Recommendation for boots
 

Hi all,

Two years on a road and two boots...
First boots, Sidi Adventure lasted only six months. After this time seams just exploded and boots Disintegrated.
Second boots, Alpinestars Toucan lasted 12 months. After this seams also failed.

Now I need to buy new boots. I do not want to use hiking boots or anything similar, because I do not think they are safe enough.
So, I am looking something similar as Sidi or Alpinestars boots I have previously used.
Do you have any experience an suggestion for boots?

Br,
Hemuli

Alt-Berg Hogg all weather, I have a pair I have used nearly everyday for 10 years and they have just about had it, I bought a new pair last year. They were totally waterproof for about 8 years then started to leak a bit, I only use the old pair when it is dry now. Highly recommended.

Hogg All Weather Original - Alt-Berg Boots

Mark i am getting a pair of altbergs soon but why would you choose the hogg boots over the Roadrunner or Clubman Roadster?

These looks better for on the bike as the hogg have laces ?

Where are you based NOW? USA is cheap for boots. If me, I'd have sent BOTH those failed boots back ... I'd bet you'd have got a free pair out of it. SIDI, especially, respond well to product failure. Alpinestar, IMHO,
are crap boots.

Believe it or not, there are now several unknown brands (some made in China) which aren't half bad.
I bought these for $50 usd off ADV Rider. A disillusioned BMW rider who just HAD to have a known brand! :rofl:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...0/P1020857.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...0/P1020860.JPG
MSR is "malcolm smith racing" Made in China.
Surprisingly comfortable to walk in, very good protection. New, about $150.
For $50 usd, a fantastic boot.

Lots of bargains out there. see below:
Check out Forma, Gaerne, TCX
Gaerne G-Adventure Boots by Atomic Moto
TCX Track EVO WP Boots - RevZilla
Some good deals on this site. TCX are quite good (formerly Oxtar)

Most of the boots above are not full Moto Cross boots, but rather dual sport, for more comfort.
My dirt bike boots are SIDI Crossfires ($550 new), and IMO, they are the best in the world. I've had them about 3 years, excellent.
But would I take them traveling? Nope! Need something I can walk in.
It's all about compromises! Do the best you can!

I am at the moment in Louisiana and will travel US, Canada and Alaska now for 6 months.
I have sent feedback to Alpinestars and still waiting their response.
I definitely need to get new boots quite soon (before heading to Alaska).
I am just worried if next boots will fail again in 1 year, because at that time I will be somewhere in Central- or South-America...

I loved Alpinestars Toucan boots, really comfortable and decent to walk around. Only bad thing is that they failed after 1 year of usage... Of course, my usage is quite extreme, because I wear them every day and use them in quite an extreme climates.

Hein Gericke Rallye lll Gortex.
 

Simply the best pair of boots I've ever owned! All day (and night at times) every day for 6 months straight, warm, comfortable, rouged and waterproof!

Hein Gericke Rallye III GORE-TEX® Stiefel - Stiefel

I use Sidi Crossfire boots. 2.5 years on the road and still great, though it is almost time to have them resoled. Way too heavy to walk in but the protection is great.....saved me ankles twice so I have no regrets.

I would be calling the national distributor ... forget email. CALL.
For SIDI you want to call Motonation:
Motonation 10225 Prospect Avenue | Santee, CA 92071 |
Phone: 619.401.4100. Casuals. Gloves. Helmets. Race Suits. Spare Parts. Tony. 4 5 5 5 7 8.

I've never dealt with Alpinestar ... Google is your friend!

Hard to imagine what you are doing to get them to fail so early? :confused1:
Are you standing up on jagged foot pegs a lot? Hiking miles in them? (Moto boots are for riding, not walking!)
Or dragging your toes everywhere? :biggrin: Constantly wet?

I carry a pair of Keen sandals for walking off the bike, or sometimes tennis shoes. Soon as I stop .. boots off!

One thing that can rot internal seams quickly is moisture. Wet interiors will come apart. I use Sno-Seal Bee's Wax on my boots. Especially good on the BIG white stitching along the sole. (see pic) The boots shown are not treated yet. Stops water entrance.

