Riding Shoes or Boots

[Old Michael]

Your feets will be safe in these.

Best boots I've ever owned.

Alpinestars Scout WP.



Lots of online reviews

 

[Twigg]

I'm trying TM Solution 2.0s for the first time. Got off to a rocky start, they're getting better after a few walking sessions and some miles. Hoping they're waterproof!
--G

Mine were comfy out of the box, and have been waterproof for the last few years. This weekend, however, my feet got very wet, several times. I'm still not sure if it was the boots or the pants.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Not so fast, my friends. NJ609Eagle, the OP, asked specifically about S-MX1 riding "shoes".

That's a photo of my left Alpinestars S-MX1. I got the pair "free", requested after the FJR purchase had been negotiated.

I love them.

1) Great fit and comfy to walk in all day long.

2) Vented -- nice to have in the Southland, starting about this time of year.

3) Plenty of toe, ankle, and heel protection, including a replaceable slider, and I daresay it may provide some protection for incidents like mcatrophy's recent mishap.

4) Pull-tight strap over the arch, and covered zip with flap for easy on and off.

5) Sole doesn't feel like sticky rubber, but hasn't slipped when riding in the rain, even when standing on thermoplastic striping.

6) I look pretty damn badass wearing white moto shoes on Atlanta streets and highways. (Which is important since I ride like a grandma.)

I also have waterproof Alpinestar boots for winter. They're in Grandma Black.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I just picked up a pair of the Sidi On Road Gore-tex boots from Motorcyclegear.com (best price that I could find) and so far love them.

https://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/last_chance_bargains/sidi/on_road_gore_tex_motorcycle_boots.html

 

[MadRussian]

Alpinestar or Sidi, depending on which gear I wear that day. (gotta color match my outfits, lol)

 

[erixun]

I recently got some Tour Master Solution WP Air Boots and so far really like them, not really a break in period and are comfortable on and off the bike for me. And they didnt break the piggy bank. Only time will tell how long they will hold up, but then again I really don't know how long boots should last- everyone is different and will get different mileage. Like tires. Oh, snap- now this thread is doomed to NEPRT.

 

[Warpdrv]

I recently got some Tour Master Solution WP Air Boots and so far really like them, not really a break in period and are comfortable on and off the bike for me. And they didnt break the piggy bank. Only time will tell how long they will hold up, but then again I really don't know how long boots should last- everyone is different and will get different mileage. Like tires. Oh, snap- now this thread is doomed to NEPRT.

I also just picked up a pair of the same boots as erixun, walked into dealer - had my size 12 and actually let me take them for a test ride before purchase - they worked quite nicely, didn't get cold with air on the quite cool day but were not hot either, and my feet get quite warm.... Must have had them sitting around - gave them to me for way cheaper then the lowest price online. So far so good on the first 200 mile trip, I need arched shoes, and these have nothing in the way of arch support but I am used to most shoes or boots with this problem.... Dropped in my Sole Inserts rigid inserts.

These are what I use, and have basically saved my feet and lower back.

https://www.rei.com/product/721632/sole-ed-viesturs-signature-series-custom-footbeds-high-volume

 

[KYCHERRY]

Love my Alpinestars Web GTX Boots!

 

[NJ609Eagle]

thanks for all the suggestions.

I don't get to wear slippers to work, but loafers on the bike up the highway isn't the safest thing

 

[Harald]

I'm trying TM Solution 2.0s for the first time. Got off to a rocky start, they're getting better after a few walking sessions and some miles. Hoping they're waterproof!
--G

About that waterproofing: after getting bit a couple times, I have a new test procedure for brand new boots now. I fill the laundry sink with about 6 inches of water, stick a dumbbell in each boot and set them in the water. I've had supposedly water proof boots get wet inside within a minute of being submerged and they were promptly returned before there was even any wear on the soles. My minimum test is 15 minutes and I better not feel any moisture inside or they're going back.

The problem I've come across in the past is not having a real life water test until the boots are already well worn months after the sale and therefore hard to return. I just speed up the water test and simplify the return process. Plus I don't have wet feet when I'm on a road trip and experience my first good rain.

 

[mcatrophy]

...The problem I've come across in the past is not having a real life water test until the boots are already well worn months after the sale and therefore hard to return. I just speed up the water test and simplify the return process. Plus I don't have wet feet when I'm on a road trip and experience my first good rain.

