Boot question (not carb boots either)!

[onchiman]

Well it's finally time to retire my well worn motorcycle boots. They are the old "Engineer" style and have served me well for many years and miles. They held up well considering they got well oiled from leaky cam cover gaskets, gasoline, water, mud and even snow! They're coming apart at the seams and look like hell. Anyway, boots have changed quite a bit in recent years and I'm looking for a recommendation of a good, comfortable boot that has some measure of safety. I'm not into the brilliant wild color schemes or far-out spaceman style Starwars stuff. I prefer black mostly but some color is ok. I guess I prefer the more conservative "understated" style. Ideally I'd like a pair that I can walk around in for a little while that also offers good protection. I'd like a little more modern look as opposed to the classic style and I'm not stuck on leather necessarily either because I know there are some other materials that are almost as good. What are you wearing?

[DanTheMan]

Well oiled cowboy boots or over the ankle leather hiking boots (Columbia brand, I think).:-D

[LeeGS550E]

They're not motorcycle boots per say, but I have been wearing these docs for the last two years (the pair I have do not have the steel toe):

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/536996/c/6471.html

They are by far the best all around shoes or boots I've ever had. I wear them everywhere, but its great that they work well as motorcycle boots. Good ankle protection, good grip from the sole, and the leather breaks in very well. After a few weeks of break in, you don't even notice them on your feet.

You may be wanting specific motorcycle boots, but I can't say enough about these docs. Just my two cents.

[spyug]

I have a pair of Alpinestars ( side zip/all black) with good ankle and shin protection that i wear most of the time now. I had a pair of lace up Scetchers workboot style but I found them heavy and hot and the padded ankle reinforcement rubbed my shins.

I think it is important to have boots that fit the foot snuggly( so they won't come off in an accident) and that they offer good support and protection at the ankle and shin (incase your leg gets trapped under an exhaust pipe). In my first year it happened to me twice.

One thing I was told was that MC boots shouldn't have steel toes since if the toe gets bent upward the edge of the steel cup can amputate the toes. I heard this in my MSF course and an ER nurse friend confirmed she had seen it twice.

Bottom line the boots should be comfortable, stay fixed to your foot and protect it.

Cheers,
Spyug

[onchiman]

Thanks for the input. I'll stay away from steel toe boots. Some of the Alpinestars look pretty nice.

[bwringer]

I'm pretty happy with my Alpinestars "Ridge" boots. They're great for riding and pretty comfy to walk around in. Mine are the older style, however -- the current style looks sort of silly and doesn't work as well, IMHO.

The TourMaster/CorTech "Solution" boots are very comfortable, but the soles are very soft and very lightly treaded -- mine wore out badly in less than two seasons of riding. The boots are otherwise in great shape, but the soles are too smooth to be safe.

For everyday commuting and walking around at work, I wear a pair of (supposedly waterproof) non-steel-toe Wolverine work boots. They're very comfortable, and they held up very well when I went pavement surfing this spring -- they picked up just a few character scuffs, and I'm still wearing them. Dedicated motorcycle boots are a bit heavy and hot for my office job (our dress code is extremely casual), and I hate the thought of wearing out the soles on a good pair of touring boots just walking around at work.

When I had a suit-and-tie job, I just kept a couple of pairs of dress shoes at work or brought them with me. Some days I didn't bother to change shoes, and found that fairly plain black boots are actually pretty office-stealthy in a pinch.

[onchiman]

Hey, thanks bwringer! The Alpinestars "Ridge" boots are just what I was looking for. Understated, classy, comfy and adult!

[emjay]

I have a pair of the Alpinestars as well and love em. I wanted to get the Ridge model - cheaper, but it didn't fit my foot right, so I got the Web Gore-tex boot. Luckily my local dealer gave them to me for the price of the Ridges!

[mriddle]

I wear those too (since January) well worth the money.

Mike

[s0crates82]

I wear steel-toe caterpillars.

[QuaiChangKane]

Not cheap by any means, but definitely the last pair of motorcycle boots you'll ever need to buy.

Love the hell out of mine, and I've tried all types along the way.


Aerostich Combat Lites (made by SIDI exclusively for Aerostich)

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Combat-Lites-Boots-p-16559.html

-Q!

[RevRoy]

The Boots

I wear Bates "Durashocks" lace-ups with zippers. They are 8" boots, a lot like the paratrooper boots I wore when I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes (82nd Airborne). A lot of the cops around Kansas City wear these, and I really like them. They have great support and are quite comfortable. They cost $99.99.

[bwringer]

Not cheap by any means, but definitely the last pair of motorcycle boots you'll ever need to buy.

Love the hell out of mine, and I've tried all types along the way.


Aerostich Combat Lites (made by SIDI exclusively for Aerostich)

-Q!

Ooh, the Combat Lites are nice. I really, really wanted a pair until I saw that they're $250. *cough*gag*

If you have the budget, they are well worth the unholy price.

[onchiman]

Not cheap by any means, but definitely the last pair of motorcycle boots you'll ever need to buy.

Love the hell out of mine, and I've tried all types along the way.


Aerostich Combat Lites (made by SIDI exclusively for Aerostich)

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Combat-Lites-Boots-p-16559.html

-Q!

Sweet! Wish I had the money. This might be a job for "Santa"\\/

[QuaiChangKane]

I wish I had the money when I bought 'em, too!!!



You know, you can do a lot with Ramen.... :-D