Moretta Gianna Childrens Riding Boots Review: solid kids’ long boots that look smart without costing a fortune

I got these Shires Moretta Gianna children’s riding boots in size 13 (UK child) for my kid, who rides once or twice a week and basically lives in the yard on weekends. I’m not a gear snob – I just want boots that don’t fall apart in a month and that my child can put on without a meltdown. We’ve had a couple of cheap synthetic pairs before that cracked fast or rubbed badly, so I was curious if these would actually be worth the extra money.

We’ve used them for a few weeks now for regular lessons, hacking, and a couple of muddy grooming days where the boots got properly tested in real yard conditions. So this isn’t a fresh-out-of-the-box impression – they’ve had rain, sand, muck heap, and arena surface on them already. My kid is not gentle with gear, so if something is flimsy, it usually shows up quickly.

Overall, my first impression is that these are pretty solid for the price. They look more like “proper” long riding boots than the plasticky ones we had before, and my child actually likes wearing them, which is already a win. There are a few things that could be better – especially around how hot they get and the stiffness at the start – but nothing that makes them a bad buy.

If you’re looking for kids’ competition-style boots without going into silly money, these feel like a decent middle ground: smarter and more supportive than basic rubber boots, but not as fancy or pricey as full leather competition boots. I’ll break down how they did on design, comfort, durability, performance in the saddle, and value for money.

In terms of value, I’d put these in the “good but not crazy cheap” category. They cost more than basic rubber riding boots or supermarket-brand kids’ boots, but less than full leather competition boots from the big-name brands. Considering you get leather on the inner calf, a proper YKK zip, a steel shank in the sole, and a smart look that’s show-appropriate, the price feels reasonable to me.

Where the value really shows is in how versatile they are. My kid can wear them for: regular weekly lessons, hacking, pony club rallies, and small shows without needing a separate “show-only” pair. They look smart enough for photos but are still tough enough to handle everyday use. That saves money in the long run, because you’re not buying one pair for schooling and another for competitions, at least at this level.

Compared to the cheaper synthetic-only boots we’ve had, the Moretta Giannas feel more supportive and look more polished. Those cheaper boots usually started peeling or getting floppy fairly quickly. I’d rather pay a bit more for something that holds its shape and gives decent support in the stirrup, especially when a child is still learning and wobbly. On the flip side, if your child is in a growth spurt and changing shoe sizes every few months, you might want to think about how long they’ll actually fit before investing.

Overall, I’d say these offer solid value for money if your kid rides regularly and you want them to have proper long boots without going into high-end prices. If riding is more occasional, you could probably get away with something cheaper, but for weekly riders or pony club kids, the balance between cost, performance, and looks is pretty decent here.

The main design thing with these boots is the close leg fit. Shires has paired a harder leather panel on the inside of the calf with a softer stretch panel on the outside. In real use, that means the inside feels solid against the saddle, while the outside gives a bit so it doesn’t gape. On my kid’s fairly slim legs, the boots sit close without needing thick socks or half chaps, and they don’t twist around, which has been an issue with some cheaper rubber boots we tried.

The mock lace detail at the front is purely cosmetic, but it does help the boots look more like adult competition boots. No faffing around with laces, though – everything is managed by the back zip and the stretch panel. The dressage cut at the top (higher on the outside of the knee) looks smart but doesn’t dig in too much once the boots have softened a bit. The first two rides, my kid said the top felt a bit stiff behind the knee, but that eased off after a few uses.

From a practical angle, the YKK zip is a good choice. It feels sturdier than the cheap zips we’ve had on other kids’ boots. We always make sure to fully open the zip when taking them off, and so far there’s been no splitting or snagging. The little press-stud tab at the top keeps the zip from sliding down, which is handy because kids are not always careful about that sort of thing. My only gripe is that the zip pull is quite small for cold or gloved fingers – not a deal-breaker, but it could be easier to grab.

Design-wise, I’d say these are geared more towards lessons and shows than splashing around in puddles all day. They’re long, slim, and not the kind of thing you want to trash in deep mud every weekend. But as a boot for riding and light yard work, the design makes sense: close fit, solid inner calf, easy zip, and a smart look without being over the top.

Comfort-wise, my kid’s feedback was “stiff at first, now comfy”, which matches what I saw. The first ride, they complained about the back of the knee feeling a bit tight and the ankle area feeling quite rigid. That’s fairly normal with taller boots, especially when there’s a more structured inner calf. We did a couple of short wear-in sessions at home – just walking around the house for 20–30 minutes – and by the third ride, the complaints had pretty much stopped.

The boots have shock absorbing insoles, and my kid did notice the difference compared to the totally flat rubber boots. After a full lesson and then pottering around the yard for another 30–40 minutes, they didn’t mention sore feet, which used to happen before. The arch support isn’t anything dramatic, but there’s enough padding that you don’t feel every stone through the sole. For a child, that’s probably as much as you need – it’s not like they’re standing in them for eight hours straight.

One thing to flag: despite the “moisture wicking linings”, my kid’s feet still got quite warm and a bit sweaty on a warmer day. Not soaking, but when we took the boots off, the socks were definitely damp. In cooler weather, this is actually a plus, because their feet stayed warm without needing super thick socks. But for summer riding, I wouldn’t call these breathable – they’re long boots with synthetic outer parts, so they trap heat a bit. If your child runs hot, lighter jodhpur boots and half chaps might be better for the hottest months.

Putting them on and taking them off is mostly fine once the boots have softened. At the start, I had to help with the zip and getting the heel to pop out, but after a week or so my kid could manage alone. No blisters so far, which is a big one for me – we always used mid-weight riding socks, not super thin ones. Overall, not perfect, but comfortable enough for regular lessons and yard time once they’ve been broken in.

