I haven't found any real reviews of these boots other than by people selling them, so I will write my own.
BACKGROUND AND GENERAL COMPLAINTS (skip to the Review below if you choose)
No dealerships where I live stock 1) a good selection of different boot styles and 2) a complete set of sizes of those boots they have. A few weeks ago I had a day to kill in Santa Barbara, CA, so I stopped at about 4 dealerships there. This is an upscale, high-end type of town, so I was hoping things would be different there. It wasn't.
A Kawasaki dealership near the airport had a few styles of boots, but not the touring type I was looking for. The very friendly and helpful salesgirl offered to ship any boots I wanted to order, but this is no better than ordering off the internet since I couldn't try them on first.
A fairly large dealership just a few blocks away had the touring style I wanted, and even had my size, but that boot just didn't feel very comfortable, so I passed.
The Ducati dealership near the downtown area had a Sidi Way Tepor boot, but a size too big. I tried it on, and other than the size, it felt pretty good. I bought a pair of the correct size off Ebay.
REVIEW
Sizing/Fit: I wear size US8.5. I used the crossover chart and ordered a size 42. It was definately the right size, so their crossover chart did a good job of converting to US sizes.
Comfort: I took a chance here. The boots finally showed up 2 hours before I left on a 7 day trip to Montana. I basically opened the UPS box, put them on, and left. They were fairly comfortable, even wearing them 12-14 hours a day. I didn't think about them or realise I was wearing them, which is the way it should be. My right instep area did get a little sore when walking. Strangely, the left did not. This was only an issue when walking, not while riding. This might be just a breakin issue. They were reasonably comfortable for walking, but I would not wear them on a long hike if I could avoid it.
Sweatiness: Sidi does a lot of boasting about how these boots will dissipate sweat. They really do. My feet sweat quite a bit. I wear leather casual dress sort of shoes at work, and my socks are always about 1/2 soaked in sweat by the end of the day, even when I am cold. I had 3 days of 100-105F heat in Montana, and after wearing the Sidi boots for 14 hours in this heat, my socks were only slightly damp on the bottom. Very impressive.
Waterproofing: Luckily for my trip, I didn't get a chance to test this. Looking at the materials and general construction, I am quite confident they will stay dry.
Price: $170 with free (but slow) shipping. This seems inexpensive, but the cost really didn't factor in my decision to by them.
Verdict: These boots are adequate for my purposes, and I will keep using them. I suspect there are other boots out there that I would like better, but alas, no dealers want to give me the chance to find out.
*****Footnote, Aug. 4,2007
I went to a bike concours show today at Corse Ducati, Saukville, Wisconsin. I have never been to this dealership before. I was impressed. It is without a doubt the largest dealership I have been to in terms of motorcycle gear. They had a large selection of boots, in a large selection of sizes. I wish I had shopped there when purchasing my boots. They had the Sidi Way Tepor boots, in my size, for $120, plus a big selection of other boots to choose from. They also have a large selection of gloves, helmets, and other gear. Just 15 minutes away, and I failed to visit them.
I should have visited them, as I have read about them in Peter Egan's Cycle World articles at least twice. A Ducati dealership in Saukville, Wisconsin, that puts the Santa Barbara, CA Ducatic dealership to shame. Who'd of thunk it?
BACKGROUND AND GENERAL COMPLAINTS (skip to the Review below if you choose)
No dealerships where I live stock 1) a good selection of different boot styles and 2) a complete set of sizes of those boots they have. A few weeks ago I had a day to kill in Santa Barbara, CA, so I stopped at about 4 dealerships there. This is an upscale, high-end type of town, so I was hoping things would be different there. It wasn't.
A Kawasaki dealership near the airport had a few styles of boots, but not the touring type I was looking for. The very friendly and helpful salesgirl offered to ship any boots I wanted to order, but this is no better than ordering off the internet since I couldn't try them on first.
A fairly large dealership just a few blocks away had the touring style I wanted, and even had my size, but that boot just didn't feel very comfortable, so I passed.
The Ducati dealership near the downtown area had a Sidi Way Tepor boot, but a size too big. I tried it on, and other than the size, it felt pretty good. I bought a pair of the correct size off Ebay.
REVIEW
Sizing/Fit: I wear size US8.5. I used the crossover chart and ordered a size 42. It was definately the right size, so their crossover chart did a good job of converting to US sizes.
Comfort: I took a chance here. The boots finally showed up 2 hours before I left on a 7 day trip to Montana. I basically opened the UPS box, put them on, and left. They were fairly comfortable, even wearing them 12-14 hours a day. I didn't think about them or realise I was wearing them, which is the way it should be. My right instep area did get a little sore when walking. Strangely, the left did not. This was only an issue when walking, not while riding. This might be just a breakin issue. They were reasonably comfortable for walking, but I would not wear them on a long hike if I could avoid it.
Sweatiness: Sidi does a lot of boasting about how these boots will dissipate sweat. They really do. My feet sweat quite a bit. I wear leather casual dress sort of shoes at work, and my socks are always about 1/2 soaked in sweat by the end of the day, even when I am cold. I had 3 days of 100-105F heat in Montana, and after wearing the Sidi boots for 14 hours in this heat, my socks were only slightly damp on the bottom. Very impressive.
Waterproofing: Luckily for my trip, I didn't get a chance to test this. Looking at the materials and general construction, I am quite confident they will stay dry.
Price: $170 with free (but slow) shipping. This seems inexpensive, but the cost really didn't factor in my decision to by them.
Verdict: These boots are adequate for my purposes, and I will keep using them. I suspect there are other boots out there that I would like better, but alas, no dealers want to give me the chance to find out.
*****Footnote, Aug. 4,2007
I went to a bike concours show today at Corse Ducati, Saukville, Wisconsin. I have never been to this dealership before. I was impressed. It is without a doubt the largest dealership I have been to in terms of motorcycle gear. They had a large selection of boots, in a large selection of sizes. I wish I had shopped there when purchasing my boots. They had the Sidi Way Tepor boots, in my size, for $120, plus a big selection of other boots to choose from. They also have a large selection of gloves, helmets, and other gear. Just 15 minutes away, and I failed to visit them.
I should have visited them, as I have read about them in Peter Egan's Cycle World articles at least twice. A Ducati dealership in Saukville, Wisconsin, that puts the Santa Barbara, CA Ducatic dealership to shame. Who'd of thunk it?
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