The
Vader Ranger
The boots I bought are Rhinegold Olympics, full leather and semi-dressage. They make very good Vader boots. They go up to size 11, with a wide-calf, though this may not be big enough for some. I'm naturally a size nine, but bought them in size 11 - firstly, to accomodate the in-sole elevation, but also because it just wouldn't be right if Vader wore size nines!
I visited a few riding shops up to twenty miles away (I live nearby rural areas), some of which were situated alongside fields of horses, much to the delight of my ten year old sister. These visits helped because I could physically hold several boots and examine their catalogues. These Rhinegolds looked good - featureless, apart from a small 'R' on one side (covered by the Shin Guards), round-toed, with a zip up the back. A back zip is useful because it won't affect the shin guards, they're easy to pull on and off, and it helped the cobbler fit the in-sole. They were also available in size 11 (not all are), but none of the shops had them that big. My size 11s came from the now retired Equus Direct Ltd. Amazingly enough, their Rhinegold Olympics were on sale at the time, snapped up for a mere £56!
It was meant to be.
I'll detail the modifications to these boots in the section "Under the Suit", but as a part of the modification process I needed to make them far more comfortable. I had to change where the leather was folding to stop it attacking the back of my heels. I discovered the following excellent information from a post made in 1996 in a Google Group named rec.equestrian. This technique may be of use, whether or not boot mods are required.
Thank you Robin!
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