Kentucky Storm

The two boots share the same last, the same adjustable lace-and-zip system and the same X-Comfort memory foam insole. The difference is the lining.

The Storm has a Wil-Tex® waterproof membrane behind a gusseted lace system. It keeps water out, which is what you want for winter, wet yards and hacking out in the rain.

The original Kentucky has a more breathable lining and no membrane. It is the cooler boot on a hot day.

If you can only have one pair and you ride year round in the UK, take the Storm. Any membrane costs you a little breathability, but not enough to regret it in August.

This is the part people miss. The laces are not there to be tied and untied every time. You set them once — loosening across the forefoot if you have a wide foot, opening the instep if you have a high one, tightening at the top for more ankle support — and then leave them.

After that you get in and out using the side zip. So you get the adjustability of a laced boot with the convenience of a zip boot, and the gusset behind the zip keeps the waterproofing intact.

It also means the Kentucky Storm suits feet that other jodhpur boots do not. If you have struggled with a boot being tight across the instep, this is the one to try.

The Kentucky Storm runs slightly large. Take your usual size if you are a clear fit; if you sit between two sizes, take the smaller one. The lace system will take up a small amount of extra room, but it cannot rescue a boot that is a full size too big.

Because the laces adjust width, instep and ankle independently, the Storm works across a wide range of foot shapes — it is one of the few jodhpur boots we can recommend for both a wide forefoot and a high instep.

The Kentucky half chaps are cut to sit over the Kentucky boot, so the two together read as a long boot from a distance without the cost or the fitting difficulty of one. The 4cm covered elastic stretch panels give a fair amount of calf accommodation, and the leather skirt over the instep stops the gap you get with cheaper chaps.

Colours do not have to match exactly — Mocha chaps over Mocha boots is the closest pairing, but Polished Black chaps work over any of the darker boots.

The chaps also fit most other short riding boots, so they are not a wasted purchase if you change boot later.

Yes. Every colourway has a Wil-Tex® membrane, and the lace system sits over a soft gusset so water cannot get in through the lacing — which is where most laced boots fail. The side zip is gusseted too. All six are rated for full 360° weather protection.

No. All six are built on the same last with the same lining, insole and shank. The polished finishes look slightly sleeker on the foot but the internal fit is identical, so if you know your size in one you know it in all of them.

Yes, and many customers do. The moulded shank and memory foam insole are made for long days standing, and being waterproof they handle a muddy yard better than most short riding boots. The sole is riding-safe rather than a deep-lug walking sole, so on steep wet ground a dedicated country boot like the Rocky or Buffalo will grip better.

There is a Kentucky Long riding boot built on the same adjustable lace principle, and it is excellent for hard-to-fit calves. Be aware, though, that it is not waterproof — it has a Dermo Dry moisture-wicking lining rather than a membrane. For a waterproof long riding boot, look at the Vermont Storm instead.

Brush off dry mud, wipe with a damp cloth and dry naturally away from direct heat. Never put them on a radiator — that cracks the leather and can damage the membrane bond. Feed the leather periodically with our Luxury Dubbin or a polish suited to the finish.

Conditioning the outside will not clog the membrane, which sits inside the boot. Keeping the leather supple is what stops water finding a way through the seams over time.