melensdad
Well-Known Member
No secret I've posted in several threads about boots. I'm still searching.
I want a daily wear boot. Something that is actually PROTECTIVE and COMFORTABLE. Many moto boots, particularly touring style boots offer very minimal protection. The low cut riding shoes and hightops simply don't offer the minimum protection I am looking for. Others are to rigid that they are not practical for daily use.
Price: Something $375 or less
Protection: Minimum of mid-shin height (12-15" tall), with rigid shin plate, ankle protection pads, rigid heel cup, rigid toe protection. Preferably with ankle support for twisting/torsion injuries but not a total deal breaker if it does not have rotational protection. These are all "non-negotiable" items for me. My old boots already have 3 of those 4 features, I want to increase protection, not decrease it.
Wearability: I'm looking for a new 'daily wear' boot so the sole must be flexible enough to allow me to walk around, but rigid enough to protect against a crush injury. Again, serious protection with reasonable walkability is required.
Waterproof: some sort of breathable waterproofing is desirable, but not a deal breaker
Appearance: not looking for a space boot with shiny plastic, lots of odd looking details like many of the minimally protective euro style touring boots. Not looking for GIANT logos in contrasting colors, multi-colors, etc. I want something that fits under casual looking riding pants and looks pretty much like a casual boot.
Entry/Exit: I don't want a half dozen buckles, complicated collars, etc. These are for daily use, if they are a P.I.T.A. to get on/off then I likely won't wear them. A zipper would be great. Velco & Zipper is good. Buckles acceptable but not more than 2.
FWIW, I'm a fan of CE ratings but I'm not blind or stupid. Both of these boots (below) have the same 2-2-2 CE rating but very few people will argue that these two boots offer similar protection. And I don't want to wear either of these. I want something that gives me a lot more protection than the ICON but is not a pure off-road boot like the SIDI while still giving some of the same protection as a motocross boot.
I look at CE ratings as "minimal" ratings. DOT helmet ratings are a joke, most of us know that and understand why. CE ratings are better, because they actually test the stuff before it is certified. Perhaps it would be better to compare CE ratings to MIL SPEC for guns? MIL SPEC is just the minimum standard acceptable. A CE 2-2-2 doesn't mean there is any protection in other areas, there are other ratings for shins, waterproofing, etc that CE certifies too, but generally the marketing people just say something is "CE" rated or certified and don't give us any details. And there are boots of the same model in different sizes that are CE certified to different levels! So common sense and diligent research need to be applied.
So here is the conundrum. How do I get the functions I desire from a moto boot and which is the ultimate?
Below is my list of candidates, in no particular order. There are a few others, Stylemartin makes a couple that could fit but reviews are slim. Forma’s ADV-Tourer would probably hit all the marks to qualify but the Cape Horn is a better boot so it’s easy to skip over the lower priced ADV-Touring boot since budget allows it. Also skipping over the heavily ventilated ‘air’ boots as I don’t want to be limited to only sunny dry weather, but admittedly I found very few that meet the minimum criteria I set.
Sidi Armada, checks all the safety boxes BUT has a funky entry/exit with the zipper on the inside and the velcro on the outside. Is it convenient for everyday wear? The sole is reported to be a walkable sole. The boot is reported to be very very comfortable and all day wear is common but the sole is on the stiff side of the spectrum so long walks in the moonlight with your beloved might be a bit too much to ask. The rigid ankle protection is a huge bonus. From the front, under a pair of moto-jeans it would look like a dress boot, perhaps not the side/back view, so pretty acceptable. Best ankle protection of the bunch. Gore-Tex waterproofing.
The Forma Cape Horn ticks all the boxes for safety and walkability. Not quite the ankle protection of the Sidi Armada, and none of the torsional protection and it has 2 buckles and velco, but still meets the minimum standards I'm looking for. Not quite the casual look I want either with its industrial looking sole extended at the toe, but not a moon boot, so acceptable. Very walkable boot, also among the tallest which gives protection to the shin.
Rev'it has the Trail H20 which ticks every box but the sole is reported to be on the stiff side of walkable. So perhaps barely walkable. A technical and protective boot for sure, casual look to it under moto-pants, ease of entry/exit. Reported to have pretty good ankle torsional protection, something that is lacking on many of the boots. So lots of positives, if the sole is walkable.
