Thank you so much for choosing celeris! Whilst it is very exciting to get them on, please do read this first!
Very Important!
- Please ensure you are wearing the breeches and socks that you were measured in. You might even want to wear a pair of tights or ankle socks instead of tall socks for the first fitting.
- Have someone help you the first time as it can be tricky.
- Be careful that the zip is completely open so that you do not tread on it as you put your foot in.
- FITTING the Polo, Bia and Passage boots, sit down and put your leg out straight in front of you before pulling up the zips, the boning in the back means they are not as flexible on the first fitting as other styles! You may have to force your foot in and this is very, very normal and will not damage your boots. However, do not pull on the straps whilst you do this, hold the back of the boot.
- FITTING back zipped boots, again make sure the zip it right to the bottom, wiggle your foot as far forward as possible and have someone else zip you in the first couple of times. You might need to bend forward slightly once the zipper is over your ankle. Wearing the thinnest socks or thin ankle socks is advised during the first few zip ups so you don’t get the zip caught in your socks.
- Try not to put too much pressure on the zip and ease it up bit by bit. Never ever hook anything through the zip to pull it up as you will break it and you will be responsible for a replacement zip.
How should they feel?
It may well be that your boots feel really tight and you think that they don’t fit – don’t panic! Usually within ten minutes of wearing them they will ease off.
Depending on the leather some boots can be stiffer than others, they just need breaking in. The Polo boot can be particularly tricky for the first fitting! We have a rule of thumb if you zip them up, however tight initially, they fit! During the summer months it is best to try the boots on first thing in the morning too, especially if they were tight in the afternoon or after a period of sitting down.
Remember if you have the Bia model the laces are adjustable (including over the foot) so you can adjust them to fit more comfortably whilst breaking them in and tighten them up in the future if necessary.
Once you have the zips up, walk around for ten minutes and within this time the zip will have relaxed and will be much easier to move up and down. Be careful of the zips for the first week whilst the leather relaxes, but after that they will be pretty much perfect!
During production the boots go onto a mould of your legs with the precise measurements programmed. They are heated and cooled to your precise measurements and checked by laser at this stage. When they come off the mould there is an element of shrinkage depending on the leather used and once you are in the boots they will warm up to you and the true measurements very quickly – usually within ten minutes. Clients in the studio will comment within a few minutes about how they have eased from the initial tightness.
If you have purchased more than one pair and they are different models or different leathers, they could feel very different - initially. Each model varies in shape and fit and each leather will stretch differently. We account for this in the workshop and allow for the stretch of each different leather so some leathers will feel tighter than others. Once broken in and again, this will be different depending on the model and leather, they should feel perfect!
If you have any issues, don’t panic, please call us first! We are here to help and no issue is too big or too small to resolve easily.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE WARRANTY PERIOD?
The warranty period is 90 days from receipt of your boots. Most ‘manufacturing faults’ would show up instantly and most definitely within this period of time. With 14 years’ experience we know that most genuine manufacturing faults will show up during the first week or within a month and thankfully they are very rare.
Due to the extremes and variations in the usage of riding boots, no warranty is offered against wear and tear, negligence or poor maintenance resulting in any fault.
WHAT MIGHT FAIL DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD?
ZIPS. If a zip were to fail as it is faulty, it would fail almost instantly or within days of riding in your new boots, not 6-12 months down the line after being used for this period of time.
PRESS BUTTONS. Will also fail instantly within the first week or two if there is an issue with the hardware.
STITCHING. Whilst this would be beyond rare, if faulty this would show up instantly and not over time.
The inside panel is worth noting here. You will never be able to keep this totally clean or wrinkle free. This is absolutely normal and most riders would know that this panel cannot be kept perfect and therefore is no warranty offered on this section at all.
IMPORTANT NOTE
We will repair any boots with a genuine manufacturing fault at any point and regardless of the 90-day warranty but we will assess the boots in all such incidences and will make no such offer when this is simply down to wear and tear.
AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS ENDED
After 6 to 12 months any issues that may occur would be due to the fact this is a hard wear and tear work boot and as such will work under stress most days you are riding. The care and maintenance is imperative and if you do not look after your boots they will not last as long as they should.
Avoid allowing your boots to get soaking wet, covered in mud etc without cleaning them and waxing them as you are simply adding to the stress on the leather. You should also be cleaning out your zips regularly (see our care guide) as sand is a zip killer.
With the experience we have a the very low number of returns received (when we consider the sheer number of boots we make) we know that care is key and when we see boots returned to us soaking wet and in a terrible state we know they have not been looked after regardless of being told they have been.
As a conscientious and passionate manufacturer, we know our boots will last many years if cared for correctly and as a rider you will know from your own experience how long your boots would usually last when you take into consideration your personal wear and tear. We are confident given the superior leather and components we use that they will go beyond expectations, but these must be realistic.
THE COLOUR DOESN’T LOOK EXACTLY WHAT I ORDERED?
All leather will vary very slightly in colour and texture.
All of our leather is natural and only pigment dyed, no chemicals are used for colour uniformity and hence colours will vary very slightly from skin to skin. As per our terms and conditions of sale we can’t ever guarantee the exact colour but any differences are usually indistinguishable.
Whilst on social media we take great care not to add filters, colours will never look exactly as they do in the flesh due mainly to different screen resolutions etc.
MARKS AND GRAINS IN THE LEATHER
Whilst great care is made to ensure your boots reach you in pristine condition, they are entirely handmade by skilled artisans and will not always look ‘absolutely perfect’ due to the traditional way in which they are made and how they are handled during production. Minor imperfections, marks and grains are often part of the character of the superior leather we use, can usually be polished out over time and will not affect the fit, performance or longevity of your boots.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY BOOTS DON’T FIT?
