extremely well. The soles are very comfortable, and the square toe provides excellent comfort without cramping my toes. The stick work on the boot is very nice looking - flashy, but understated. I would not hesitate to wear these boots to work, out dancing, or even to a dressier occasion (when well cleaned of course). The only thing that I do not love are the wrinkles that form and show in the leather. Granted, some wrinkles are to be expected, but they seem to show strongly. Perhaps some leather conditioner would help improve the look and darken up the creases as the boots continue to wear in.