Who know's riding boots?

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Contentmentfarm

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Who know\'s riding boots?

I think this pair of riding boots dates to the 1930's. I know that they can be hard to date but can anyone here confirm that? Also, there is a name impressed on the bottom that looks like Hicklich, does anyone know the maker or something similar? I think they are European. Any help will be much appreciated!

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Oooo, those are NICE!

The touble with riding boots is that they STILL look the same today! The style didn't really change.

They are longer in the leg than earlier boots, you are starting to see the boot shafts become longer on the outside than straight up (if that makes sense) which later would evolve into the ULTRA high ousided boots that the hunter/jumper riders wear today (except in England where we are living in a time warp!).

The soles look right for the 1930's but the shape and cut of the shafts look more closer towards our own date, perhaps 1950's- 1960's. It's hard to say though as most of the time these things would have been custom made. I would put it safely within a date range of 1930 to 1950's. Sorry I couldn't be more specific! :)

Lei
 
Forgot to say that the name at the bottom was probably the original owner's name. I've had vintage riding boots before that have had the name stamped onto the bottom arch as well.
 
I agree with Lei. Earlier shafts would have been straight across rather than higher on the outside, but yours are not as high on the outside of the leg as we wore in, say, the latter 60s into the 70s. I am thinking more toward the latter part of Lei's date range, I'm thinking 50s, but only an impression rather than any hard fact....
 
I don't know how old your boots are but I do know a bit about equestrian boots. They are hard to date and someone with more knowledge about sole construction might be better at dating.

Riding boots come (currently) in dress boots and field boots. Dress boots would have a cut that is straighter and field boots have what is known as Spanish Cut - which is what is described above. The newer boots almost always have rubber soles, older boots have leather soles. Also different colored leather is/was in during different times. Now Dress boots like you have would typically be found in black, the same with field boots.

Dress boots are worn for dressage & fox hunting. Some eventers wear them. Field boots - which have laces - are worn for hunter/Jumper.
 
The spanish cuts and all the other high cut outside variations are more of a modern thing that when these boots were made. Riders today (since the 70's starting with the h/j riders) like the VERY high boots, even the dressage riders started to follow these ultra high boot trend with dress boots in the 80's.

You can still get riding boots, both field and dress boots with the straight cuts here in the UK as the riders here (except me!) like 'em that way. The high cut style along with puke green breeches haven't really caught on here (LOL, I'm probably the only one here that wears them by that's probably the Canadian h/j rider in me :D)

Not all new field boots have rubber soles though, Vogels almost always have rubber but Dehner makes them with leather. I'm not sure what Ariat do but I'm going to get me some when I go to Montreal this summer as they are WAY too expensive here when you can get them.
My field boots were made in Italy and they have leather too. Alot of English makes use leather too.

The soles do look older which is why I gave an earliest date of 30's as they look in construction to other antique and vintage boots I've had. It's the cut of the shafts though which makes me think they may be closer to our date of 50's/ 60's though. Could be early 70's too if someone didn't like the "new fangled" high cut styles which started to take over in the late 70's.

Lei
 
"The high cut style along with puke green breeches haven't really caught on here"


Hehe, my daughter typically wears those lovely puke green breeches but this year, with Kingsland (whom I believe is UK based) being a favorite equestrian apparel maker of hers, she has progressed and has a navy blue pair AND a lovely brown pair and they have become popular in the Jumper arenas - puke green is still popular amongst the hunters and equitation riders though.

OT and a little taking over but aren't they lovely:

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Ooo nice! I want some! I wish rust would come back in style for breeches too. I had a pair in the early 90's and wish I still had them.
 
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