Our tack store friends tell us to expect to see a lot more of this boot on the 2010 winter circuits. La Mundial riding boots, made in Ecuador since 1906, offer the long, slender styling and glove-like fit (with virtually no break-in time) that we have come to expect from custom tall boots – at a fraction of the price. Custom tall boots start at $600.
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
BE FOREWARNED – I ordered my boots at Upperville at the beginning of June last year.
After repeated phone calls I finally received a pair of boots in October – over a month late -
that were completely wrong. Not the leather I ordered, wrong color, did not fit at all. I notified the company and sent them back. I opened a credit card dispute for the charge & they contested it. They promised to make another pair in November – the owner of the company measured me himself and said I would receive the boots in 4 weeks, plus he promised me a second pair to make up for his company’s mistake. Well here we are – January 2012 and I have no boots and I am out $600 + . They should not be allowed to do business in the US.
I just received my boots last month after being measured for them on May 20 (it took 63 days!)- I was so impressed!!! The boots are gorgeous and although the left one didn’t fit right away I worked with it for 2 days and now it is perfect!!!
One of my best friends order her boots at WEG last year and it took her forever to receive them- almost 5 months!!! But I believe they were inundated with orders at the time so that explains it. She loved her boots- truly NO break in period.
Both of us think they were 110% worth the wait!!
Roberto has a strong commitment to customer satisfaction. So does The Riding Habit. Find us and we can help you get it or get it fixed.
La Mundial has been attending the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary Canada since 2009. I was priveledged to lend sales support to the company owner Roberto Rivas while he was at the show Sept 7 – 11, 2011. I was amazed to see Roberto measure for countless numbers of repeat customers. Customers were referred by others in their barns who had great purchased great boots in previous years. Numerous fans of the company dropped into the booth the thank Mr. Rivas for great products. Two customers appeared with stories of ill-fitting or wrong orders. Both were promptly and politely remeasured with new orders written up. The countless positive stories dramatically outweighed the two undesireable results.
I cannot speak to the negative stories reported here, but I hope my positive experience adds to the conversation.
Jumper, what is your location? What is/are your needs? We can help!
I cannot get a hold of the company either. Anyone have advice?
They are not unreliable, they are Ecuadorian. We have trouble understanding them as they do us. For the $580 and boots with the options provided, this is a $1500 boot easily. We are mobile, but depending where you are and where you go for your shows, out of our range? E-Mail theridinghabit@yahoo.com or call 561 216 1716 and see if we can’t get together somewhere or sometime?
Like Molly at Gallops Saddlery, we too measure for LaMundial Custom Boots. We are a mobile Tack Shop and cover English Riders in Tampa, FL, Venice, FL, Ocala, FL, Jacksonville, FL. This year we also did the Pin Oaks and Spring Gathering in Katy TX. We understand the frustration we read in these posts. This company will do anything it can do to make their product right. The communication has been difficult because of language, and some turnover, but it is greatly improved. We have had problems with rework, but they have been 100% resolved. We will be happy to help you resolve your problems if you contact us. Understand this also, at the $580 price, a true value, they are worth the wait. Custom boots are like a second skin. Properly measured, they will not fit if your trying to wear then clumped up pants/breaches and socks. The side zipper takes some getting use to as well. Remember they will stretch too. E-Mail robertorivas@lamundial.com will get you support as will the La Mundial USA Customer Service at: 561-459-1629
Ordered a pair of Polo boots in February at Equine Affaire. CC has been billed but no word back and have left messages. Season has started and was told eight to ten weeks. Does someone have an email address?
