All day long boots

[Builtdesign]

I work in sales at a dealership where I am on my feet a lot and need a good pair of quality and comfortable boots. Safety features are my main concern as I have to move bikes around and go on demo rides. So basically I would like (a minimum of) toe and ankle protection and still be reasonably comfortable.
I know they make comfy touring boots, but they don't alway have the protection I'm looking for. Any suggestions or experience in this area?
These are the boots I'm rockin' now, super study, but consequently very heavy!

 

[Bear]

I have the Joe Rocket Meteor boots. They offer good protection and are comfortable. They passed muster at Loudon when I did some track time on my Ninja.

 

[Warren]

I work in sales at a dealership where I am on my feet a lot and need a good pair of quality and comfortable boots. Safety features are my main concern as I have to move bikes around and go on demo rides. So basically I would like (a minimum of) toe and ankle protection and still be reasonably comfortable.
I know they make comfy touring boots, but they don't alway have the protection I'm looking for. Any suggestions or experience in this area?
These are the boots I'm rockin' now, super study, but consequently very heavy!

If you need a steel toe boot you are probably going to be restricted to a work boot. It seems as though you are probably doing more walking than riding on the job so a work boot probably makes sense. Unfortunatly work boots tend to be heavy. A hiking boot might be a possibility and would be lighter but I am not sure if you can get them with steel toes.

Update: If you enter steel toe hiking boots in Google you will find there are several available. I suspect they will be lighter than your work boots.

 

[RedLdr1]

I gave up on finding work boots that would be comfortable for a 10 hour day and bought a pair of SAS VTO shoes that keep me very comfortable. While they do not have steel toes they are the only shoe that keeps my feet from aching after a long day on the floor. If I need to go on a demo / appraisal / test ride I do a quick change in to my Bates boots that are now my primary riding boots... My old issue Jungle Boots I wore for years while riding finally gave up and have been retired...

 

[Phil Tarman]

Wayne, RedLdr1, said: "I do a quick change in to my Bates boots that are now my primary riding boots..."

Wayne, back when I bought my first pair of motorcycle boots I bought a pair of Bates boots. They had been picks of editorial staff members at both Rider magazine and Motorcycle Consumer News. They cost something like $250.

I went through all the measuring and tracing my foot outlines etc. When Bates got my measurements, they called and said that my calves were too big and my boots would have to be "more custom" than usual and the price was going up to $329. Then, the boots took about three or four weeks longer to arrive than they told me (and when I called, I'd be told that they should ship within the next couple of days). When they finally came, it was the day before I left on my first long trip. I was going to Brian Head, UT, for Phase One of the Concours Owners Group "Continental Drift" National Rally, then from there to Vegas, and back across the country to Mountain Home, AR, for Phase Two, and then back home. I think I rode well over 4,000 miles. By the time I'd gotten to Denver, 70 miles away, my socks were wadded up around my toes. Riding that way wasn't too miserable, but walking was pure H-E-double-L. I spent one whole day in Cedar City, UT, going to stores, buying sole inserts and trying them out. Nothing worked.

Plus, my roommate at Brian Head had a pair of Bateses that he loved. His had this beautiful soft calfskin (or something like it) lining. Mine were unlined. If you go to the Bates site right now, the only shot you get that shows the interior of the boot shows this same lining.

I got home after 16 days and called Bates. I told them about the fit problems and they told me to re-measure and re-trace my feet and send them back. After two or three weeks, the boots returned and were slightly better. Bates "explained" that I hadn't measured right and that my tracings mis-led them. Then they charged me for the alterations. They told me that my boots were the way they were going to be. I think I wore them for another three-four months before I bought the Oxtars I am finally going to replace tomorrow ... with another pair of almost the same boots, even though they're now called TSX.

 

[RedLdr1]

Phil,

The Bates I have are not motorcycle specific they are the "First Responder" boots like LEOs and Paramedics wear... I wear the GX-8 boots to ride in now... Light, water resistant, and quick on and off with the side zippers... But they don't keep me comfortable standing up all day...

 

[Phil Tarman]

Hmm, is the Bates who makes your boots the same outfit that still makes motorcycle leathers? It may be a different company.

I'll answer my own question: It is. My boots came from Bates Custom Leathers.

Your boots came from Bates Uniform Footware.

 

[RedLdr1]

I believe the ones you dealt with are this Bates, and are not the one I used....

 

[Warren]

Wayne, RedLdr1, said: "I do a quick change in to my Bates boots that are now my primary riding boots..."

Wayne, back when I bought my first pair of motorcycle boots I bought a pair of Bates boots. They had been picks of editorial staff members at both Rider magazine and Motorcycle Consumer News. They cost something like $250.

I went through all the measuring and tracing my foot outlines etc. When Bates got my measurements, they called and said that my calves were too big and my boots would have to be "more custom" than usual and the price was going up to $329. Then, the boots took about three or four weeks longer to arrive than they told me (and when I called, I'd be told that they should ship within the next couple of days). When they finally came, it was the day before I left on my first long trip. I was going to Brian Head, UT, for Phase One of the Concours Owners Group "Continental Drift" National Rally, then from there to Vegas, and back across the country to Mountain Home, AR, for Phase Two, and then back home. I think I rode well over 4,000 miles. By the time I'd gotten to Denver, 70 miles away, my socks were wadded up around my toes. Riding that way wasn't too miserable, but walking was pure H-E-double-L. I spent one whole day in Cedar City, UT, going to stores, buying sole inserts and trying them out. Nothing worked.

