please recommend some riding boots..

[MGPilot]

I wanted boots that were functional beyond riding.

Have enjoyed L.L. Bean's waterproof engineer boots. They do take a while to break in, though. Heavy. Strong. Well made. But don't have CE armor, etc.  Just boots.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/78205?feat=engineer-SR0&page=katahdin-iron-works-engineer-boots-plain-toe

[donn]

Redwing 953's for me.

I have a pair of Redwings for walking.  One of the great things about them is that you can get your size, not just length but width too.  The 953 looks like a better sole than the one I got - look out for "dual density", which means there's (only) a durable outer layer, and once that's worn through the sole is a goner.  Local shoe repair options are Vibram lug soles only.

But I'd prefer a motorcycle boot for motorcycling, if possible.  No laces, ankle skids, stuff like that no one needs but a motorcyclist.  Vendramini works so far for me.  Shoe repairman replaced the straps with better velcro, that helped a lot.

[sturgeon]

Sidi and TCX both make a nice variety of waterproof leather boots. I have a pair of Oxtar Matrix GoreTex boots that I've had for 8 or 9 years and countless thousands of km, that are still waterproof. The soles are getting a bit thin, and they're now relegated to mostly around-town day-trip use. Oxtar is now TCX, and the Matrix is now the X-Five. Not hugely expensive. The Sidi boots I have (Canyon Gore) are a bit heavier with a stiffer sole, more $$, and every bit as good. Probably 3 or 4 years on them, still 100% waterproof. Aside from some scuffs here and there and some slight wear on the soles, they look essentially new. And they're comfy to walk in, moreso than the TCX. I've seen the TCX boots for around $220 (US) and the Sidis for about $350.

As for waterproof bags, there are tons of options. I'm a long-time backcountry whitewater canoe addict, so I tend to use my canoeing waterproof bags for motorcycle travel as well. They're every bit as tough, or tougher, than motorcycle-specific bags, and just as easy to use. I've had a couple of different-sized SealLine (Cascade Designs) waterproof duffles that have survived more abuse than they deserve, and continue to function perfectly. They've been across the trans-Labrador 'highway' on the back of my bike, they've been across Canada and back twice, most recently they spent 2 weeks canoeing the Wind and Peel rivers in Yukon. They'll probably last longer than I will. They tend to cost significantly less than the moto-specific stuff. I also have some Ortlieb panniers for my dirt bike. The SealLine stuff is sturdier. If they made panniers, I'd have those instead of the Ortliebs. If you want something more moto-specific, some of my pals swear by a company named Mosko Moto. Too much frippery for me when I already have stuff that works for me, but they do look sturdy and useful.

I ride many tens of thousands of km a year, in every kind of weather, and my gear works (for me).

[blackcat]

I have a pair of Sidi On Roads which I purchased about 10-15? years ago, anyway old and the velcro has finally gone and they are starting to leak but I still use them on regular rides so I replaced them with the Sidi Adventure Boots about 6 months ago and they are even better than the On Roads.  They have more protection than the On Roads and of course they look like space boots but IDGAF what they look like.

[slopokes]

falco boots--made in Italy by the brother of mr. sidi-- and half the price-- a true guzzi find--

[Sasquatch Jim]

  These are the popular riding boots around here.   Bare feet dry quickest.

 

[John Ulrich]

Sidi here, tall and shoes

[stevet]

I've got about 10 years and over 50000 miles on a pair of Aerostich Combat Lite boots (cleat sole).  Being close to Duluth, MN, I drove up over the winter and bought a pair, then spent the non-riding winter breaking them in.  They are very heavy leather and will require some break-in time before getting on the bike.  'Stich's Combat Touring Boots Owner's Guide does a good job of suggesting how to live with a pair, see link below.  Annual (or more if needed) application of Lexol Cleaner and Conditioner works very well at keeping the leather in good condition and will help break them in.  A few times over the years I've also sprayed them with (what now might be an old version/recipe of) 3M Scotchguard Outdoor Protector to keep water from saturating the leather.  Pay attention to seams and the joint of the upper and the sole.  I don't routinely ride on rainy days but I've had times of long, wet rides and my feet have stayed dry in the Combats.  Wet commuting, or light/moderate rain for awhile on tour, you'll stay dry.  If the heavens are opening up and the gullies are getting washed out, stay inside/get off the road until it passes...  Not safe to ride in those conditions, anyway.

