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Boots in 2021?


keithu

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Rather than dredge up the old "What boots are you wearing" thread, I'd like to start an updated inquiry of boot recommendations. My five year old Sidi Gavia boots ceased to be waterproof last week, so it's time to replace. Mandatory criteria:

* Must be waterproof. Recommendations from people who have tested their boots' waterproofness preferred.

* Must be reasonably comfortable for walking. Yes, I know they're riding boots first but sometimes I ride to a place and then walk around a bit. I have some old Aerostich CBTs and while they will probably last forever, any walk of more than 50 yards in them causes blisters. The Gavias were pretty good for walking. 

 

Recommendations?

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I'm a big fan of Stylmartin's catalogue, I own a pair of the their Wave boots and is one of the few products I own that I have nothing bad to say about. Break in was also surprisingly short for how rigid they are.

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9 minutes ago, jthayer09 said:

I'm a big fan of Stylmartin's catalogue, I own a pair of the their Wave boots and is one of the few products I own that I have nothing bad to say about. Break in was also surprisingly short for how rigid they are.

The Matrix WP seems worth considering. Which ones do you have?

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As I have wide footsies, I tend toward TCX and A* real Gortex lined boots.  I have a pair of the older versions of the TCX X-5 and A* Super Touring. They're both very good for decent hikes.  See below for newest versions...

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tcx-x-five4-gore-tex-boots

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tcx-airtech-evo-gore-tex-boots?rrec=true&sku_id=1063598

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-web-gore-tex-boots?rrec=true

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-air-plus-v2-xcr-gore-tex-boots?rrec=true&sku_id=1242033

 

 

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1 hour ago, keithu said:

The Matrix WP seems worth considering. Which ones do you have?

I have their Wave boots that are now discontinued.

I also have a pair of the Forma Adventure Low Boots; I believe the tall versions are the best selling moto boot in the world. They get much less use than my Stylmartins as they are much more technical, but they are great at what they are made for.

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I have Sidi Armada Gore (RevZilla link) which are very comfortable, lugged soles, good for a short hike, and withstood torrential rains. The removable shin guard is a bit of a gimmick (I'll betcha a beer you either leave them on all the time or leave them off all the time!! I left mine off), and I didn't like the lack of hard shin protection (even the removable piece is soft).

When the soles wore out, I had them resoled at a crappy cobbler and it didn't stick (literally). I had him redo it and again it didn't stick. At this point I did two things: ordered new boots, and tried a different cobbler.

The new cobbler got the soles to stay on, so far. But now I don't wear them as much.

New boots are Sidi Canyon Gore (RevZilla link), which have some hard shin protection. Love 'em. Exact same lug soles, good for a little walking. They've served well in a little rain, but I don't have the same torrential experiences to refer to. There is a sizing thing, my Armadas were EU42 and perfect, the Canyons EU42 and too small. Just a slight squeeze that I didn't really mind, but I eventually realized my painful arthritic toes after two hours of riding were because of the squeeze. So I bought some new EU43s and have been trying unsuccessfully to sell the EU42s.

With this upcoming trip to OR & WA, maybe I will get some more wet experience with the Canyons!

If you are interested in used Sidi Canyon Gores, EU42 (and maybe running on the small side of EU42), in good shape with about 1.5 years and 11k miles on them, I'd sell them for $100 plus shipping! ($330 new)

Edited by wanderer
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I find Alpinestars Web Goretex very comfortable on and off the bike. I treat the boots with Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP. The liner goes 3/4 way up the boot, so a bit of cost cutting there. Waterproof enough for me.

Edited by piotrek
sp
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I have an eight year old pair of Alpinestars Web Goretex lined boots with lots of miles on them …… still waterproof, easy to walk in, and look decent.  I liked them so much that I bought another pair in Jan 2015 as a back up pair….. they will soon be put into full time service.  I like the Web Goretex boots as they are real leather with Goretex.  I’ve owned Lorica synthetic Sidis that were too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter…….give me real leather👍

Edited by whisperquiet
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3 hours ago, wanderer said:

If you are interested in used Sidi Canyon Gores, EU42 (and maybe running on the small side of EU42), in good shape with about 1.5 years and 11k miles on them, I'd sell them for $100 plus shipping! ($330 new)

Thanks for the offer! I'm no ballerina however, I wear size 47-48. 😁

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Alpinestars Belize Drystar work well when I'm on longer rides.

They come up to about mid-shin, so a bit less moola than boots that cover the entire shin.  What they do cover, however, is very well protected.

They're not Gortex (which also probably helps keep the cost down a bit), but are waterproof (been in several downpours on the highway) and of a breathable nature that has done me well so far, even on hot days.

I've done some short hikes in them, the longest about 45 minutes.  The ankle is quite stiff, and that takes a bit of getting used to (maybe I just need to break them in a bit more), but they weren't uncomfortable by any means.

One thing about Apinestars is they're consistent with sizing:  I started off with SMX-3's for city riding, but couldn't find any touring /  waterproof boots that a) met my criteria b) in stock and c) correct sizing - so, I ordered these online (they arrived FAR faster than any local shop could get them in), and the fit is every bit as good across both pairs of boots.

 

Belize Drystar® Boots

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2015 FJ-09 / FJR touring bags / oil plug mod / Evotech rad guard / SW Motech bash plate / VStream touring windshield / Seat Concepts:  Sport Touring / Vcyclenut ABS rings (speedo correction) / Cosmo RAM mount

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