Everything Horse magazine November 2015 | Page 28

The Spanish Riding Boot Company MD, Emma Snailham BOOTIFUL BOOTS! Looking to purchase a new pair of boots this season? The Spanish Riding Boot Company offer practical boots with serious fashion styling, so who better to ask, than their MD Emma Snailham for her top tips… A lways consider just how waterproof you need your new boots to be: Wellington boot waterproof or just water resistant waxed finish and a little more stylish? If it’s the latter then our Spanish Riding Boots Classic could be good seasonal choice. You may be purchasing them for fashion and in which case something like a suede boot would work well for you but don’t forget to treat the suede with a protector and I always check the weather forecast before venturing out in my own beautiful fawn suede boots!! You should also consider whether you want to opt for short or long boots. Long boots are great for teaming with skirts or shorts in the winter, whereas short boots work brilliantly with skinny jeans or this season’s ‘70s flare but aren’t truly forgiving on bare legs for summer! If you are buying boots with practicality in mind, then choosing between a finer leather sole or a grippier chunky tread sole is key and what would suit the terrain is also important! Flat rubber soles are ideal if you have a gravel driveway, as the stones will keep getting stuck between the tread! 28 Choosing a colour can be tricky especially if like our brand of footwear, there are so many gorgeous colours to choose from! If your clothing and footwear is just a sea of Black and you are looking for fashion as oppose to just function, then going for a ‘pop’ of bright colour could be an option! When buying your boots, consider what kind of socks will you be wearing with them. Thin socks, long socks, shooting socks, they all make a difference to the fit of your boot.  If you have chosen your style, what about the fit. Take all the advice you can on the website especially when buying online, as you want to get the size right the first time, eliminating the trip to the post office! Our boots come up big and most ladies go down a 1 to 1.5 sizes, so always check out the size chart with the calf measurements to see if you are a standard or wide fit or if neither of those option work for you maybe you need made to measure. If you need advice always ring or email the company for help.  Once you’ve bought your gorgeous news boots, make sure you follow the manufacturers aftercare advice. Do you need to ‘winter proof ’ the leather or suede? A suede rubber and brush is also a handy piece of kit for suede boots and some internal shapers will increase the life and looks of your fabulous new boots! www.thespanishbootcompany.co.uk Everything Horse Magazine • Issue 26• November 2015