Boots for the hardcore all-weather biker?

[Oliver_FF]

Here's the story: I've been biking since I was 17, I got my first pair of proper biking boots 6 months later - a pair of Daytona Flash...
https://www.daytona.de/english/boots_e/boots/4_flash.html

As I don't have car license nor a car I ride all year round and clock up about 11,000 miles each year. I've worn those boots pretty much every day all over the place - for my daily commute to Uni (and the walking around campus that goes with it), I've been clubbing in them, I've done a 1000 mile roadtrip in them - they're great.

Sadly after so much use they're getting thin and worn and I'm looking for a new pair of boots. I've also gone a long way in terms of the bikes I ride - I started off on a CG125 and then a 33BHP CB500 and CBF600 - no desperate need for any "hardcore" boots. I'm now riding a CBR600f for commuting and a ZX-6R for the weekends.

My questions to you guys are -
1. what boots do you wear?
2. how much use do they get?
3. are they comfy?
4. if you had to walk a mile in them, could you? would you?
5. would you ever wear a pair of shorter boots like these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_myfkTjo18
____________________
Current bikes - 2001 CBR600F, 2007 CBR1000RR Fireblade
Previous bikes - '05 CG125, '97 CB500, '06 CBF600S, '04 ZX-6R, '07 Ducati 749

[Itchy]

Army boots, They are more comfortable than sidis, I wore a pair all the way across Siberia and they were comfortable enough to do anything in walk, sleep, go partying etc.


Wax them up and they are waterproof.

They have lasted 20,000 miles through rain, snow, sand , gravel , bogs, mud, Seoul night clubs, Chinese rocky paths, mountain walks beach walks, and are still ok they don't look great and the sole is peeling at one spot but this is several years wear put on them in one go.


I used to like Sidis but then Stinkwheel converted me over to army boots.

Such boots would probably offer just as much protection as those in your first link.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[27cows]

1. Work boots similar to these:

https://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc223/Funkdooby_album/Large_satety_bootsM28A.jpg

2.Constant.
3. Yes.
4. Easily. I often walk many miles in them during the summer, hill trekking and the like.
5. Mine are shorter than purpose made bike boots.

Current pair are about 6 years old. They're designed to withstand having breezeblocks, hardcore, acid, glass etc dropped on them and are, IMHO, ideal for wearing on a bike on account of their immense toughness. Had cars and even a bus go over these and ones like them over the years and the steel toes saved my feet.

[G]

Goretex army boots. Last pair were non-goretex ones I got from goose, which had used for a decent time in the navy in them too - I'd worn the left one pretty slick on the sole. So, yes would happily walk a mile in them.
Though, going around europe I was walking many miles in full-on motocross boots!

I wear mine everyday for most of the day.
They are comfy, but walking long distances in the standard ones without in soles does leave your feet feeling it by the end of the day - suspect could easily walk 5 to 10 miles a day at Glastonbury in some cases, then add in moshing and general jumping up and down and they get a decent use.

Have crashed in the original ones a few times and they've been fine.

I don't mind wearing normal length boots normally, so wouldn't go to wearing shorter bike ones - seems even less point when they're so obviously bike boots to my mind. Someone I know who was injured quite badly wearing trainers would have been in the same situation with those, but fine with normal boots of some kind.

[.....]

Also consider using something like these bootliners.

They will keep your feet bone dry.

[Flip]

Goretex army boots with gel insoles as they get hard under foot after a few hours. I use them for bike riding and dog walking and the days where I just want to wear boots.

https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/flip_/goretexarmybootsflip.png

[Reppyboyo]

TCX Infinity boot.
Best boot I`ve ever bought.

Failing that, army boots as already said.

[virus]

Brit army issue boots, full tongue, waterproof if waxed and laced properly.

me, I prefer magnum jungle boots and a pair of goretex socks, jobs a good un.


Cheers
John
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

If anyone can find some Dutch Army boots they'd be good for riding.
They had a 6 hole lace-up then a strap and buckle around the ankle area.
The sole was smooth with fine cross-hatch tread.

Loved them boots, had 3 or 4 pairs over a ten yr period.

Pat
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Shreddie]

1. what boots do you wear? Magnum boots. Very popular with Police in my area.
2. how much use do they get? Constant, they're all I ever wear.
3. are they comfy? You betcha!
4. if you had to walk a mile in them, could you? would you? Yes and yes, they're good for mile after mile of walking.
5. would you ever wear a pair of shorter boots like these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_myfkTjo18 No.