Unless we have measured you personally in the studio, we are not responsible for the measurements provided, as per all documentation supplied prior to purchase, including DocuSign which clarifies all of our terms and conditions of sale.
When we have measured you - In the exceptionally rare case that the workshop (or ourselves) has made a mistake, we will rectify the issue at our cost. Please notify us immediately, so we can organise this right away, to avoid any unnecessary delay. We may ask you to attend the studio to be remeasured if measurements are in question.
Whilst even rarer, where a client gains/loses significant weight between the measuring date and the new boot fitting, Celeris UK will not accept any liability for ill-fitting boots. In such instances the responsibility lies solely with the client. However, we offer a superior fitting service and insignificant differences in measurements (between fitting and delivery) will make no difference to the fit of your boots.
Where you have supplied measurements – in the first instance try on the boots first thing in the morning and wear your thinnest breeches and only ankle socks. If you have BIA boots please adjust the laces – so many clients forget to do this and it’s what they are there for. Some clients will adjust the laces during the breaking in period and do them back up again once they are broken in. Always adjust the laces when you are not wearing the boots as it’s very, very difficult if they are on your legs.
In almost all cases it is usually about getting into the boots the first time and once in you are off! The rule of thumb really is, if you are in and zip them up - they fit and you just need to start breaking them in so soften and relax them. Clients new to custom boots may not be prepared for how tight they are and that they need to be broken in.
But I can’t get in my boots – if in the worst instance you can’t get into your boots and the measurements supplied were not accurate, you will be responsible for returning the boots to the UK and in this instance they need to be sent back under a strict protocol due the boots re-entering the UK and we will provide all the information required to do so.
We would ask you to remeasure and send the these to us to view. At this stage we really do need to see the true measurements to ensure we can make the correct decision going forward. We only want perfect boots so the accuracy of these measurements is key.
We have found in a few instances in the past, clients adding and taking away cm during the original fitting and our checklist specifically says not to do this. We have also had instances of clients reading the tape measure incorrectly and starting at 1cm instead of zero!
WILL MY BOOTS DROP?
All boots will drop, on average, by 1cm and mainly because you will need to bend your ankle – ankle wrinkles are normal. Please note that the dressage models (with reinforced outer panel) are unlikely to drop, due mainly to the fact your ankle doesn’t really bend too much.
WHAT IF MY BOOTS ARE TOO HIGH?
We take considerable time to ensure the right height during the fitting process. We do not ‘add’ additional cm to allow for the drop, as this can prove to be very uncomfortable for our clients. Measured correctly your boots should be perfect and remain perfect after they have dropped 1-1.5 cm. If you have requested the boots to be higher than we would recommend, we will ask you to sign the order form to confirm this. In this instance we would suggest heel risers to help if they are too high when they arrive. Whilst we are happy to make your boots to your exact requirements, including the height, Celeris UK won’t take any responsibility for the height measurement where you have requested a height higher than our recommendation.
During our due diligence we send out a checklist to all clients supplying measurements and do make it very clear the height is the one thing we can never alter.
WILL MY BOOTS TAKE LONG TO ‘BREAK IN’?
Most clients will say their boots are beautiful and comfortable from day one. However, the leather does vary from boot to boot and some boots will take longer as the leather may be marginally thicker. The length of time will also depend on how often you wear your boots. The only real way of breaking your boots in is to ride in them! Walking about the house or yard won’t really mimic your riding position so will take much longer.
Passage, Polo and Bia boots take longer to ‘break in’ mainly due to the fact they are a substantial boot and have reinforced panels. Having said this, clients with these boots do report that on average, after 2-3 weeks they feel perfect.
Read our breaking in guide here.
HOW LONG WILL MY BOOTS LAST?
It is impossible to try to estimate this as all riders use and care for their boots very differently. Professionals will ride a large number of horses a day, whereas a hobby rider may only ride at the weekends so obviously there will be a huge difference in the life of boots purchased at the same time. It is our advice to look after your boots, as recommended, to maximize their life.
DO YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH ZIPS?
Generally, we do not have issues with our zips due mainly to the superior fit - each boot is made to fit each leg and in particular the calf area.
It is very common for the calf to vary significantly on a rider. This variation can be as much as 2cm and is usually because a rider favours one side of their body more or has had an accident at some point in the past. This is very normal and hence the reason it is important that the boots are made to take this variation into account, to avoid stress on the zips.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE MY BOOTS AND WANT A REFUND?
In the highly unlikely event that you are not delighted with your boots, we cannot offer any form of refund or credit note. However, please do not hesitate to contact us in the first instance to discuss.
As per our Terms and Conditions of Sale, Celeris boots are bespoke and handcrafted to order and therefore, your order is exempt from the Distance Selling Regulations and, as such, refunds cannot be given (and we are not legally required to refund), in respect of any made-to-measure products for any reason.
DO YOU HAVE AN AFTERSALES DEPARTMENT FOR MINOR REPAIRS IN THE FUTURE?
Whilst we do send boots back to the workshop for any repairs, within the warranty period, we do not find this is the most effective way for minor issues outside of the warranty period. Due to the high cost of shipping, insurance and the extended timescales, we recommend researching a local saddlery, who specialise in leather goods. Please contact us if you do need a minor repair as we can usually recommend someone in your area.
Celeris UK approved repairer – ableather.co.uk
WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE ISSUES ON DELIVERY OR WITHIN WARRANTY PERIOD?
In the first instance give us a call or alternatively send us an email. Most issues can be resolved quickly and easily! Please remember we are here to help!
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