HOW TO BUY YOUR BEST MOTORCYCLE BOOTS
Motorcycle boots are necessary as part of your overall protection on the motorbike. For the UK, a motorcycle boot that is good for for most riders is waterproof and breathable. Usually they are made from leather, but microfibre performs well, too. What makes motorcycle boots special is the protection: toes, ankles and heels are protected with a shell that absorbs impact, there is a shank embedded in the footbed to prevent hyper-extension, the sole is crush-resistant and will withstand the weight of your ‘bike to prevent your foot being crushed under a quarter ton of metal, and where the boot allows there is a hard impact panel to protect your shin. Performance-oriented boots feature additional bracing to prevent torsion injuries and other details such as toe sliders.
How to style motorcycle boots was not even a question worth asking not too long ago. Now you have an abundance of styles that give you a broad choice of what motorbike boots you can buy. Urban motorcycle shoes are great for short-distance riding in town. Adventure bike boots combine some of the benefits of motocross boots with a softer structure so they can be used on-road as well. And, of course, you can choose between performance race boots for track use, traditional touring boots for distance travel, and engineers boots for custom bike riders. All of these will provide levels of protection far greater than sports trainers or Timberlakes.
There is no rule for how a motorcycle boot should fit that is different from how footwear should fit overall. You need to be comfortable, the foot should not slide forwards and backwards, and the heel should be safely bedded into the heel of the boot. However, our foot shape changes as we get older: Basically, our feet become flatter on the instep and wider as a result. The last of good motorcycle boots will reflect the enduser: A race boot tends to have a narrower foot bed, aimed at younger riders with narrower feet and the need to control the bike with the inside of the boots. A touring boot tends to have a wider footbed, aimed older riders with a greater need for comfort.
Yes. Your motorcycle boots pack a huge amount of protection from impact and injury into a tiny space. Crash wearing normal shoes or boots and your injuries quickly escalate with life-long aftereffects. Even if you do not focus on the protection and only consider comfort, the fact that motorcycle boots can withstand ‘jet washing’ every time you travel in rain at 60mph, keeping your feet dry along the way, is a technical feature other waterproof footwear cannot equal. A good motorcycle boot is money well spent!