I also apply Sno Seal to all leather on the boot. Amazing stuff ... really helps keep feet dry. Find it at any outdoor supply/camping store. Apply then bake in oven at about 120F (very low heat) for about 15 min. Should help keep your feet dry.

Hi mollydog,

Yes, I think I need to call Alpinestars to get any answer from them.
I am truly amazed why they have failed so fast :confused1:
I have been riding now through europe, central-, Se-Asia, Australia and NZ. Temperature and humidity have been quite high.
I use big Pivotpegz-footpegs. I do not drag my legs and do not do any hiking (max 15 mins walk from the bike, or else I use my running shoes).

Shoes have been wet many times from stream and river crossings, but this is just a normal use :mchappy:

Interiors are ok, only seams from outer layers have failed.

-Hemuli

Are Hein-Gericke boots available in US?

I prefer something that looks a little like an ordinary shoe when tucked into my trousers, they are also more suitable for walking in than a calf length boot.

Seems not, I did a bit of a search and nada! However...........

The TCX Infinity GTX Boot is almost exactly the same, available in the USA and they have very good reviews :-)

https://www.facebook.com/TCXBoots

I've done about 4000 miles in TCX X-Desert gore-tex. So far so good. Very comfortable to walk in and have so far stayed waterproof in heavy rain and the odd river crossing.

They are a very roomy fit so try before you buy.

One thing though - the protection on the side from the little toe area backwards needs to be improved. If you went over and the bike landed on your foot I'm not sure how your foot would feel afterwards.

I have a pair of Thors, which I find good enough. Problem for me is that there is very little choice of MX boots in women's sizes, so I end up going for whatever is most comfortable in a small men's size.

Roynie is after a pair of Forma Adventure boots, which seem generally good value for money and get excellent reviews - though it is advised to try for size before you buy as they tend to come up narrow.

The TCX Infinity are a great looking boot ... and SUPER comfortable. But protection is not that good at all if going off road.
It's a very soft, supple boot. (for comfort)

Really a "Lite Duty" dual sport or road boot at best. Two riding buddies own them. They use them as a road boot only ... not off road. But to me the biggest negative is the price. ($380 usd)

Hein Gericke products have not been sold in US for over 10 years.

My Hein Gericke Rallye lll's were $345, not having laid eyes or hands on the TXC's I've heard they're all but identical. I have no trouble going bush with the HG's they're sturdy off road, water proof and comfortable to walk in all day, for my money the perfect all round boot!

Gaerne G Midland: great fit, support and waterproof. fairly comfortable to walk in as well.

Gaerne G-Midland Boots by Atomic Moto

Excellent choice! And good price as well! Gaerne are famous for comfort.

I'd definitely look at the Gaerne G Midland when the Hein Gericke Rallye lll's wear out, better grip, well priced quality boots.

Try a pair of Forma Adventure's before you buy any thing else.

Not full motox boots but good protection and last very well for a mid priced boot. Get two pairs for the cost of one expensive brand !!

Best compromise boot I've had.

Paul

Thanks for all the replies! :clap:

Just got reply from Alpinestars (after I included Alpinestars Italy in my email).
They said that I need to take my boots to the dealer where I bought them (I bought them from Germany) and then they can send them to Italy for inspection... So not an option for me...
I am at the moment close to Orlando and tomorrow I will ride to Birmingham to see Barber museum Barber : Home

Does anyone know a good place in Birmingham, Alabama to buy new boots?
I really need to compare and try these boots in the store.

[QUOTE=Hemuli;459834]Does anyone know a good place in Birmingham, Alabama to buy new boots?QUOTE]

touring boots at Cycle Gear

Aftermarket Apparel & Gear Footwear | Yamaha Sports Plaza

Shop online at Custom Performance

Dude you ask the hardest questions, there ya go, that will keep you busy for a while ;-)

Forma adventure
 

Bought a pair of forma adventure for a trip in April 2014, and i've a few thousand test miles on them already. Made in Italy, so the quality is good. They broke in in a few days with just one blister and are super comfortable to walk in. Billed as waterproof, and sticking my feet under the ouside tap they stayed dry. Came up on size too. As a bonus, they are super warm. Adiquate protection. So far so good.

