Foot Wear

[Flashman_imp]

Some of you may have seen my post about dropping my CB1100 in my front yard grass.

I was wearing Sperry Topsiders - a very bad choice.

Apathycurve made a suggestion on soles - Thank you.

I'm interested in hearing about M/C foot wear in general.

I'm 5'11" and 160 lbs. and wear a 10.5 shoe.

TIA

Mike
Palm Coast FL

A proud CB1100 owner for almost 2 weeks.

[thumper_imp]

For you "Big Bang Theory" fans, in the words of Sheldon Cooper, "I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested!"...

I own five pair of Sidi riding boots. Yes, five pair of riding boots. Four of them are the Vertigo Corsa model (black perforated, black non-perforated, red/gry/whi Loris Capirossi perforated, red/blk non-perforated). The fifth pair is Vertigo Mega Goretex (cold weather).

Sidi's newest top-of-the-line boot, the Vortice, doesn't fit me quite right, so I stocked the closet with my favorite boot (Vertigo Corsa), as it's no longer made.

No matter the weather, I don't ride w/o riding boots, and other protective clothing. (see signature below)

[PowderToastMan_imp]

I just bought a pair of Tourmaster boots at my local shop, like a month ago.. I think they were about 125 or 130 bucks. Before that I was wearing Hi-Tec Altitude IV boots, which I like for their water resistance. I find the Tourmasters to be quite comfortable. And the left one definitely did its job today! I believe if I was still using the Hi-Tec (leather but not solidified in the toe), I would have wound up with a broken big toe in this situation. And probably some road rash since there was a gap of exposed sock between my pants and the boot. Instead I got a good scuff on the boot and a very slight bruise. I'm probably getting replacement boots, and I don't have any issue with getting another of the same pair for sure.

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

Love my Alpine Stars Ridge Waterproof boots. Reasonably priced with great comfort and fit. Easy on and off. You can wear these all day with a pair of jeans and not look out of place; they look that nice.

[BuffaloBill_imp]

For me, I have found one of the best places to by boots from is revzilla.com as they have great video review, selection, price and availability:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle-boots

I use two types for sport touring CB100 riding:

Alpinestars S-MX 1 and Tour Master Solution 2.0 WP primarily because of the reviews and price.

I'm happy with them...

[Guth_imp]

I think one of the biggest factors in shopping for boots is to find a pair that are comfortable enough that you'll actually wear them every time you hop on the bike.

In my opinion, you should be considering a pair of boots that provides good solid ankle and shin protection (the two areas most often damaged). I also recommend trying to avoid laces for obvious reasons. That said, any pair of boots that are solidly constructed and at least cover your ankles are better than no boots at all.

[furious_blue_imp]

Talking street boots here...

I've settled on 2 basic pairs: 1 for optimum protection, 1 for touring comfort.

For the protection boot, ankle bracing was of primary importance to me. For this I chose the Dainese 'Torque-In'. It's stiff around the ankles (what I want).. can tolerate being walked in for short distances (less than 1/2 mile). Feels like walking in stiff road cycling shoes if you've ever walked in those.

For touring: I got tired of constantly stopping to put on waterproof overboots, so when the Sidi 'On-Road' came out, I got those. They have kept my feet dry going through days of drenching downpours. Can walk long distances in them. Not a whole lot of protection though. If anyone has a newer better waterproof boot I'm all ears.. though these Sidi boots refuse to wear out and I'm too cheap to toss them :-(

[Scoobynut_imp]

Love my Alpine Stars Ridge Waterproof boots. Reasonably priced with great comfort and fit. Easy on and off. You can wear these all day with a pair of jeans and not look out of place; they look that nice.

I'll second that about the A-Stars Ridges -- they break in very quickly and once they do it's like wearing a pair of comfy high-top slippers. I have a pair of high-dollar Sidis but find the Ridges are my go-to boots most of the time.

[SoxVol_imp]

Also, make sure the soles have good traction. My long-term boots are starting to become a bit slippery in the rain when I put my feet down. Something to be aware of as the boots get older.

[cb400four_imp]

Flashman, for the previous couple years I rode using a pair of [url=http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tour-master-solution-20-wp-boots]Tourmaster Solution 2.0 Boots purchased from my local Honda dealership; the boots were comfortable, more protective than regular footwear, and good value. After I purchased my CB1100, the bike's weight gave me a bit of concern about not being protected around my ankles and shins so I bought a pair of [url=http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-adventure-gore-tex-boots]SIDI Adventure boots. The SIDIs are very comfortable (I'm a size 8 4E wide in New Balance 990 sneakers, both the Tourmasters and the SIDIs were purchased using size 9 American 43 European because special wide sizes were not available) and the SIDI boots are significantly more armored around the ankles and shins than the previous boots, though I can still get my textile and leather pants over the boots as opposed to tucking the pant legs into the boot. I had the slightly adjust the shift lever up a bit to accommodate the SIDI boot.

The SIDIs are very expensive, no doubt, and I believe equally protective gear can be obtained at a more economical price. And the SIDIs squeak when you walk in them. All said, though, I love the SIDI Adventure boots. I like supporting my local dealership but they did not stock my size so I purchased the SIDIs from revzilla.com, I have been very pleased with their service.