Product Review: Ovation Flex Field Boot

Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping… especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Which is why I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to try out products, so that I may share my many adventures with all of you! Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope that you simply have fun and find entertainment while reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences might help give you factors to consider when you are on your own quest for new gear!

Button with abbreviated Ovation logo at top of Flex Field Boot Button with abbreviated Ovation logo at top of Flex Field Boot

Shopping for new boots can be a daunting task–especially when you are shopping on a budget. Riding boots are one of those things that take time to mold exactly to your feet; and you’ve heard me talk before about how much I despair when it is time to get a new pair. Historically, I usually would drag out the process of acquiring a new pair of boots for as long as I possibly could; firstly, because it was always hard to say goodbye to my comfortable, well worn pair of old boots (even though the zipper maybe kept getting stuck). But also because buying a new pair of boots is an investment.

I still remember how big of a deal it was for me when I got my first ‘real’ pair of riding boots–it was a super exciting event for me. I wore those boots. And wore them. And wore them some more. Basically, I wore the heck out of those boots. But I also made sure to take really good care of them, and cleaned them after Every. Single. Ride. Partially because I always liked to have shiny and clean looking boots. And partially because those boots were an investment; I only had that one pair, and I wanted to make sure to try to do everything that I could to keep them in good working order.

Ovation Flex Field Boots--can you spot the stretch panel on the side?

Ovation Flex Field Boots–can you spot the stretch panel on the side?

As someone who loves trying out different riding gear and apparel, I’m always excited to be able to try out something new and different to me! And sometimes, I get a little too excited. Hazard of this type of gig, I suppose. Anyway, I recently had the chance to try out the Ovation Flex Field Boot from ERS-Eventing. When I first opened the box to pulled out the boots, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they both come in their own individual bags, which kept them from bumping into each other and getting marked up in the box. I then pulled each boot out of it’s own bag (taking a whiff of the nice smell of leather all the while–I say this time and time again, but I really do just love the smell of leather!), and took a good look at them.

The boots certainly have an attractive look to them. When I picked them up, I liked that the leather was mostly smooth to the touch, yet I could still feel the grain of the leather. And have I mentioned the nice leather smell yet? They have a zipper going up the rear, and have a button (with a shortened version of the Ovation logo on it) that crosses over the zipper at the top of the boot, and snaps shut. The leather itself is not overly stiff, and it has a flexible feel to it–but at the same time, the leather has enough substance to it, that the boots are still able to stand up on their own, without any additional support from boot trees. The ankle itself is also flexible, and it allowed me to wear the Ovation Flex Boots to ride in right out of the box (which is a huge plus for me; I always shy away from the uncomfortable break-in time of tall boots). The boots also feature spur rests, and they have an attractive looking stitching detail that goes across the toe.

When I pulled the boots on and zipped them up, they had a comfortable feel to them. The leather that lines the inside of the boots is very smooth, and actually soft to the touch. It’s kindof ashamed to wear breeches and tall boot socks when the lining feels so nice though! Right after pulling the zipper up, I also noticed the stretch panels that go down the boot, alongside of the zipper – they allow for an even stretch, so that the boot can fit nicely along the leg. It’s no surprise that at 5’9″, that I take my boots in ‘tall’ height; so this was certainly the case with the Ovation Flex boots as well! I did notice that even in the ‘tall’ height, the Ovation boots are just a smidgen shorter in height than some of the other tall boots that I have worn.

Ovation Flex Field Boot profile view - in the saddle

Ovation Flex Field Boot profile view – in the saddle

Of course, when trying out new riding gear, I can never wait to hop into the saddle so that it can really show me what it can do. In this case, the Ovation Flex boots lived up to their name for me. I couldn’t help but notice that while I rode, the entire boot felt comfortable–like it actually flexed and moved along with my leg. The ankle by itself offered me the flexibility to MOVE while I rode. But, the rest of the boot felt nice as well; the leather felt like it had some give and ability to move to it. So, I didn’t get the feeling that I needed to spend time riding in the boots, in order to get them to soften. Basically, the name just works; because from my perspective, I think that if I could only pick one word to describe these boots, I would have to pick ‘flexible’.

While the Ovation Flex Field Boots from ERS-Eventing may not be the fanciest, or the most expensive boots on the market, they provided me with both comfort and function in the saddle. The boots are humble, because they provided my feet with a good, quality feeling, while being able to boast a modest price tag. The Ovation Flex Field boots have a retail price of $249.95. So while there is no supremely lux leather, a high-end brand name, or even a shocking price tag to go along with the Ovation Flex Field Boots–from my perspective, they offered a comfortable ride, nice function, and a price tag that can fit into a budget!

Go Flexible & Affordable Boots.  Go Ovation.  Go Eventing.

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