But.....

Why does the waterproof tounge only go 2/3rds of the way up the boot? Stopping 4 inches short of the top? This means if I walk through a puddle/river deeper than the tongue I will have wet feet. For reference, the sidi black evo sports touring boots I have, whilst calf length, have a higher tongue and thus offer better waterproof protection.

So I've just walked through a puddle to see how deep it is and my boots are filled with water (deep apparently). Being waterproof they now resemble buckets. The only option is to take them off and pour out the water. My riding buddy just walks about in his Gearne gx-1 boots squeezing out the water and laughs.


Conclusion:

If you are going to do wet stuff, steer clear. If you want a comfortable trail boot of good quality you're on the right track.

Somewhere on one of Colebatch's many Trip Threads he discusses boots and water in detail. On his BAM trips they found Gore-Tex and other "waterproof" boots to be problematic as they took forever to dry out once soaked on the inside ... and no boot stays dry walking through a meter of water. I believe they preferred boots that drained quickly and would dry out.

Bit of a conundrum ... most times waterproof is good but if in deep water, where water gets over top of boot ... not good. :nono: What to do?

Others chimed in with their solution to crossing deep water. Some swapped out to tennis shoes/street shoes and kept riding boots dry and walked bike across deep water section.

Others rode across whilst hoisting legs UP HIGH, off pegs, staying above water. (this was my technique during my enduro comp. time) But not so easy if crossing is tough, long or technical. Not too bad on my 2 strokes with NO gear on board ... on a fully loaded big bike ... not so easy. :nono:

No quick way to dry boots internally. TIME, heat, air flow. This is especially bad (dangerous?) if riding in freezing temps. Wet boots that freeze, also freeze your feet! (been there, done that)

For me now, I'd opt to remove boots and make do with sandals or whatever other shoe I have handy. Try to keep riding boots dry. (plastic bag?)

Colebatch mentioned that problem with this was you had to go on/off with boots 20 times a day ... at every crossing. Or you could ride on between rivers with your non protective shoes on ... :eek3: .. very carefully! ?c?

I have been on the road soon 2 years and gone through a lot of puddles :)
I really liked Alpinestars Toucan boot (offers good protection and I can still walk with them (not hike)).
Only problem was that they lasted only 12 months of continuous usage (Sidi Adventure lasted only 6 months)...

At the moment my boots are fixed with duct tape :cool4:... Need to start looking new boots as soon as I make it back to California.:palm:

Try Chaparral in San Bernadino, CA. Biggest MC store in USA. Like Costco for bikes. Maybe bigger ... The good thing is they have most things IN STOCK and you can try things on. CALL THEM to see if the boots you want are in stock and in your size. If not, they can order them and have them there when you arrive.

Motorcycle Boots at Chaparral Motorsports Motorcycle Boot Center

Here is your boot ... WOW! that is expensive!
Alpinestars Toucan Gore-Tex Boot - Chaparral Motorsports

Yep, this is really difficult...
Also if you need to ride several days in a rain, then non waterproof shoes are not an ideal either...
Few years ago I spent several weeks in Iceland and had my Alpinestars Tech-3 boots (or Tech-8, do not remember anymore) on together with Sealskinz (SealSkinz Inc.). These worked well for few weeks trip, but for extended trip I do not think that these socks will hold up...

Does anyone have any experience of Gaerne and Forma boots?
How is the quality of these boots?
How they compare to Sidi Adventure and Alpinestars Toucan boots?

I also preach Alt-Berg Hogg all weather. :) Although at first they seemed uncomfortable, after a little while I got used to them and now they are good for riding and walking for miles (almost like hiking shoes).

When it comes to providing protection, it's a compromise, but still Alt-Bergs seem better then my previous RST riding boots, which also broke only after about 4 months of using.

Here's a short review I've done on my page:
http://www.nomadsatheart.com/motorcy...g-all-weather/

Good luck with your choice. :)

I have TCX Infinity boots, and yes they are comfy. But I would not say that it's a long lasting boot. I'm on my 3rd pair in approx 6 years (~160-170kkm), they tend to fail miserable, like the a sowing (last year), suddenly start leaking(1th pair).

