Good Riding Boots Questions?

I'd agree with everyone, leather is MUCH better than rubber. Personally, my trainer wouldn't allow me to wear rubber boots to ride. It would be better to ride in short leather boots and half chaps than tall rubber boots. Zip ups are much more 'fashionable' today and most judges like the contouring of your leg that zip up boots give, so I would say get the zip ups if you're planning on doing much showing. I don't really know about brands to steer clear of, personally I've had some Elite (brand) boots and currently have Mountain Horse boots which I love. Ariat is also an excellent brand, I own their paddock boots and they have worked really well for me. Overall I would say expect to spend a lot ($250-500) on good tall boots, they're an investment you really need to make if you're going to compete.