A few weeks ago I received a pair of Millbrook Stirrup Leathers to review. Now that I have been able to put a decent amount of rides in with them both over fences and on the flat I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you.
Price: $149 (my CWD leathers run about $180) – this is a bit pricey for unlined leathers but I appreciate the quality and design and they are $30 cheaper than my previous leathers
Review: My initial thoughts after receiving these leathers is that I love the design and finishing touches. The button at the end of these leathers is classy while still not drawing too much attention. I was worried that they would feel bulky but after the first ride they laid flat at the stirrup bar.
As someone that suffers from chronic knee pain/foot numbness and/or shin bruising when riding I can definitely say that these leathers are a new favorite. My stirrups do have an offset opening for the leathers but when comparing these leathers to my standard CWD leathers I can notice a big difference in how the leathers lay against my shin bone. An added bonus is that your leathers don’t get twisted due to the way they are designed.
These stirrup leathers come in both black and brown (I need to use some neatsfoot to continue to darken mine) and there are also a handful of different sizes with a handy size chart if you are unsure what length you would need. Bottom Line: If you suffer from rubs or bruising from your current leathers or just do not like the feeling of the way a traditional leather lays against your shin I would encourage you to give these stirrup leathers a try. If you love calfskin stirrups you may end up disappointed though.
Updated after 1 year of use. Unfortunately these leathers did stretch unevenly but that is to be expected with non lined leathers.
These fascinate me. I’ve been waiting to hear reviews before snagging my own set.
Luckily I dont bruise and my knee pain went away when I got composite stirrups with the wide foot beds. I personally could never drop that amount on stirrup leathers. I just cant when I coudl buy so many other things with that type of money, haha! I’ve never been one to invest in leathers though, they seem like too simple of a tool. But at least they work for you! Yay solutions
I think these are a great idea. Would love to try them.
I have issues with the ankle and sometimes knee. I’ve considered changing up the stirrup but never thought about the leather. I can’t say I’ve ever even noticed how the leather feels across my shin.
Interesting! I get shin bone bruises/rubs off an on. I didn’t think about how they would not twist like regular leathers. I might have to try a pair.
Oh man, I got a serious case of the needs when I saw these leathers on instagram. Really really excited to hear about future giveaways.
They remind me too much of western saddle leathers. Are these a thing? Are people showing in them? I’ve never heard of them. That’s very awesome they’re more comfortable for you! I think I’d need to see pics with you in the saddle in them to get over the bulky look. The button on them is classy tho.
I just posted a pic on Instagram from the most recent show. You can’t tell when in the saddle in my experience.
They remind me of polo leathers – are they just wider than normal, or is there some other sort of design element that I’m missing here?
Pretty much just wider I guess. I haven’t used or seen polo leathers in person so I wasn’t aware of the commonalities.
Interesting… I’m glad they’re working so well for you! I’ve always preferred thinner leathers, the wider ones tend to hurt my shins. So I’m surprised that they work the opposite way for you. Yay for things that work! (I’m gonna stick with my skinny ones that I just got on sale at Beval for $45.)
I really like the look of them! Will hope for a sale 🙂
How great to receive a product for review and to find them so useful! Look great 🙂
I love the the look of these! Are they bulky on the saddle bar under your thigh?
Not really. I find them to be comfortable. Not a significant difference from my other leathers in that regard.
I struggle with slight arthritis in my hips but still jumping and eventing. Do you think this design offers enough stability that it would help the strain on the hips too or is it more to the lower leg?
Hi Pam, I am not sure as that’s not a particular problem that I have but possibly? You might email the company and see if they have other customers that have mentioned something similar 🙂