The sole is too soft for standing up for long periods.

I'm currently also looking for something else, but tooooo many choices.

Casper

I've got Forma and my riding buddy Gearne, about to set out so will post again in 10 weeks to see who won! Both have performed well so far with 1500 miles and a few test weekends on them. Both made in Italy (unlike the Sidi I was looking at, don't know about Alpinestars).

I can't say enough good about the Sidi Canyon Goretex boots.

I've had them for over 3 years now in all sorts of terrain (highway, off-road) and they perform well. They are 100% waterproof.

There are boots that offer more protection but I want to be able to walk around when I get off my bike so the big plastic astronaut boots won't work for me.

You won't go wrong with this boot.:scooter:

TCX infinity........... best boots I have ever owned:thumbup1:

i've had a set of gaerne sg-12's for hardcore enduro for a few years and love them. not for walking as they are full on mx boots.

i also have a set of gaerne g-midlands and love them for all but the nastiest riding. very comfortable right out of the box. great grip. waterproof. good protection.

gaerne are good for wide feet and big calves.

Funny, I just polished my boots today and thought that I am so lucky that 'I never have to think of buying boots again, and if I really need new ones I just order them:

Daytona Trans Open GTX



5 years and they look like new, the last two years 70.000km and every day use. And the best thing is you can even walk in them, not like this Xross boots... I just can recommend them (my wife has them as well...)

:) I have owned few Daytona boots and have to say that their quality has been excellent.
Need to have a look at these too.

I owned the Daytona GTX boots ... a great street boot but I would NEVER use them for off road riding. Much too soft, no real protection of foot, toes and heel. Too soft and flexible for off road ... but of course very good for walking.
http://patricksphotos.smugmug.com/ph...-ML2TFGB-L.jpg
Mine were the early version without metal toe guards.

Sold my $500 Daytona's, purchased the better Oxtar (now TCX) Matrix Goretex boots. At $150, a great deal. Easier on/off than Daytona's, just as comfortable for walking with equal protection. (read: OK for street, NOT good off road) Neither are an "Adventure" boot, IMHO, YMMV.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...0/P1020857.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...0/P1020860.JPG
Believe it or not ... the above boots are quite comfortable for walking around. No, I couldn't do the Louve in Paris as I did with my Oxtar's, but these really are much better than I thought they would be.

The bonus is how THICK the leather is, how firm the ankle support is and how well protected your Toes, Heel and Shin are with good built in protection.
These MSR ones were about $150 NEW ... Made In China. No, they don't match my $600 SIDI Crossfires, but they really are quite good ... and do provide better protection than the very popular Gaerne Balance Oiled boot:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e...eoil_boots.jpg
Decent protection but not as good as above MSR. Comfortable for sure! Many happy riders using this boot. But lacks toe and foot protection, very soft and flexy ankle area (good for walking, not for broken ankles), and is waterproof.
Soft leather, unlike STIFF, THICK (and protective) leather of MSR.
Pick your poison! bier

Tech '8 + seal skins
Very tough- you feel very comfortable and protected-
Just add knee shells!

Colebatch talked about Seal Skins. Cannot recall what he had to say about them, but some others used them ... ??

What are they exactly? :confused1: (pics?)
Some sort of water proof sock? or like Wet Suit booties we Surfers use?

So with the Seal Skins, your foot stays warm and dry, but the inside of your boot gets wet, then begins to rot and stink?

The problem as Walter described, was of CONSTANT immersion in water, day after day. Not sure best way to deal with that :innocent:
Maybe bring a Zodiac boat along or water winds like those Polish KTM riders did! :rofl:

Naturally I am wearing knee braces :cool4:

Sealskinz are waterproof socks.
SealSkinz: Waterproof, Breathable & Windproof Clothing

Feet are dry, but boots constantly wet...