Steel toecaps are ok except for in cold weather where they can get really cold (at least my old ones did), and rarely in the event of an accident, they can fold and chop your toes off.

The Magnum boots I use don't have steel toecaps, they're just plastic reinforced... Bloody good grips too.

[Paulington]

https://www.thejgcustoms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/red-wing-shoes-worlds-largest-boot.jpg

.
____________________
"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Vincent]

I only wear my bike boots for 100 mile plus journeys, they're Dainese and I've had 'em ages but they're useless for walkng in. I've just bought a pair of Carhartt, (now owned by Red Wing funnily enuf), Boots from the States and they are by far the best boots I've ever had. The best thing about them is that you can slip them on and off without having to undo all the laces - a personal bane of mine.

I wore British Army boots on bikes for a few years and used to love the pose of scraping the toe caps down the road to produce loads of sparks

[chris-red]

1. Alpine Star SMX4 WP's
2. All year round similar mileage to yourself
3. Very, they get abit hot though especially in the summer which is why I bought some sidi vertigos for the summer
4. Yep I uused to walk everywhere in them the problem is the soles are soft and wear out I was wearing them day in and day out, you can get replacements from A* for about £15 I was quoted £8 from a cobbler to do the work.
5. Nah I like the feeling of protection a tall boot gives.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Mark65]

HG MAXWELL GTX BOOTS

https://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/3_138/products_id/3937

12 months old, comfy waterproof, next will be the tcx infinitys.

Mark
____________________
07 Yamaha YBR125, 07 Honda CG125 , 15 CBR300R (Chocolate Crank, Deaded), 16 CB500FA, 19 Honda Forza 300, 70 Suzuki SV650

[MarJay]

[Smooth]

[MarkJ]

1. what boots do you wear?
Sidi B2 Goretex
2. how much use do they get?
About 8k a year all year round
3. are they comfy?
Yes
4. if you had to walk a mile in them, could you? would you?
Yes
5. would you ever wear a pair of shorter boots like these?
No

They are warm in winter and cool enough in summer. Only downside to them is that they don't have a deep tread on them from new so I imagine they'll wear out fairly quickly.

[Smooth]

Are there any Alt-Berg dealers near Manchester?
____________________
TDM850

[MarJay]

[MarJay]

[Smooth]

[temeluchus]

+1 altberg.

My altberg defenders survived plenty of tours of duty and were comfy.
____________________
Some shite cruiser. Now with guns and FREEDOM!

[Smooth]

These look quite reasonable:

HELD 8770 Seguro Enduro Boots
https://www.getgeared.co.uk/core/media/media.nl?id=5258&c=731612&h=27f2b4aba11b08c6519c
____________________
TDM850

[funmonkee]

SIDI Courier FTW

I have 2 pairs now. But interchange them. The first pair are 6 years old and still waterproof. Only damage is slight wear on the sole and the teeth fell off but I got new teeth for it

they are £179ish... but they look okay/suit cruisers, Supermoto, Sports bikes etc pretty much anything.

The secret to longevity in boots (or any footwear) is to let them rest and swap with different boots regularly. I wear the one pair for at most a couple of weeks then leave them for at least a week.

I've tried other SIDI boots like blackrain or whatever; but they leak and aren't tough enough. I also have some army stores boots that are fairly light and well made, but not as good as the Courier; I use these as the reserve pair...

They are pretty good in the snow as well. I had to take the busa for it's MOT last time we had snow and the teeth on the boots were good enough as anchors ...

Only downside to SIDI courier seems to be that don't cater for those with webbed wider than normal feet

Just my 2p
____________________
**** Don't ride faster than your angel can fly Get this Free Space
The democratically elected Mod of the Scottish Section - The Peoples Choice[b]

[colin1]

Most of the time, I wear some comfy, unarmoured bike boots from Hein Gericke.

If it's slippy out, or I'm going offroading, I wear army boots that have zip inserts where you normally have laces.

These are ace, as it means they are just as easy to get on and off as normal bike boots.

Thanks to BCF's Bazza for telling me about them.

You lace them into the boot.

https://www.toolbelts.ca/usrimage/dcp_2561.jpg
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god