Riding boots

[7xray]

Didn't want to hijack TriggerT's thread about boots with the good info there but I've been wondering about whether or not riding boots ought to have steel toes like in work boots. I ride in Magnum Stealth duty boots (old style with straight side zipper, new ones with curved zippers are getting terrible reviews) and I like the side zipper. But I'm wondering about getting better boots with steel toes.

Cheers,

7X

 

[TriggerT]

I don't ride with steel toes, or ever wear steel toes for that matter. I wonder how much feel for the shifter you would loose with them?

 

[GunMD]

Ever wear steel toe boots in cold weather?

:cold:

'Nuff said...

 

[Bounce]

So far my favorite riding boot has been the Oxtar Matrix boot. It was replaced with the Matrix II and the improvements were worthwhile. Oxtar was bought by TCX and the fate of the Matrix line was in question for a while. I heard from a friend yesterday that had confirmed that the Matrix line will be continuing. Because of a possible name © conflict it might get renamed and it's a fact that it will have TCX on it instead of Oxfart. But they're there and for sale at New Enough and more sizes will become available as the channel restocks.

 

[squeezer]

I always ride in motorcycle boots (currently, Alpinestars Effex Gore-Tex :thumbsup: ), but none of them have had steel toes. Seems totally unnecessary to me, and I'm with TriggerT about wondering what kind of shifter feel you'd have with them. They might cause more problems than they solve.

 

[copterchief]

I don't ride with steel toes, or ever wear steel toes for that matter. I wonder how much feel for the shifter you would loose with them?

Shifter? What shifter? I thought it was just a place to rest my left foot.

 

[FJRBluesman]

I don't think steel toe boots buy you anything more in the protection department, unless you'r dragging your toes around, IMHO.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Didn't want to hijack TriggerT's thread about boots with the good info there but I've been wondering about whether or not riding boots ought to have steel toes like in work boots. I ride in Magnum Stealth duty boots (old style with straight side zipper, new ones with curved zippers are getting terrible reviews) and I like the side zipper. But I'm wondering about getting better boots with steel toes.Cheers,

7X

Per my MSF trainer, steel caps are a mixed blessing for motorcyclists. The added protection they offer is offset by the potential of a crush injury. In that scenario, the steel cap could amuptate your toes, where a leather boot would give you just a bad bruise.

 

[Scab]

Per my MSF trainer, steel caps are a mixed blessing for motorcyclists. The added protection they offer is offset by the potential of a crush injury. In that scenario, the steel cap could amuptate your toes, where a leather boot would give you just a bad bruise.

I think your MSF trainer has been watching too much MythBusters. Any conceivable scenario on a motorcycle that would result in the steel toe of a shoe amputating your toes is not going to leave you with a foot regardless of chosen footwear.

And aside from flying gravel or the occasional drive shaft end while riding toes-down, what added protection do they offer a rider?

I mean, a steel toe shoe is designed to protect the toes from being crushed if something heavy should land on them. Of course, this requires that the other side of the shoe is on a solid surface. Once you arrange all these scenarios, in order to actually benefit from the steel toe, and you are riding a motorcycle, you have bigger problems than a shoe will solve.

Of course, I could also be full of it.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Of course, I could also be full of it.

Did I read that right? Scab says he might be full of it? Who would have thought such a thing? :lol:

 

[CigarGuy]

No steel toes for me either. I think most of the touring boots out there give good feel and great protection. Not a fan of steel toes. You never know when your toes are going to get run over and those things will cut your toes off! Okay, probably never happen, but yuck!!!

 

[Scab]

Of course, I could also be full of it.

Did I read that right? Scab says he might be full of it? Who would have thought such a thing? :lol:

Oh, well, the secret's out now. I can hear the illusions being shattered.

Well, I might as well confess it all: There's no Santa Claus either.

 

[squeezer]

And aside from flying gravel or the occasional drive shaft end while riding toes-down, what added protection do they offer a rider?I mean, a steel toe shoe is designed to protect the toes from being crushed if something heavy should land on them. Of course, this requires that the other side of the shoe is on a solid surface. Once you arrange all these scenarios, in order to actually benefit from the steel toe, and you are riding a motorcycle, you have bigger problems than a shoe will solve.

Good analysis. I think that's spot on.

Well, I might as well confess it all: There's no Santa Claus either.

Damn!

 

[drjfjr]

When I had a get off many years ago I was wearing steel toed shoes. The leather from the boot was ground off and part of the steel ground down thus saving my toes from certain road rash. I now use Sidi motorcycle boots which have some extra protection in the toe area then regular work boots by way of scuff pad and shift pad though not as good as a steel toe shoe. I will either use motorcycle specific boots or steel toe when I ride.

 

[stormrider]

I don't see any need to have boots with a steel toe.

Steel toed boots are to protect your toes if something heavy falls from above. I can't imagine that scenario happening while on a bike

 

[artistic rider]

I wear Sidi On Road boots. I don't think they have steel toes but they are re-enforced. I will say this about my get off last week. If my boot didn't have the hardened toe I am pretty certain I would have broken something. I scruffed it right at the edge and upper front portion of my boot. Ouch.

 

[Fred W]

I wear motorcycle specific boots while riding about 95% of the time and none that I ma aware of have "hard toes", steel or otherwise.

However, my employer is generous enough to buy me a new pair "hard toe" safety shoes every year. They have determined that they can save money buying every employee hard toe shoes vs. the medical bills they will pay for on the job injuries (they are self insured). So right now I have an awesome pair of timberland hard toe boots and sometimes I ride with these boots on for convenience. I also have a year old pair of timberland hard toe oxfords that still look as good as new. I have worn those on occasion, but those do not offer any ankle protection, so prefer the boots.

You'll notice I keep calling them "hard toes" and not "steel toes". That is because in my line of work you do not want a chunk of steel strapped to your foot (think big magnets). So all the hard toe shoes I buy are either titanium or composite (plastic). I do not notice any lack of shifter feel when wearing hard toe boots, mostly because you don't really shirt with your toe, you shift with the top/inside of your foot past the hard part.

 

[user 8909]

steel toes/composite toes make sense to me, just look at motocross boots and how well the foot is protected, even most street boots have either extra padding or some type of plastic guarding.

the senario SCAB and DRJFJR mentions is one of the reasons that make sense to me.

I recently bought a pair that are not steel toes but they do have extra leather covering on the toes and heels. All my previous boots have been ST.

As long as they are leather, durable and won't come off in a spill should be enough.





those who think steel toes will mash your toes off in some type of event would have to provide some stats to back that up, along with the stats on how well they protect the toes in similar events.

 

[Capt. Bob]

Just to let you know, I voted for the flip flops being it's almost summertime.