I really like my Gaerne SG10s. They're comfortable all day, and although they're not "waterproof" they keep my feet dry in all but the most extreme conditions.
http://static.chaparral-racing.com/p...0/345-5177.jpg
I like the protection of a full moto boot, but these boots are not made for walkin'.

Amazing how well the old biker trick of putting plastic bags over socks inside the boots works to keep feet dry - and warmer, too!

Daytona for the road, mine are 8 years old, worn 6 or 7 days a weeks, still waiting for the water ingress!
Caerne enduro for off road, still in good shape after 10 years but not waterproof!

I have two pair, BMW All Arounds, love 'em, very comfortable. My other pair are Forma Adventure, love them too! Both waterproof and conmfortable for walking as well as riding.

I have a pair of gaerne SG10s. Great boot. Can wear them all day, comfortable and can walk in them. Not hike but limited walking. They also offer the protection that an mx boot does. I liked them so much I bought my son a set. If you want comfort and protection and be able to walk you are going to have to pay. The boot needs an ankle swivel and a somewhat flexible sole. That pushes the price up above just a chunk of hard concrete around your foot.

With bikes it always end up being more expensive to buy cheap. For example, a cheap boot that is not comfortable means you avoid wearing them and just bought an expensive door stop.. Or you end up buying 2: one for short dirt riding and another for road. Same total price but neither ideal.

I also have a pair of forma GTs. Very comfortable and can can walk in them but not a true off road boot. Its only thick leather, but flexible. If it rains they leak. And the sole is separating from the edge of the boot, which lets the water in. They are not stitched. Would I buy them again? No. However, Forma generally make good boots; they are Italian and Italians make boots! Perhaps Pietro just had a bit too much Chianti the night before he made mine! And my size 12s needed a bit more glue than he was used to when shodding Italian feet :innocent:

Thank you all for good responses :thumbup1::clap:
I am still riding with my duct tape fixed Alpinestar Toucans doh, but soon I will be back in Bay-area and start looking for new boots.
Need to try several boots, pick the best fitting ones and just hope that they will last...

Somehow I am leaning towards second set of Toucans, because these at least lasted one year... They are comfortable and offer decent protection.

After long search, I found one webshop with dirty cheap prices, just ordered my new Alpinestars Toucans from them for price 20% lower than the average price.
Give it a try, they have really nice stock :
http://www.burnoutitaly.com/

Sent from Xperia Z using Tapatalk

I saw this same company and after quick search from google, seems like people have been quite satisfied for their service.

I did not order from them, because page said that boots are ready for delivery on 20th of May. Prices looked really tempting.
I do not know how much tax I need to pay if I order from abroad to US.

Not sure about the taxes, I believe that if you're from US it will automatically deduct EU taxes from the price you see on the screen as soon as you register with your correct address, so you'll have to pay your taxes later on delivery.

Friend of mine bought a helmet from those guys and it seems as they order the merchandise from factory after they receive the payment.

He had to wait as well, but delivery to his doorstep (standard, not express delivery from Italy to Croatia) was within two days after his order was processed, that's quite fast!

It's quite clever way to reduce the their costs, since they don't need to have huge stock and their operational cost reduction is reflected on their prices.
I've searched the Internet for more information about them and so far I haven't found anything wrong, or bad feedback from customers, those guys seem to be the real deal. .

Sent from Xperia Z using Tapatalk

If you live in an EU country and order from the US you will have to pay import tax which is 19-25% depending on the country. The tax also will have to be paid on the shipment cost. Also prices in the US are show without tax as tax is state based.

If you buy from a country or State outside your US state, then you pay NO sales tax ... or any other tax like import duty. (unless you're bringing in 1000's of units)

My guess is that shipping from Italy will boost price of these boots UP a bit. I'd guess $15 - $20 usd for shipping heavy Moto boots from Italy, plus insurance.

Most USA based Moto Gear Web sites offer FREE SHIPPING with purchase over $100 USD. Most times, there is NO sales tax unless Moto Web site company is based in your state.

EU tax everything ... and that's they have better schools, health care and good roads! :thumbup1:

Hey, Redhead, how'd you hack your Avatar to Super Size? Pretty good for a guy with 3 posts!

