Some of you may remember my first sneak peek at the new Majyk Equipe boot line from my AETA posts a few months ago. I’ve been a fan of ME since I got my first pair of their XC boots a couple years ago – their stuff is always so well designed and reasonably priced. From the moment I first laid eyes on their new leather boots, I was  dying to get my hands on them.

I’ve had lots of open fronts over the years, especially having shown in the jumpers. From Eskadron to Equifit and a lot of things in between, I’ve tried many different styles. What I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error is that the two things I love most are stud closures and removable linings. But the thing I require for the horse’s sake (and why I no longer own most of them) is a lightweight, breathable liner. I really don’t like memory foam or thick neoprene that traps heat against the leg. So when I saw the leather Majyk Equipe’s on display at AETA and got to see and feel the liner, I knew I had to try them.

First of all, the boots are leather. Real, delicious, genuine, fantastic-smelling leather. No ‘pleather’ or ‘leather substitute’ (PVC) with these boots! They’re made from first grade Argentinian leather – the kind used in polo equipment and saddles. It was chosen specifically for it’s deep color and ability to stand up to a lot of wear and tear.  The leather is vegetable (not chemical) tanned all the way through – it’s rugged and heavy duty while still looking really classic and elegant.

Aside from the gorgeous leather, the liner in these boots is what really sold them for me. Yes they’re pretty, but they’re also really functional. First, the liner is removable (and they use actual Velcro-brand velcro, the good stuff) so you can easily take them out for cleaning and pop them back in. But the best part is that they’re made from a perforated heavy duty foam, which makes them super lightweight and breathable. The foam is the same family as the material used in their tendon boots, but it has an additional layer of impact protection built in. This helps dissipate the force and concussion should the boot take a hard hit. The foam is also hypo allergenic and has a rebound memory so that it gradually shapes to your horse’s leg over repeated uses. And, unlike memory foam or neoprene, it won’t retain heat and doesn’t provide a viable environment for bacteria to grow.

What makes these boots most attractive, IMO, is the price. While you’re looking at easily $300-400 for a full set of most of the other high end boots, and more like $500-600 for real leather ones, these ring in at only $160 for the fronts and $117 for the backs (or less, if you follow Riding Warehouse on facebook and use their FB10 code for 10% off. *HINT*). So potentially you’re looking at only $250 total for a full set of real leather boots with removable liners. Great design plus great price – the very rare double whammy.

While I love my stud closure version of the boots (because I’m lazy), they also make a really pretty brown version with buckle closures, if you’re more old school. All the same features, just buckles and brown leather instead of studs and black leather. Another really classic looking boot but with all the awesome modern technology.

I’ve been using my boots for a little while now and really love them. They’ve broken in nicely and started molding to Henry’s legs. The elastic is thick and heavy duty, everything is very well-stitched, and they really do seem like they’re built to last. They also stay in place, definitely seem to breathe well, and Henry appears to find them comfortable. It can be a little bit tricky to find open fronts that don’t move around on his front legs because of how crooked-legged he is (if the boot is sitting correctly on his leg it’s not actually pointing straight forward, it looks a little off to the side because of his deviation, so some boots have a tendency to spin on him) but these have stayed in place perfectly. I have no complaints! When they get dirty I wipe them off with a rag, slap on a little Belvoir, and they look new again. They really are super beautiful and “check all my boxes” for what I’m looking for in a set of boots. Definitely two thumbs up… I can’t find anything to NOT like.