The materials are a bit of a mix. The inner calf is leather, which is what you want against the saddle – it gives grip and tends to hold up better to rubbing. The outer panel is synthetic with stretch, so it hugs the leg and helps with fit. Inside, there’s a leather lining at the top and a moisture-wicking lining further down. The sole is rubber with a steel shank inside, according to the spec, which should help with support in the stirrup.

In the hand, the boots don’t feel like full high-end leather, but they also don’t have that shiny plastic look of cheap rubber boots. The inner leather panel has a slightly grippy feel, which is nice in the saddle. The outer synthetic part is smoother and clearly there to keep the cost down and improve flexibility. After a few weeks of use, the inner leather is showing light creasing where the ankle bends, but no cracking or peeling. The outer synthetic has taken a few scuffs from yard use but wipes down easily with a damp cloth.

The rubber sole is on the firmer side, with enough tread to feel safe walking on slightly slippery yard surfaces, but it’s not a chunky hiking boot sole. That’s good for riding, because it doesn’t catch in the stirrup. The steel shank isn’t visible, obviously, but you can feel that the boot doesn’t fold in half when you bend it – there’s some structure through the arch. My kid said it feels more supportive than the old all-rubber boots, which basically bent like wellies.

Overall, the materials feel decent for the price bracket: not luxury, but not cheap and flimsy either. If you want full leather inside and out that will last years and years, you’ll have to pay more. For a growing child who might outgrow these in a season or two, this mix of leather where it matters and synthetic where it helps fit and cost actually makes sense.

On durability, I can only speak for a few weeks of use, but my kid is pretty good at stress-testing gear. So far, the stitching is intact, the zip still runs smoothly, and there are no cracks in the leather panel. The only visible signs of wear are light creases around the ankle (normal) and a few scuff marks near the toe from stirrups and the odd knock on stable doors. Those scuffs are cosmetic and don’t affect use – a bit of polish would probably hide most of them.

The synthetic outer panel has actually held up better than I expected. With some cheaper boots, that part starts peeling or getting weird white creases quickly, but here it’s just showing normal bending. Because that panel is stretchy, it doesn’t seem to strain the stitching too much when the leg flexes. I’ve checked the join between the leather and synthetic a few times, and there’s no separation or fraying yet.

The sole is still firmly attached, and there’s no sign of it starting to come away at the toe or heel, which is where kids usually destroy shoes first. Tread wear is minimal, even after quite a bit of walking on rough yard surfaces. The steel shank means the sole doesn’t fold, so it’s less likely to crack across the ball of the foot like some all-rubber boots do over time.

Realistically, these are kids’ boots, so the limiting factor is often growth, not how long they last. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’d expect them to comfortably survive a full season of regular riding, maybe longer if your child isn’t too hard on them. They’re not indestructible – if you treat them like heavy-duty muck boots, they’ll age faster – but for normal lesson and pony club use, durability looks pretty decent.

In the saddle, these boots do what they’re supposed to do. The leather inner calf gives a stable contact on the saddle flap, and my kid’s lower leg looked less wobbly compared to when they ride in short boots and half chaps that slide around. The close fit helps them feel the horse more, and they said they felt “more stuck on” – in a good way. The dressage cut doesn’t interfere with the knee roll, and once the top softened, there was no rubbing behind the knee.

The anti-shock sole with the steel shank seems to help with standing in the stirrups, especially in trot and when doing light jumping. My kid didn’t complain about foot fatigue, even after a lesson that included a lot of work in two-point position. Compared to basic rubber boots, the sole feels more stable and less bendy, which is good for balance. The tread is shallow enough that it doesn’t jam in the stirrup, but still gives grip when walking on wet concrete or slightly muddy ground.

Around the yard, they’re okay but not perfect. These are clearly riding-first boots, not heavy-duty mucking-out boots. They handled light yard chores – leading ponies, grooming, walking over wet grass – without any issues. When we hit deeper mud near the field, I did catch myself telling my kid to be careful, because the boots are slimmer and not as protective as big yard boots or wellies. Cleaning them is simple: wipe down with a damp cloth, quick brush on the sole, and they look tidy again.

If your child spends 80% of their time riding and 20% doing light yard stuff, these work well. If it’s the other way around and they live in the mud and only ride occasionally, I’d say get cheaper yard boots and keep something like this just for riding and shows. For what they’re designed for – regular lessons, hacking, and looking smart at pony club – they perform well.

Out of the box, the Moretta Gianna boots look like grown-up long riding boots shrunk to kid size. They’re tall, with a dressage cut at the top, and have that fake lace detail at the front of the ankle, which is just for looks. My kid thought that part was cool because it looks like the boots older riders wear, but there’s no fiddling with laces, just the back zip. The pair we have is the brown version, but the listing mentions black as well – ours definitely look more like a dark chocolate brown than light tan.

The boots come with basic packaging – nothing fancy, just a standard box and some stuffing to keep the shape. No boot trees or bag or anything like that, which is fine at this price point. The YKK zip at the back runs from the heel up to the top, with a press-stud at the top to hold the zip in place. First couple of tries, the zip was a bit stiff, but once we flexed the boots a bit and did the classic "zip while the knee is bent" trick, it was manageable.

Visually, they look pretty smart for lessons or low-key shows. The outer side has that stretch panel that hugs the leg, so there’s not a big gap at the calf like you get with some cheaper boots. On a skinny kid’s leg, that actually makes a big difference – they don’t flap around or look like wellies. They sit just below the knee on my child (average height for the shoe size), so they look like proper long boots, not mid-calf ones.

If you’re expecting luxury details, you won’t find them here, but that’s not really the point. In practice, the presentation is: they look neat, tidy, and more expensive than they are, and my kid felt “like a real rider” in them, which honestly helps with confidence more than any technical feature.