Yeah, we have better roads, but sometimes I wish they were more like yours, they put asphalt on everything, it kinda ruins the fun if you know what I mean..
As for my avatar, I'm a big guy so Tapatalk must've recognized that and adjusted the size accordingly ;-)

Sent from Xperia Z using Tapatalk

I have the waterproof Gaerne trials boots. Mine are at least 10 years old and just broken in.
I don't find them on the net, but they look like these
Gaerne Balance Pro-Tech Boots by Atomic Moto

I decided to get new set of Toucans.
I did not want to start trying new brand, because it is a bit hard to go and test these different brands (most shops have only 1-2 brands available)...

I've got mine couple weeks ago, really love them!
Great quality, perfect fit, easy for walking, and quite comfortable on bike.
Oh, and I almost forgot, they look great ;-)

Sent from Xperia Z using Tapatalk

Yup, TCX Infinity, not very good for offroad

Can't beat the crossfire. Best protection, easy to walk in and easy to store with a cable above the rear wheel.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Only issue with Sidi's is that they are very narrow .. unfortunately otherwise I'd have a pair.

Currently trying to find a place where I can try Gaerne SG10's or GX1's.

Really? I've got very wide feet and I didn't have that issue.

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Interesting - I'll have a go at them - cheers!!

I have medium to narrow feet and found my SIDI Crossfire's just a bit narrow, even for me. Not bad, but I have pretty narrow feet.

Maybe SIDI have different Width's ... and don't tell us? Or ... are they all the same? Generally speaking, Italian footwear is very narrow ... for the Euro foot I guess? My Crossfires are good but I wouldn't want to hike too far in them.
But very comfy riding and no better protection.

Gaerne are also well known for making comfortable boots. I don't own any ATM, but would consider for sure!
I like this one, $213 usd at Competiion Acess, more at Revzilla.
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/g...dventure-boots

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n...00/40754_1.jpg

I recently got a pair of Gaerne SG-10's and absolutely love the fit of them. They fit very similar to my Sidi Disco's, but offer tons of protection. The only downsides seem to be weight and bulkiness. To be fair, no MX boot is going to be a light weight tourer, and the weight hasn't seemed ot bother me so far. Still working out that best compromise between ultimate protection and the light weight of a good touring boot.

Boot choice can be a conundrum for travelers. Depending how you travel, your pace and things you like to do along the way, boots can either help or hinder.

This relates to off the bike walking around. Ideally, you get to your days destination, check into Hotel or make camp, change out of riding gear ... then you go out exploring ... leaving your riding boots behind and switching to sandals or trainers.

But sometimes you want to explore mid ride and don't want to have to change out of your boots, then back again when back on the bike. It's nice to have boots that are good for some reasonable time on your feet, walking around. Maybe check out a market or museum, maybe stop at a bike shop or deal with some govt. agency. Often times changing boots is a pain, so you just end up walking in your riding boots. Can you realistically do it?

Boot comfort is a subjective area ...but most agree full-on Moto Cross boots aren't the best walking around off the bike for any length of time. You certainly don't want your boots dictating WHERE and HOW you travel. At the same time ... you don't want to sacrifice protection either. Foot, ankle and Tibia injuries are some of the most common for riders.

Everyone deals with this differently: Nathan Milward wore red trainers from Oz to the EU, riding his Australian 90cc Honda "Postie" bike.

IMHO, some of the "compromise" dual sport boots listed in this thread approach a workable solution, combining "reasonable" protection with decent comfort.

In Asia, everyone rides in flip-flops ... and emergency rooms or FULL of mangled riders. (Been there, seen it). Tourists fall into this trap and often ride with no protection.

So what is everyone's opinion on this ... and how do you deal with boots?

After all of that doh

I was quite close to get Gaernes, but inability to test them made me go back to a model I knew.
Thanks to internet shopping, stores carry very limited number of boot brands and models...

Full motocross boots are for short duration off road track rides. The only ones suitable for travel are the more expensive ones that are comfortable, have some flex in the sole and an ankle pivot so you can walk a bit.