Plus, my roommate at Brian Head had a pair of Bateses that he loved. His had this beautiful soft calfskin (or something like it) lining. Mine were unlined. If you go to the Bates site right now, the only shot you get that shows the interior of the boot shows this same lining.

I got home after 16 days and called Bates. I told them about the fit problems and they told me to re-measure and re-trace my feet and send them back. After two or three weeks, the boots returned and were slightly better. Bates "explained" that I hadn't measured right and that my tracings mis-led them. Then they charged me for the alterations. They told me that my boots were the way they were going to be. I think I wore them for another three-four months before I bought the Oxtars I am finally going to replace tomorrow ... with another pair of almost the same boots, even though they're now called TSX.

I also wear TCX boots. I have the tall (11") Air Tech XCR boots and the short (8") Jupiter 2 XCR boots. The short boots are my favorite for commuting as they are very comfortable for walking. I switch to the tall boots in cold and wet weather. Both boots are waterproof but due to being made with GoreTex they also breathe well. Both are also very light weight. They do cost from $200-$250 however so they are not cheap.

 

[Laserdot]

I am currently wearing a pair of Navy issue Flight Deck boots (generally like the leather combat boots but with steel toes). I used to wear these everyday for 18 hrs a day while attached to the carrier and feet were good. They give very good support, but the only down side is that they are not water-proof, so your feet will get wet when it rains.

 

[Phil Tarman]

My TCX X-Five Gore-Tex boots (how 'bout that for a catchy name that just rrrrrollllls off the tongue?) arrived today. I'd forgotten that I need some sort of insert to take up the spare room in them. With my old pair I used an "sizing" insert I got from Aerostitch. I'll try the old ones in these boots, but I ordered a pair of them from Riders Wearhouse today.

 

[charlie b]

I also wear uniform boots. Mine are Danner (not cheap) with side zippers. They are very comfortable for all day wear. But, to get in and out of them the laces are not tight enough for extended hiking (eg, miles).

When these wear out I may try some bike boots, if I can find some that 1) look more like regular boots and 2) have zippers.

 

[siyeh]

I have around 125000 miles on a pair of Danner Fort Lewis boots. Best darn boots I have ever had. If I ever wear these out I will gladly shell out the 325 bucks for another pair.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Well, I'm wasting money on the sizing inserts from Aerostitch. I put the old ones in my new boots and they worked fine. After a day, they're as comfortable as can be. I recommend the TCX X-5 Gore-Tex boots.

 

[Builtdesign]

After much more research and checking out (what limited selection) boots at a couple different shops/stores I still couldn't find what I was looking for. So I emailed the guys at revzilla because I have always had great customer service from them. I've included the correspondence below in case anyone in the future has similar needs as I do.

________________________________________________________

Hello,

I have enjoyed watching the reviews of revzilla products, they are very helpful and explanatory! Unfortunately, I still can't make a decision on the right pair of boots. So maybe you can help.

I work at a Harley dealership where I'm on my feet 50-75% of the day. So comfort is important. At the same time I also need a boot with good protection as I ride with customers on demos.

I'm a bit of a protection freak, I'm AGATT. To give you an idea, I wear Sidi's Vortice boots to work (on my Buell), then change into my work boots (which are too heavy). So if it comes down to comfort or protection, I'd go with the latter.

I'm a big fan of the Sidi line and really like the Laguna GTX boot, but wish they had medial and lateral ankle protection. And why do the Clever have to look so hideous?!

The TCX X-Action is less expensive (more protective?), but I had boots with non-GTX version of h2o proofness and they don't breath well. Same deal with the Gaerne G-Impulse.

Ultimately the contenders are the Dainese's Nightawk GTX and Scarpa Sechura. They're at the right price, both look comfortable and offer adequate protection. They do appear to be narrow? The balls of my feel are wider than average, but the rest of my foot is normal. My Vortices are slightly on the tight side for me in the toe box.


Unfortunately, I can't find any places that carry any of these boots to try out.
Also do you know wether any of the boots can be resoled after the tread wears down?

So just to recap I think on the list of priorities is 1) Protection 2) Sole durability 3) Comfort
I appreciate your time and hope this email isn't too confusing.

Danny



___________________________________________________________


On Thursday, June 2, 2011, <erics@revzilla.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> We apologize for the delayed response. The Nighthawk and the Sechura both use the same Skywalk sole and should be very comfortable. Due to the different construction of the boots, the Sechura is going to be more flexible and thus more comfortable, but not as protective. With regards to the resoling of these boots, It technically could be possible, but not recommended. Based on you comment about your wide fore foot, you may want to look into to options from TCX. The TCX Air Tech XCR Boot is a potential alternative, if a bit tall. Based on your priorities, we would recommend the Dainese Quito <http://www.revzilla.com/product/dainese-quito-leather-shoes> as offering the best of everything you are looking for.. We hope that this points you in the right direction. Let us know if there is anything else we can help with.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Eric
>
> --
> Eric Santini
> RevZilla Motorsports, LLC
> 877-792-9455
> http://www.revzilla.com