The email that we were given never gets answered. C
robertorivas@lamundial.com
I posted previously about my experience, but that post has been removed for some reason. I ordered my boots at the WEG, received them the last day of March, 2011, after numerous communications asking where they were. They did not fit – foot was too small, would only zip up 3/4 of the way. Otherwise, they were beautiful boots. I took them back to La Mundial at Rolex, and had to insist on showing them that they didn’t fit. They completely remeasured me, and promised that someone would call me the next week. Now it’s three plus weeks later, I have contacted them twice, and have not heard a word. They charged my credit card in October, so have had the use of my money since then. Now I not only don’t have the money, I don’t have the boots either.
E-Mail robertorivas@lamundial.com will get you support as will the La Mundial USA Customer Service at: 561-459-1629
I ordered custom boots from La Mundial at the World Equestrian Games on Oct. 3, 2010. I did not receive them until the last day of January 2011. They were made incorrectly and the calves were way too small. The zippers would only go up 3/4 of the way. It took 3-4 weeks of emailing the company before they finally replied and sent me a return label. I sent them back March 3, 2011. It is now May 19th; still no boots and no one will reply to my constant email. They actually had a booth at Rolex April 28-31, so I spoke to a rep there and explained my problem. He seemed rather chagrined and not surprised by my complaints. He took my info and promised someone would be in contact with me that Monday. It has been three weeks since then and I am still waiting for that call. I was so looking forward to having custom boots, but this is just not worth the trouble. My most recent email requested a refund and cancellation of my order, but of course, I have not received a response to that either. Judging by the other complaints I have read, I will have to contact my credit card company to reverse the charge since La Mundial is not in the habit of issuing refunds…
E-Mail robertorivas@lamundial.com will get you support as will the La Mundial USA Customer Service at: 561-459-1629 Do you have your order number? Can you send me an e-mail at theridinghabit@yahoo.com with the same information as posted?
So sorry to hear about your problem with your custom boots. You must realize that 2 things happened here in your boot ordering. 1- The company was overwhelmed with 400 boot orders at the WEG SHOW which of course was difficult to fill in the promised time frame. We have been to Ecuador and to visit the shop. It is a very small shop with only 9 cobblers working like little leprechauns all by hand. It is amazing but all you need is for one or two people to be sick or retire ( many are 60-70 years old) which is where some of the problems come from. Training new people takes a lot of time and becoming an expert, even longer. 7 pr. of boots a day are done all by hand. You cannot get a better quality boot at that price. I have been measuring boots for 40 years and the mistakes that are made are not mine and out of 70 or more pr.I have done since October 5 have had to go back and they were replaced and correct the second time around. We have even fixed some that others have measured as long as 5-6 years ago. My reputation stands for itself and I would not have taken this company on if I had not been watching them for 3 years and then finally made a trip there to see that there actually was a company and that I was not sending my customers money to a hole in the wall.
Many of those reps were not legal businesses and did not have processing rights and that is where the error is. No experience in this field will surely create a disaster. I hope you understand that to err is human and if you are dealing with a foreign country anything can and could go wrong. There are many problems that exist in international business and that these boots also have to pass thru customs and if there is a terrorist alert it delays many shipments. I tell all my customers in buying these boots that should not expect them before 11 weeks and don’t make plans to have them for a show in that time frame. Be patient, and be surprised to have a wonderful pr. of boots in the end result. Oh,and no one refunds money on a custom item, but your satisfaction has to be guaranteed.
Jean Yonelunas, The Riding Habit
i saw this boot maker and their product at the ROYAL WINTER FAIR in Toronto last fall…..i am presently in Sarasota and i have planned on ordering boots for my wife this week….after reading some of the negative comments i am reluctant to order….some of the positive feedback is encouraging but it seems like a gamble.
I would order. They have made mistakes. A percent on the low side. At $580, they are great. Do not measure yourself. Find a rep in your area. E-Mail robertorivas@lamundial.com will get you support as will the La Mundial USA Customer Service at: 561-459-1629. We would take your order if your ever in our Florida area? We are 561 216 1716 and speak English, we think at least. LOL
I worked as a rep for this company for 9 months. I do think they make beautiful boots and the value for the price on a custom boot cannot be equaled. However, I quit working for them for a variety of reasons including the following:
1. Lack of customer service, nope, the reps can’t seem to manage to get a hold of anyone at the company either. This makes the rep and the company look bad when customers are waiting for boots/ have questions etc.
