INKSTABLES: THE PLACE TO GO FOR CUSTOM BOOT SOCKS FOR YOUR TEAM

The Zippered Riding Boot is a recent phenomenon. Some might not recall that as recently as 2000 a zippered riding boot was a rare sighting at anything other than a large eq show. Over the past ten years zippered riding boots have gone from being a luxury to being all but standard on new boots manufactured for the U.S. market.

Besides the fact that the manufacturer can make riding boots fit even tighter with the zipperbacks, the main reason zippered boots caught on so quickly was convenience. Easy on, easy off. Perhaps everyone gets five minutes of their lives back for every time they ride or compete in their tall boots thanks to the creation of zipperbacks.

Girls and women who might have simply kept their tall boots on in places where they might receive a second look now go about their business before or after riding, boot-free. It was not lost on a handful of people that with the boots off and the britches still on the average single-colored boot socks were not very visually appealing.

Long before anyone ever thought of putting zippers on riding boots there was a man working in the garment business by the name of Eddie Lemack. Lemack was known in his industry as a "Fit and Size" expert.

"I would identify who a customer was for a company," says Lemack. "Then I would create a mannequin which resembled this particular customer. All factories (which were to make the product) would receive the same mannequin." Lemack states that the business changed about ten years ago when someone decided bodys should be identifed by certian "types" such as a "pear shape." This was an anathema to Lemack, who believes these shapes reflect more what society wants people to be shaped like as opposed to what the general public is actually made of.

Lemack married a woman named Bernice and it came to pass that they had a daughter, Heidi, who grew up to be a very good rider. By the start of the 21st century both Mother and Daughter were riders (a Skidmore College graduate, Heidi ran a riding facility on Long Island but moved to New Jersey to expand. She now runs a Dressage facility in the Garden State). It was Bernice who observed that boot socks were generally uncomfortable. In fact to her they were downright itchy. Knowing that Eddie could create just about any item of clothing Bernice asked him to make a comfortable boot sock that wasn't itchy.

Lemack found it was not all that difficult to make a sock that was considerably strong and yet thinner than some for an easy fit under a pair of tall boots - and not be itchy either.

Coincidentally the zippered boot took off, revealing the drab boot socks many would not have seen in public during the 20th century. Lemack consulted others in the horse world to obtain their input on patterns and designs. "Our equestrian gear is designed by equestrians for equestrians," as Lemack likes to phrase it.

The brand name given to these socks is 'Equestrian Couture,' which is the first designer brand of InkStables LLC. As stated on the Inkstables website (found directly at http://www.weareinkstables.com/), Inkstables caters "to global tack shops, offering prints that are innovative and captivating for the equestrian rider on a comfortable nylon/spandex hosiery sock." In contrast to how things were not long ago, Lemack is proud that Equestrian Couture products are made in America and are even packaged to be "Green Friendly."

Lemack also feels the quality of the materials makes for greater durability. "Our hosiery lasts three or four times longer," says Lemack.

Lemack's socks have taken off. They are now seen on riders at major events and at the average lesson barn. The success of Equestrian Couture enabled the ability to be even more creative: make custom-designed boot socks for specific groups or organizations. Recently Lemack set up a booth at IEA Zone 1 Zones and found many interested in his ability to match team colors and Equestrian Couture designs (the August Farm IEA team's custom socks are among those featured on the Inkstables website; Go to "Products" and then "Boot socks" for a glimpse). One can expect several New England-based IEA programs to sport Lemack's custom socks this fall. IHSA programs should consider contacting Lemack through the Inkstables website as well. Multiple patterns and colors (based on a schools' official colors) can be created, which might make for unity with team jackets and hats.

Lemack wants to expand his "Exuberant hosiery line" to include a "Riding Tight" made of similar materials. He believes that a pair of "tights with the simulated leather patch (found on britches) could be even more successful than the socks."

Lemack will represent Equestrian Couture and Inkstables at the upcoming American Equestrian Trade Association (AETA) International Trade Show august 11-13 in Oaks, Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) and will travel to the Spoga Horse Fall 2012 in Cologne, Germany september 2-4 (Spoga Horse Fall 2011 welcomed over 4,000 people who were among the exhibitors). In 2012 Inkstables boot socks are exported to other countries.

--Steve Maxwell

(Editor's note: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated that at one time all boot socks were produced outside the United States and that no one in the garment business was making equestrian product.)