Pre-testing is a good idea, though the boots I describe below were originally waterproof.
On tour in Scotland, after a day's riding in the rain, I got wet feet.

(Click on image for larger view)



Back at home, I put the boots in a bowl of water, held down with wooden blocks and a couple of bricks (I don't have dumbbells).



Left them for something like 2 hours 30, then poured out the water.



Although these were over two years old, outside of the manufacturor's guarantee, Mr. Gore replaced them with new. One of the reasons why I like to buy kit that is waterproofed with Gore-tex.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Gore-Tex is a miracle fabric. I've used it -- with profuse praise to Mr. Gore -- when backpacking, sailing, and skiing.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Boots, not shoes. Danner desert acadias (breathable) for fairly dry weather, danner acadias (goretex) for wet or intermediate, insulated danner acadias (goretex) for severe cold weather. The acadias are so waterproof, if you wear them without rainpants in heavy rain, they'll fill up with water, which will stay semipermanently until they're dumped. Sturdy and protective, like purpose built motorycycle boots, but they won't get you free admission to a Star Trek convention like most MC boots.

 

[Fred W]

I bought a pair of TCX plus 5 evo Gore Tex boots at the Revzilla store in Philadelphia early this month. So far my impressions of them are very favorable. I've probably only got about 500 or so miles on them and so far no rain to test the waterproof abilities. Easy on and off, comfortable enough that I wore them at work one Saturday for 6 hours on concrete floors on my feet.
Check them out.

+1 on the TCX X-Five Plus Gore-tex

I've got about 30k miles on mine, including lots of rain riding, and they are as waterproof as can be. Holding up real well structurally too, better that the Tourmaster Solutions that they replaced.

One nice feature of the TCX brand (which used to be Oxtar) is they build their boots on a last with a wider fore foot than many other MC specific boots. That makes them very comfy right out of the box, and you can use heavier wool socks in the cooler months to extend your riding season.

 

[Niehart]

https://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/boots/sidi/tour_gore_tex_boots.html

 

[bigjohnsd]

Going to try a pair of these: TCX X-Five Evo Gore-Tex Boots - 2015 @ $249.99 - $12 gift card and free shipping. Motorcycle gear.com

 

[Fred W]

If it's not too late, and you happen to be a size 12.5. / 47 Euro.. $165.99 shipped here for the older model that I have. (I paid $260)

They also have the newer model X-Fives for $199 in all sizes.

 

[Twigg]

Well I conducted the "sink test" on my Tour Master Solutions.

They leak. They didn't leak, but they do now. After 30 minutes with the water level just above the sole/upper join, the right boot could support a wide variety of aquatic life, and the left one is damp inside.

I see a new pair of TCX in my future, it's just a pity I am not size 12.5 US

 

[Fred W]

That's a pretty rough test, especially on some older, well worn togs.

Sinking the boots in water puts external water pressure on them that would not be happening in a real world use, even with wind blown rain and road spray.

But... I did notice that my old Tour Master (1.0, before there was a 2.0) Solution boots were damp on the inside (not really soaked) after an all day frog strangler, after they had been used for a couple of years and ~ 40k odd road miles.

I guess the question one must ask is, how often does that happen to you, and how significant is it to you to have dry-er feet? The Gore=Tex boots may or may not be drier than some other boots in a monsoon, but they are definitely drier for my sweaty feet in high temps. For me, that is the pivotal deciding factor on paying the Gore Corp. for their invention.

 

[Twigg]

That's a pretty rough test, especially on some older, well worn togs.
I guess the question one must ask is, how often does that happen to you, and how significant is it to you to have dry-er feet? The Gore=Tex boots may or may not be drier than some other boots in a monsoon, but they are definitely drier for my sweaty feet in high temps. For me, that is the pivotal deciding factor on paying the Gore Corp. for their invention.

Well both boots had the same conditions, and the water level was only just above the sole joint, so not much more severe than simply "constantly wet". The point here is that one leaked very badly, the other was just a little more than damp. So under any assessment, one boot has failed ... it was swimming inside.

I just spent two days riding twenty hours a day. That's not counting day 3 or the ride there and back. My feet were soaking. One foot suffered severe chafing as a result and that is neither acceptable, nor has it ever happened before. The boots have been very good to me over the last few years.

If wew were simply talking about a day-ride, then it's probable that I could put up with it, especially now summer is here and even the rain is warm, but I'll admit to some extreme riding at times, and I need my feet to stay dry. I will be adding DryMax Socks this time too.