riding boot/shoe advice
 

Considering goatboy's recent mis-fortune, I'm driven to get dedicated motorcycle footwear. I've been using these steel toes:
http://www.safetytoeworkboots.com/im...rs_76068.4.jpg
I'm sure they wouldn't give much ankle protection. I'm really not ready to comit to full boots, so I'm looking at the alternatives. For starters Alpinestars one-o-one
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...7/closure2.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...97/closure.jpg
@ 8" tall, they would totally cover my ankle giving me more protection than my current shoes and I can afford them. So what I want is some of your feedback. Does anyone use the mid-boot and if so, are there any cons you could share?

Thanks to goatboy for sharing his story and I hope you heal well.

In some cases of a spill, if your toes happen to get caught and flipped back under the footpeg, a mid-ankle boot is not going to protect your leg. Full boots will cover that better.

I like the ones in your picture though. They don't look too bulky for shifting.

I wear an A star full boot in black.. Under my jeans for a ride to the store you would hardly notice them, under my Alter Ego pants same thing... On the outside of leathers they look just like any other boot.

The boots are just fine for walking around,, not an all day walk though the riverwalk or as casual foot wear.. but I have worn them as my only foot wear for three day rides.. but i would recommend a pair of shoes. for that type of deal.

The A star mid boot would be my choice if running down to a local restaurant or mall... Over the ankle coverage is the minimum protection required in mu opinion.

i'll chime in on footwear. :rolleyes:

i was rear ended by a fellow biker at a stop sign. :shock: about as stupid as it gets as far as crashes go, but i was on the ground before i could blink.
one look up the road checking for cross traffic and the next moment i was yelling to the bike off my foot. i somehow got my toes pointed down as the bike fell with it's weight on my ankle. my mid-foot dislocated and broke the mid metatarsal and second toe.

there is NO doubt, since i could feel the weight, that i would have had severe ankle damage if were not for the boots i was wearing ( Alpinestars S-MX PLUS Racing Boots ).

there are a bunch of reasons to invest in quality footwear but i can't stress hard enough how painful foot problems are. way back in the day i wore regular shoes until i was watching a TV show about tramma... emergency room stuff, they had a guy come in with a foot injury... it was so gross that i started researching riding boots.

as good as Dr. are they can never make things as good as they were:

http://www.pacifier.com/~trinc/images/screws.jpg

tim

I currently wear Bieffe Calf High ridding boots. They are really old and are falling apart. I was thinking of ankle high boots for replacement until I read about the accident above and decided not to go the comfort route. I am look at Icon Field Armor boots as sort of an comfort compromise.

My Frank Thomas Pro Stunt boots are very similar to those:
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1..._SEB079-BZ-7_G

They worked well in protecting my ankles and feet in my spill against rash.. However had my feet been wedged between things they wouldn't have done much against a lot of force.

The thing is I tried race boots for a while, and they limited movement so much that I felt in less control, so these were a compromise I could live with.

I've got some Shift riding shoes... similar to what Lazn is using:
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...7070-001-063_G

Haven't been down on them (and don't plan to!) so I can't really say how well they protect my feet, but they do cover and support the ankle. Probably not near as secure as full boots, but definitely more protection than the hiking shoes I was wearing before.

I wear full alpinestars gp pros with the carbon fiber shin plates. They are very comfortable and lightweight. I spoke with some doctors at the time of my accident and they said that something heavy, like steel toed workboots, can be the worst thing because they can accelerate your leg faster/harder in an impact causing torn up knees, broken bones, etc...the physics of it seems to make sense. I still think a workboot is better than sneakers, but not ideal. If you have the $$$ those Daytona's, and I think Sidi now makes something similar, have an internal spine that looks really trick. Again I also recommend completing the package with knee and shin protection. I like dirtbike/mountainbike knee/shinguards, I've bought them used for cheap off ebay, and I've "field tested" them and they absolutely saved my knees during a lowside slide, in addition to protecting your lower leg from frontal impact.

