I save my left side for hand and arm injuries :)

I've now been to Altberg and although I liked the look of the Hoggs, I thought I'd prefer a bit more protection.

From the reviews here I decided on Oxtars. Infinitys to be precise, as they looked ok to walk in and pretty tough. But..they didn't fit. Or rather they were the right size but far too big around the heel. So I tried Gericke's similar Tuareg rally's. Same problem.

I've now tried several different Italian made boots with no luck, the last possibility being Sidi's Canyon Gore but I can't find a dealer who stocks them?

Failing this, it looks like Altberg after all! I hadn't considered their "road" boots but Foxy's account says a lot for their protective qualities. Are yours the classics or roadsters Foxy?

Has anyone else had this problem or is it just me with the weird-shaped feet? And short legs.. And big head...!

I haven't had fit problems with my Oxtars....And i've walked a lot in them. They do squeak however....! :eek3:

Big around the heel? Hmmmm....never seen that one. I got about a half size bigger and they've worked out perfectly. I have two pairs....the old Explorers
and the Gore-Tex Matrix ll. Size 43 instead of 42. I wear nice, expensive socks, which about doubles the life of the internals of the boots and saves your feet.

Perhaps they send super wide versions to the USA and UK? Euros tend to have narrow feet. Dunno. My Sidi's and Alpinestar were always a bit narrow for me,
and wore out pretty fast, not great for walking...at least the ones I had.

Patrick:mchappy:

My local bike shop ordered me in a pair of Sidi Canyon Gore boots. A much better fit around the ankle/heel but sadly too narrow across the forefoot.

I just thought I'd give a mention to these boots as they seem very well made with full Goretex, good shin & ankle protection without being too clumpy and they also have a decent cleated sole for a change. They look great too, I think!

Well worth a look if you want something in between a road/off road boot.

I'm still looking!

Matrix fitsthe bill!
 

After all the problems I related in my earlier posts, I tried a pair of Oxtar's Matrix boots, expecting the same too big in the heel scenario I'd had with the Infinitys.

Well surprise surprise they fitted fine! I bought them on the spot and have been thoroughly impressed with them. Really, really comfy straight from the off both on the bike and off. Even climbed a Tor in Devon in them recently!

I haven't been in all day rain in them yet but so far I'm delighted with them.

Thanks all for the advice.

Gus.

Boot choice for motorcycle travel is a difficult one and priorities will differ from rider to rider.
For me a travel boot has to be more versatile than my normal riding boots, I have Daytona for summer and BMW for winter riding. If you are on a long trip A travel boot has to cope with a wider range of weather and it is normally used all the time, from airports to hiking and riding.

My wife is a big fan of Altbergs, she has a pair of their original lace up Hoggs which have given good service but after several years have just started to leak. For £50 Altberg will refurbish the boots

Having looked around I quite like the specification of the Lowa Mountain boot, has anyone tried these? They claim a climate control system but I can't find any info on how this works.

Steve

I use the Lowa Combat GTX (slightly taller than the others) and they have been great, a quality bit of kit:thumbup1: They are waterproof (tested in Scotland) and the warmest boots I have ever had, maybe too warm for hot climates?
They do take a little breaking in, a good walk or two in wet conditions works.
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