2. Poor organization, they lost boxes of boots that I sent them for repair at their Florida address, then tried to blame me, thank goodness for tracking numbers!!
3. Proper payment, you would think that getting paid on commission would make the company feel lucky enough that you’re working for nothing, but then they don’t seem to be able to pay you on time
4. Proper reimbursement, I was promised a company credit card when I first started working for the company. I never received one so had to carry a balance for hotels, rental cars etc. on my own card. Now they are refusing to pay my over $3000.00 hotel bill for somewhere THEY flew me to work!!
5. General sliminess on the part of the owner, when I submitted my hotel bill for the aforementioned $3000.00 the owner of the company (a 50+ year old man) told me (a 20 something female) that I should have been staying in his hotel room with him.
In short, good boots, TERRIBLE company.
Just rec’d my 1st La Mundial pair of boots Apr 13, 2011 and had ordered them Nov 2010. They did leave a message to say they were behind a few weeks. Wore them right out of the box and although the foot is a little bigger than my past Vogels, they are elegant, tall and slimming. It looks like they might keep records of folk’s measurements ? which is good because can see wanting a pair for everyday use with all the funky options in the future. These boots will be my 1st experience with zippers so fingers crossed.
Tracey,
You got caught up in the 400 pr. of boot they measured for WEG. That is why your time frame was so long. Normally it is not that long. 11-14 weeks . You must know that they only have 9 men working at this. It’s a small but very good company. Glad you love them and yes they do retain measurements. Your Rep should have given you an order number which they retain on file.
If you need me to help you, please just call The Riding Habit, ask for Jean 561-216-1716. OR http://www.theridinghabit.com
I ordered a pair of custom boots at WEG also and have had a terrrible experience so far. The boots were shipped on schedule but were totally wrong – the height of the boot was off, the leg and ankle so tight I could not zip them and the boot size is too small. I couldn’t have them “fixed” because they are a 1/2 size too small in the foot, which can’t be altered. The girl at WEG who measured me assured me that she had been trained and knew what she was doing and that if any adjustments needed to be made, LaMundial would make it right. Boy, was she wrong. I have had many conversations with LaMundial, including with the management and after sending pictures of the boots beside my own boots and the footbed tracings of both to prove the foot size is wrong, the owner sent word through an employee that they would send credit to me for the boots. This was well over a month ago and I am still leaving messages (as of today). I do not recommend doing business with a company that does not have a strong presence in the states and who’s business clearly has a tainted reputation. I did not know this at WEG, as they were new there, and gave them a chance because they had a nice booth and samples of their work, etc. I’m sticking with the companies that have proven themselves worthy of customer support. In the meantime, I have a brand new pair of tall boots that I can not get on.
Where are you out of Angie? Have you recently E-Mail robertorivas@lamundial.com will get you support as will the La Mundial USA Customer Service at: 561-459-1629. They work at getting 100% corrected.
I ordered 2 pair of custom boots at the WEG games in Kentucky. They were due to arrive the end of January. I just recived them today!. The fit is perfect, they are beautiful, and i wore them out of the box for 8 hours with no problems. I contacted them in late January as to the arrival date and had no problems. They gave me correct information and were very helpful. They contacted me prior to the arrival and asked me to check the fit BEFORE sending out the second pair. I’m excited to say if the second pair is as good as the first i will be ordering a third pair within a month as I won’t be wearing anymore crappy boots. The leather is amazing and my feet are happy!! Vey much worth the wait!!
Now that’s great customer service. Good to hear
Who did you contact to get service? I am also waiting for my boots that I ordered at the WEG and were due first part of January 2011.