Armored Apinestars here.

Even has front to rear foot ventilation.

Considering what my wife spends on hair-care, bath oils, make-up and other accoutrements of the female needs, per month, the money for the boots was pocket change.

From the B.A.R.F. forums, ATGATT. Good advice.

Great advice so far, thanks. I'm looking at something a bit taller... the s-mx 2
Attachment 28113

Pushrod, that would make a compelling argument :D. My wife is a stylist and gets her stuff @ cost, which would leave me with a pair of wal-mart brand sneakers :oops:.

I wear these (in winter), they are not a full boot but they are just the height i was looking for and only $129.00. They do not offer all of the protection that some of the more expensive A stars, but for the price and being waterproof, they are just what I wanted for a winter mid boot. They also work great for walking around. I can wear them all day!
http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Moto...productdetail$

I have the same boots and love them, very comfortable!

I have these. I don't think I would consider them a full blown boot, but very close. They are built very tough and rigid, much like a motocross boot. This is a big part of why I like them because that's what I am used to. They are missing the toe sliders however. I didn't think I would ever need them at first. I was wrong. Anyway, I like the boots. I think I paid about $170.

I picked up a pair of Frank Thomas XTI full boots at cycle gear on sale for about 80 dollars. Before That I had a pair of A*s that I bought in 04 at bike week for about 100 bones. There is a video somewhere of a stunter having a low speed accident and actually breaking his foot off, it's just hanging off his shin by ligaments. Now I wear my full boots every time I get on the bike, regardless.
The half boots were developed to fit a market of riders who would not wear full boots. They were never intended to be a "safe alternative" to full riding boots, just an attempt to reach a group of fashion conscious young riders who saw wearing proper gear as being "uncool". While they are marginally safer than say combat boots, they do not provide adequate protection against the twisting and bending forces that an ankle will undergo in an accident.

If you are set on shorter boots, my recommendation is the Icon Accelerant. It has a high ankle buckle for support. They are very comfortable, contain an Aramid lining,(kevlar), and are waterproof. I have had a pair for about a year, and have no complaints. They do run a half to a full size small though.

After wearing sneakers for 25 years and over 150,000 miles, I got some full boots about 3 years ago.

I went for Dainese Torque In boots that cost just under $300. I'd tried some Sidi's but I couldn't shift since they were so stiff and thick. The Dainese's fit is incredible, and they're quite flexible for easy shifting, but have great lateral support as well. You wouldn't want to walk any distance in them though. When I rode to work, I kept a pair of work shoes in a locker to change into.

I have had a pair of Alpinestars Ridge 8" boots for a few years now. Kind of rough looking now, but great boot as far as feeling protective. The toe box is really stiff, as is the sole, and some people might complain that they don't provide a good feel for the shifter. But I got used to that pretty quickly, so it wasn't a problem for me.

Very comfortable to both ride & walk in. The velcro closure did get weak after a few years, but the boots saw me through a lot of miles at times when I didn't feel like wearing racing boots. Note that Alpinestars changed the style of the Ridge boot a couple years back (see ranchomice's pic above), but it's still pretty similar to my old-style boot.

For a mid-boot I really like the look of that Astars SM-X 2. Sweet.

On a side note, just yesterday I was finally able to get into all 3 pairs of my motorcycle boots following October's tib-fib fracture/ankle dislocation. Now I just need some more PT, a bike and some warm weather!

i rode last summer with just hiking boots, bought the bike, bought whatever gear i could afford at the time and didnt invest in boots. this year before riding seson starts in definatly buying something that gives full protection. my gf is an xray tech and shes told me some stories about bike accidents and really, who wants to snap their ankle or have their foot mangled. i ride to enjoy it last thing i wanna do is miss work for however many months because i cant walk. i think its definatly better to be over protected than underprotected.