Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I've spent all day walking around in motorcycle boots. There are plenty of comfortable ones out there, and others that you should never walk in. For instance, my Sidi Vortice boots are too rigid to walk in but my Sidi Strada air are much more flexible and comfortable.

The reason for the added length and rigidity is a practical and logical engineering solution. No gear can fully prevent injury, it can reduce or redirect it. Taller rigid boots are much more likely to break your tibia/fibia midleg instead of tearing your ankle apart. The difference is a rod in the tib/fib has a 6 week recovery period and you're almost back to normal with a high likelihood of near full recovery. A broken ankle almost always leads to reduced functionality and life long pain. You never want to screw up a joint.

Steel toes are great if you plan on having weight come down on your toes. However, you're much more likely to get an ankle caught in a spill either through a tumble, catching it on the bike or from the all too common- standing up before you've completely stopped. There's a reason why every track school tells you to pat the ground after you think you've stopped to make sure you're not still moving. It can be very disorienting. Stand too soon and you go into a horrible tumble... ouch.

Story, that is the best explanation i have heard regarding riding boots vs. sneakers, thank you

and just as a curiosity... how does everyone feel about knee pads when riding? I got a pretty nice skinned knee and was wondering if it was a good idea to get some.

I ride with boots. Tour master solution road boots. I have an old pair 1st generation, and a pair of tour master solution II. I like the first design better, and was unable to get any more of them. The II's are still a great boot, I just prefer the first version. And yes, I do feel safer in riding boots than work boots, or other footwear.

freebird73 wrote:and just as a curiosity... how does everyone feel about knee pads when riding? I got a pretty nice skinned knee and was wondering if it was a good idea to get some.

It's great to protect your joints- doesn't matter if it's an ankle, knee, wrist, elbow, shoulder or hip. I always have on armor on my knees hips, shoulders, elbows and I wear a separate back pad. In the summer I sometimes wear bomber shorts and a pair of alpine star bionic knee guards under my pants.

I agree with all the advice re joint protection but had to smile when I read this...

storysunfolding wrote: In the summer I sometimes wear bomber shorts and a pair of alpine star bionic knee guards under my pants.

...............bearing in mind we wear trousers over here so bionic knee guards under your nether regions sounds uncomfortable


BTW if trousers = pants what do you call undergarments for your posteriors?

Underwear is the garmet we have between our pants and our nether regions. Unless you've taken a topple on a ride with some of the sportbike riders in Northern Virginia. In that case you wear a pink thong outside your 1 piece leathers.

storysunfolding wrote:Underwear is the garmet we have between our pants and our nether regions. Unless you've taken a topple on a ride with some of the sportbike riders in Northern Virginia. In that case you wear a pink thong outside your 1 piece leathers.

I guess that way they stay clean?

I wear my old lace up, steel toe Red Wing climbing boots (pole/tree climbing) for just about anything, including riding my bike. They're like a second skin by now and provide as much protection as a boot can reasonably provide. Whatever you get, unless you're a fashion conscious female, don't get a boot with a zipper in it...my feelings about those and those who wear them are not suitable for posting. Just my opinion of course and I've never been accused of being fashion conscious...