Sidi Canyon is a classic moto boot which garners rave reviews for protection, comfort and looks but it is also one of the lowest of the bunch. It still offers rigid shin protection, but its minimal compared to some of the others. Ankle is not stiffened/protected in the same way as the the Sidi Armada, nor even as good as the Rev'it Trail. Foot protection and all day comfort are widely claimed to be superior by loyal owners. Gore-Tex waterproofing.
Alpinestars Radon Drystar again ticks the boxes, its actually one of the few Euro Touring style boots that offers reasonable shin protection. Looks may take some getting used to but it seems to offer everything on the list, if a little lower in the shin than most. Probably should be near the bottom of the list, if for no other reason than it has lowest acceptable shin protection. Alpinestars offers several different models in this same basic configuration, with similar protection. Full leather with Gore-Tex ($299) in addition to this model at $199, in addition to ventilated models. Alpinestars is one of the few that has some real hard panel shin protection in some of their Euro-touring boot styles. Most of the euro-touring boots have very flexible soles and while they offer some protection from a side crush, they offer very little front impact protection because the soles are so flexible.
Another of the rare Euro Touring boots to offer all the protection required, the Dianese Freeland is taller than the Alpinestars Radon and again has that sort of Euro oddball look, but perhaps a bit more subdued than the Alpinestars and probably would look good under a pair of riding pants. Pretty good shin protection, hard and soft ankle protectors too, but torsional rigidity is lacking. Walkable. Gore-Tex waterproofing. Dianese also offers full leather versions, ventilated, etc. Some of their euro-touring models have hard shin protection. Like other euro-touring boots, these have flexible soles and offer CE rated protection from a side crush but very little front impact protection because the soles are so flexible.
The final boot that I think hits the buttons is the Alpinestars Camperche which is perhaps a more technical and protective boot, similar to he Rev'it Trail boot above. Again, the sole is on the stiffer end of the spectrum and walking may be a chore, but it is supposed to be marginally more flexible than the Rev'it. Bonus that it comes in 2 different colors. Ankle stiffness and torsional protection is reported to be good, better than the Euro style touring boots and the Sidi Canyon. Not as tall as the Forma but taller than the Euro style boots and the Sidi Canyon.
I want a daily wear boot. Something that is actually PROTECTIVE and COMFORTABLE. Many moto boots, particularly touring style boots offer very minimal protection. The low cut riding shoes and hightops simply don't offer the minimum protection I am looking for. Others are to rigid that they are not practical for daily use.
Price: Something $375 or less
Protection: Minimum of mid-shin height (12-15" tall), with rigid shin plate, ankle protection pads, rigid heel cup, rigid toe protection. Preferably with ankle support for twisting/torsion injuries but not a total deal breaker if it does not have rotational protection. These are all "non-negotiable" items for me. My old boots already have 3 of those 4 features, I want to increase protection, not decrease it.
Wearability: I'm looking for a new 'daily wear' boot so the sole must be flexible enough to allow me to walk around, but rigid enough to protect against a crush injury. Again, serious protection with reasonable walkability is required.
Waterproof: some sort of breathable waterproofing is desirable, but not a deal breaker
Appearance: not looking for a space boot with shiny plastic, lots of odd looking details like many of the minimally protective euro style touring boots. Not looking for GIANT logos in contrasting colors, multi-colors, etc. I want something that fits under casual looking riding pants and looks pretty much like a casual boot.
Entry/Exit: I don't want a half dozen buckles, complicated collars, etc. These are for daily use, if they are a P.I.T.A. to get on/off then I likely won't wear them. A zipper would be great. Velco & Zipper is good. Buckles acceptable but not more than 2.
FWIW, I'm a fan of CE ratings but I'm not blind or stupid. Both of these boots (below) have the same 2-2-2 CE rating but very few people will argue that these two boots offer similar protection. And I don't want to wear either of these. I want something that gives me a lot more protection than the ICON but is not a pure off-road boot like the SIDI while still giving some of the same protection as a motocross boot.
I look at CE ratings as "minimal" ratings. DOT helmet ratings are a joke, most of us know that and understand why. CE ratings are better, because they actually test the stuff before it is certified. Perhaps it would be better to compare CE ratings to MIL SPEC for guns? MIL SPEC is just the minimum standard acceptable. A CE 2-2-2 doesn't mean there is any protection in other areas, there are other ratings for shins, waterproofing, etc that CE certifies too, but generally the marketing people just say something is "CE" rated or certified and don't give us any details. And there are boots of the same model in different sizes that are CE certified to different levels! So common sense and diligent research need to be applied.
