Animo Riding Boots | A Beautiful Proposition

And so this year marks the year where Animo Italia seem to have really thrown themselves in the equestrian riding boot market. This year we can see at least 4 new ladies models of boots including a casual cross over boot as well as 2 new mens models but we will get onto that in a moment.

Lets talk about the new designs of these Animo Italia Riding Boots and the phenomenal quality of these new models. As many of our customers may know Animo first released boots a couple of years ago choosing to partner with established Italian boot maker De Niro, as we also know the whole thing just didn't quite gel the feedback we had on the boots wasn't as good as we had hoped for. I personally think the issue was this, Animo's design and style influence comes from one person, some might say a creative genius I would tend to agree.. when you start throwing other influences into what is essentially a one man machine I don't think it works well.

So the new range is made 100% by Animo Italia in house at their headquarters in sleepy Bassano Del Grappa, Italy and wow!! can you see the difference! I mean seriously these new boots are something else! The entire feel and general aesthetics of the boots has changed, they are in my opinion the closest you would come to perfection in a ready to wear riding boot right now. 

The Animo Riding Boots for Ladies consist of 4 tall boots, 1 paddock boot and 1 casual cross over. Respectively they are Animo ZOE, Animo ZAMI and Animo ZICO in the tall boots and Animo ZAMBIA in the paddock boot.

The new casual cross over boot for Ladies named Animo ZEIT come in 3 colours Blue, Brown or Black and are decorated with metal studs which flow around the contours of the boots and across the toes. These are a statement of beauty and I defy anyone not to fall in love with them at first sight.

The men are attended to with a Tall Boot and Ankle Boot, The Animo ZEPPELIN and the Animo ZEUS. The Zeppelin feels more masculine than the previous four ladies tall boots, which is as it should be I feel. Many boot makers are offering these so called unisex boots that can allegedly be worn by men and women alike you just need to buy a larger size. My question is simple, when was the last time you dated a guy whose feet looked like yours?? Men have different feet and by this I dont just mean bigger I mean generally bulkier, wider, taller.. I think you get my point. Well as far as I can see Animo seem to be the only ready to wear boot maker addressing this in the shape of the Mens Riding Boots ZEPPELIN and ZEUS.

The ZEPPELIN above looks like it belongs on the foot of a spartan warrior! Its chiseled and oozes testosterone, I have to say I love this boot!

If you are the type of rider who likes the combination of a short boot and chaps then Animo have answered this question to with the previously mentioned ZAMBIA for women and ZEUS for men. Lets take a look at these two and the chaps or gaiters whichever you prefer, you say tomato I say... etc etc..

The ZAMBIA Paddock Boot or Jodhpur Boot or Ankle Boot..again depending where you are in the world to me is reminiscent of a classic Italian sports car, it is sleek and low profiled, smooth, sexy and sublime. The line from the toe cap to the front of the sheen is uninterrupted and comforts the natural line of the ladies foot so well it's practically glove like. Combine these with the Animo ZELDA or Animo ZUNE half chap and you have just achieved absolute completion in riding footwear.

I'll come onto the half chaps in a minute, now lets take a look at the Mens short boots, the ZEUS.

As with the ZEPPELIN it is immediately apparent that you are looking at the mens version of the short boot and no longer looking at the ZAMBIA. While the incline from toe to shin is once again smooth and uninterrupted the line seems to move more steeply and with more aggression that with the ladies shoe, giving the shoe a slightly higher profile which is in my opinion as it should be with a mans shoe. The heel seems less apparent although this could be an illusion due to the nature of the incline from lower to upper shin. The boots are crafted in the same Italian calf skin as all of Animo Italia's riding boots they are soft and yet strong. The pairing of these with the classic Animo ZARA half chap is a marriage made in heaven. 

*Animo Zambia

The Animo Italia Half Chaps, Mini Chaps or even Gaitors as some call them are an absolute compliment to the boots, well obviously they would need to be wouldn't they?! Engineering chaps is a challenging and costly task, chaps are notoriously hard to make fit well and work in the right way, so many companies have released chaps and boot combinations but none to my knowledge have escaped problems with zippers and fit of the chaps, after several variants they are starting to get it right. For Animo this simply was not a problem, the solution and reason why Animo Italia produce the best possible product from the outset.. it is actually quite simple. Start right using the best possible materials and do not cut costs. Animo manufacture all of their chaps in Italy from the very best raw material including the best zippers and leather. By using the best of everything from the outset and making the products in their own building they were able to produce a perfect product from the outset. It really is that simple.

In the ladies range of gaitors we have 2 models both of which are beautifully decorated. The first is the ZUNE and the second is called ZELDA. Even though both chaps feature decoration they are still somewhat unassuming, stylish and classy not overly brash or too blingy for one to take seriously. For me it is typical of Animo in that they can produce such a serious product used for contact with the horse under stress and heavy workloads and still maintain that look of class and beauty, it doesn't look like an aggressive sports utility vehicle with zips and poppers all over it, its doesn't need to have all of that excessive nonsense going on, it is an Animo Gaitor 100% made in Italy under the watchful eye of the designer. That is what sets you apart from the next rider when you choose to put Animo on your feet.

Here below we have images of all three chaps including the ZARA for men, which is a classic chap which pairs beautifully with the Animo ZEUS ankle boots. These ones at the top are Animo ZUNE...

I wanted to show the fit of the chap against the boots, look at these here below..

If you are looking to make the switch to Animo Italia for your riding footwear browse directly to our website here: http://www.justridingshop.com/collections/riding-boots/cf-vendor-animo-italia

SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED ANIMO HAS A BRAND NEW RANGE OF BOOTS ALL OF WHICH CAN BE SEEN HERE

Original Article Copyright Just Riding 2016