My solution is risk management:

Riding off road and long trips: Gaerne 10s. Great protection, comfort and you can walk in them. Well walk for shopping etc, but not hike distance. Bike landed on my foot many times and not even a bruise.


Light off road and tar long distance: my Forma GTs, can easily walk, very thick leather, flexible, some protection but not like a motocross boot

Highway local: BMW all around. Light leather boot. Suitable to go into a meeting.

Commute and town for work: normal veldskoen, which is a leather short boot. Ja not really protection but you cant go to clients looking like a biker. A clean textile jacket gloves and helmet is enough. Normal office pants.

All my falls have been on gravel. So I never do gravel without full kit.

Gaerne G-Midland
 

I have wore these boots probably 7 days and the stitches are letting go the boot is disintegrating on me. Probably not waterproof anymore. Very bad purchase and built quality. The most expensive boots ever 43$ per day! :ban:

Send them back. You have the right to have your money returned.
If you wait too long ... this will no longer be possible ... so do it NOW!

In most countries if a product "falls to pieces" in 30 days or less you are entitled to FULL REFUND.

Good luck. beer

Next time I go to London I will get myself a pair of Altbergs as I have drooled over them for years.

I've got some sturdy Alpha hiking boots with Goretex that I like to use, but also have various motorcycle boots, including Enduro boots from BMW (can't rememeber the name). Motorcycle boots are better for riding... but not for walking. Two pairs of boots simply take up too much space. What I end up wearing depends on the type of trip I embark on. My last trip on Iceland it was motorcycle boots all the way, and some compact sneakers for once i arrived at my destination. It was all riding without stop all day.

On my african trips I've preferred the hilimng boots as my day's ride would often include some stops which envolved walking or hanging about. One problem with hiking boots are that they offer poor protection. I've dropped a bike on my foot parked, and I was limping for a week. With a proper boot I would have been much better off.

One thing to keep in mind, as I just saw it happen to someone a few days ago. Tuck your shoelaces inside the boot as they can snag on the bike. Poor fellow got a shoelace snagged on his footrest or something, coming to a stop. He leaned to put is foot down coming to a stand still, but ended up tipping over as he struggled getting his foot firmly planted in time to hold the bike up.

Good advice about the laces Wheelie, I found that you can't always tuck the laces inside your boots so I double tie the loops and sometimes triple them which means there is no significant loop left to catch anything, the single loose ends can just hang as they wont catch on anything, hope you enjoy your Altbergs, I had a pair and loved them.

+1 for Gaerne SG10s.

There's a stiff metal plate in the sole. My toe hit a rock which pushed the boot into the pannier which then shifted the back end of the bike round. No problem with my foot. My confidence was shaken a bit though!

Cheers,

Ian

After several weeks riding in my SG10's I won't ever go back to Adventure or Road boots. Comfortable, lot's of protection and waterproof (I sno-sealed the stitching on mine).

So, I purchased latest version of Alpinestars Toucan.
These boots lasted a bit over 2 months...
After one month of light use, one of the buckles came off (hinge part) when threads failed.
Once I got back from Alaska, I noticed that the seams on both boots started to fail!
I returned them to Alpinestars and now I will get new ones under warranty.

I wonder what has happened at Alpinestars? New factory somewhere?

Oh, maaannnn I had them on my list for my next pair of boots. I currently have TCX Infinity which started leaking after 7 months (ok, ok, I don't really look after them....), but still. So I tried a pari of Toucan which I liked, but if they goto pieces after 2 months...

Thanks,
Casper

How about rain/water ... do they leak, or do one need sealskinz socks ?

I have gone through several deep water crossings and had no problems, but I also applied sno-seal to the stitching to keep it from leaking. The boots themselves are bombproof. Lots of protection and comfortable enough to walk in so far. They aren't low key though. They are full on off road boots and look like it. I got the black ones and they don't stand out too much. The buckles seem really well done. They are almost as nice as SIDI buckles.

My previous Toucans lasted 12 months (heavy every day use during my RTW).
For comparison, Sidi Adventure boots lasted only 6 months.
If I would buy new Toucans now, I would still buy old version (with different buckles) and the best part is that they are cheaper than new version.