Diane
Diane,
I contacted them at the customer service number from their web site. The number is as follows: 561-459-1629. They were very helpful and wonderful to work with. My second pair is due to arrive next week.
Continuation of prior post.
My second pair arrived and i have to say they were better than the first. I couldn’t be happier with the fit, quality, workmanship and look. I’m hoping my third pair due in next week are just as amazing.!
susan with happy feet!
I recently received my boots and unfortunately they don’t fit exactly right, they are to tight. I contacted the office and they responded immediately. They are trying to help correct this, which I really appreciate. The boots are absolutely gorgeous and came out just the way I hoped. I had another pair of boots stretched by a cobbler so I’m going to bring these in to see if they can be stretched out. I have another pair form the company that were off the rack and they fit perfectly and were fantastic to ride in from day one. Though I’m annoyed they didn’t fit right out of the box it hasn’t damaged my opinion of the company.
We’re sorry to hear some of you have had a difficult experience with La Mundial. We also personally know many others that have had a very positive experience. For anyone who needs to contact them directly regarding their boot transaction, their contact info is as follows:
USA
Customer Service:
561-459-1629
Fax:
561-459-4943 Ext: 102
Adress USA:
1305 Henley St. Suite 1108
Naples. FL. 34105
I recommended your company and your boots based on the pair one of my students purchased at last year’s Horse Expo in California. Unfortunately, the remainder of the experience has not been so good. My student who ordered a pair at WEG received hers and they were WAY too small. She sent them back and has heard NOTHING from the company though she has repeatedly tried to contact them. Two of my other students ordered them from a Rep here near Sacramento, who subsequently quit her job through frustration and now we cant even find out if these orders went through. NO ONE will answer our calls. Good boots. Bad company. Now we need refunds.
I am trying to custom order a pair of boots have called la mundial about 5 times and also e-mailed in the past month. I finally got someone to answer the phone and they told me in broken English that I had to send them an e-mail with my phone number, e-mail, and address and someone would return my e-mail with info on where to go for a fitting. I never received any info and no fitting. I won’t waste any money on such an unreliable company.
E-Mail us theridinghabit@yahoo.com or call 561 216 1716
How can I get in touch with La Mundial?
You can contact La Mundial USA Customer Service at:
561-459-1629
Fax:
561-459-4943 Ext: 102
Adress USA:
1305 Henley St. Suite 1108
Naples. FL. 34105
I got a pair of these tall boot, although they are beautiful, they never fit right. I was very discouraged because I bought them custom. Even more inconvenient the company didn’t seem to have anyone that could help me the countless times I’ve call. Even though I bought the boots with a promise of a money back guarantee. Two years later i still have a pair of useless boots… thank for nothing la mundial
e-mail robertorivas@lamundial.com
I ordered my boots in Las Vegas at NRF. Date ordered 12-9-09
received boots 3 months later. Boots didn’t fit anywhere they were the wrong boots and the zipper was in the wrong place. It is now Oct of 2010 and I still have no boots and no money back.
THIS COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN THE STATES. THEY HAVE A VERY BAD HABIT OR NOT REFUNDING YOUR MONEY AND NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
This really conflicts with the experience of Susan above. Not sure if you will see this denise, but I wonder what became of your issue with La Mundial
This is a continuation of my post above. My daughter has been showing and schooling in these boots since last February and they have and continue to be amazing! Will definitely be ordering another pair.
I ordered a pair for my daughter last November. They arrived exactly on the day I was quoted and were a perfect fit. Very little break in needed. A beautiful boot!
I do the measuring for these boots at a local tack store in Tigard, Oregon – Gallops Saddlery. We found them on a competitor at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event last year. The design options are beautiful and the detail in the measuring technique like no other boot on the market. I am just thrilled to have them, they have opened the door on a fully custom boot to people that have thus far been unable to afford a them. They do take 3 months from measuring to completion. Come see me and take a look!