So here is the conundrum. How do I get the functions I desire from a moto boot and which is the ultimate?
Below is my list of candidates, in no particular order. There are a few others, Stylemartin makes a couple that could fit but reviews are slim. Forma’s ADV-Tourer would probably hit all the marks to qualify but the Cape Horn is a better boot so it’s easy to skip over the lower priced ADV-Touring boot since budget allows it. Also skipping over the heavily ventilated ‘air’ boots as I don’t want to be limited to only sunny dry weather, but admittedly I found very few that meet the minimum criteria I set.
Sidi Armada, checks all the safety boxes BUT has a funky entry/exit with the zipper on the inside and the velcro on the outside. Is it convenient for everyday wear? The sole is reported to be a walkable sole. The boot is reported to be very very comfortable and all day wear is common but the sole is on the stiff side of the spectrum so long walks in the moonlight with your beloved might be a bit too much to ask. The rigid ankle protection is a huge bonus. From the front, under a pair of moto-jeans it would look like a dress boot, perhaps not the side/back view, so pretty acceptable. Best ankle protection of the bunch. Gore-Tex waterproofing.
The Forma Cape Horn ticks all the boxes for safety and walkability. Not quite the ankle protection of the Sidi Armada, and none of the torsional protection and it has 2 buckles and velco, but still meets the minimum standards I'm looking for. Not quite the casual look I want either with its industrial looking sole extended at the toe, but not a moon boot, so acceptable. Very walkable boot, also among the tallest which gives protection to the shin.
Rev'it has the Trail H20 which ticks every box but the sole is reported to be on the stiff side of walkable. So perhaps barely walkable. A technical and protective boot for sure, casual look to it under moto-pants, ease of entry/exit. Reported to have pretty good ankle torsional protection, something that is lacking on many of the boots. So lots of positives, if the sole is walkable.
Sidi Canyon is a classic moto boot which garners rave reviews for protection, comfort and looks but it is also one of the lowest of the bunch. It still offers rigid shin protection, but its minimal compared to some of the others. Ankle is not stiffened/protected in the same way as the the Sidi Armada, nor even as good as the Rev'it Trail. Foot protection and all day comfort are widely claimed to be superior by loyal owners. Gore-Tex waterproofing.
Alpinestars Radon Drystar again ticks the boxes, its actually one of the few Euro Touring style boots that offers reasonable shin protection. Looks may take some getting used to but it seems to offer everything on the list, if a little lower in the shin than most. Probably should be near the bottom of the list, if for no other reason than it has lowest acceptable shin protection. Alpinestars offers several different models in this same basic configuration, with similar protection. Full leather with Gore-Tex ($299) in addition to this model at $199, in addition to ventilated models. Alpinestars is one of the few that has some real hard panel shin protection in some of their Euro-touring boot styles. Most of the euro-touring boots have very flexible soles and while they offer some protection from a side crush, they offer very little front impact protection because the soles are so flexible.
Another of the rare Euro Touring boots to offer all the protection required, the Dianese Freeland is taller than the Alpinestars Radon and again has that sort of Euro oddball look, but perhaps a bit more subdued than the Alpinestars and probably would look good under a pair of riding pants. Pretty good shin protection, hard and soft ankle protectors too, but torsional rigidity is lacking. Walkable. Gore-Tex waterproofing. Dianese also offers full leather versions, ventilated, etc. Some of their euro-touring models have hard shin protection. Like other euro-touring boots, these have flexible soles and offer CE rated protection from a side crush but very little front impact protection because the soles are so flexible.
The final boot that I think hits the buttons is the Alpinestars Camperche which is perhaps a more technical and protective boot, similar to he Rev'it Trail boot above. Again, the sole is on the stiffer end of the spectrum and walking may be a chore, but it is supposed to be marginally more flexible than the Rev'it. Bonus that it comes in 2 different colors. Ankle stiffness and torsional protection is reported to be good, better than the Euro style touring boots and the Sidi Canyon. Not as tall as the Forma but taller than the Euro style boots and the Sidi Canyon.
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