In my experience, I'm of the opinion that waterproof footwear (Gortex liners, etc) that keeps water out does a good job of keeping liquid water (sweat) in.  Not that a thick slab of leather "breathes", or allows evaporated water (sweat) to travel out of the boot through the surface of the leather faster than it collects in there, but having one more layer of moisture resistant material between my foot and the open atmosphere just does not seem to serve me very well.  Nor does letting the outer leather saturate and then depending on an inner waterproof layer to keep that water out.  A few pairs of Keen non-motorcycle footwear have demonstrated this to me.  (Membranes pass humidity but not liquid, and the liquid is not going to evaporate and pass through faster than it is created inside your boot in warm weather.) Therefore, the unlined boots that are treated on the outer surface for water resistance have proven themselves to me to keep outside water out.  This includes my non-lined Red Wing work boots are are many times per week sunk into standing water and sloppy mud, and rain/snow, on construction sites-- no water has even gotten through those boots during any season of the year.  I can't tell you how many times I've used a 1-2 inch deep puddle to slop around in to clean the mud off my boots.  My feet remain dry just fine.

Hot weather sweaty foot moisture can be remedied by bringing along a pair or two of fresh socks, and letting the boots air out for a minute as you change your socks.  Easy.

Lexol products-
http://www.lexol.com/lexol/categories

Red Wing products-
http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-care

Scotchguard Outdoor Protector-
http://www.scotchgard.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NAScotchgard/Global/Products/Product_Catalog/~/Scotchgard-Outdoor-Water-Shield?N=4340+3294466439+3294529207&rt=rud

Aerostich Combat Lite boots, scroll down for helpful documents-
http://www.aerostich.com/clothing/footwear/combat-touring-boots/aerostich-combat-lite-boots.html

Steve.

[stevet]

  These are the popular riding boots around here.   Bare feet dry quickest.

 

For a stomach-turning good time, web search images for motorcycle accidents while wearing sandals.    I'd include a link, but I don't want to get banned from WG.

Heavy boots suddenly make real sense. 

Steve.

[AH Fan]

I absolutely love my BMW Pro Touring 2 boots:

http://shop.bmw-motorrad.com/Boots/Pro-Touring-2-boot-psc-200000641-YlegMkqlzXAAAAE0t9JtTecS-UXCOM-WFS-en_EU-EUR.html

They're comfortable for all-day walking, I can wear them under khakis or jeans for work, and they're waterproof, too. Great protection features as well. Highly recommended.

Yup .............. I will second all of what you said........
My pair have been worn and beaten and still are performing.   

Ciao

[PeteS]

This year I added a pair of TCX Airtech boots to my TCX off road boots. No break in needed and wore them a month straight on a cross country trip with no problems. They let some air in and the water out. Stayed dry through a couple of frog stranglers. Top notch.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/boots/waterproof_sport_street_touring_boots/tcx/airtech_gore_tex_boots.html

When Sidi made leather boots I thought they were extremely comfortable but haven't felt the same about their synthetic line.

Pete

[H-E-ROSS]

http://www.gasolinaboots.com/images/autobahn2_500.jpg
These do not fit The OP's full criteria as they are not waterproof. I bought this model this year and have been very happy with them.Very comfortable and  came with custom sizing to accommodate wide feet and broad calfs at no additional charge. They were well worth the money and the wait.

[boatdetective]

Genera mini daytonas. Very nice, all leather boots that are easy to slip into yet give full protection. The fit is not as narrow as the standard Sidi. I have to give mine up as they are too tight for one foot. Plenty of life left in them. If you're interested, let me know. Technically, they're 11- but I'd rate them as size 10.

[guzzimike]

Sidi on roads. More than likely the last boots you'll have to buy. Like most tools, you buy cheap stuff over and over..good stuff once. 

Agreed, 100%

Got my SIDI On Road Sympatex boots in 2004, or so - I Still got them.

I even wear them sometimes when watering the lawns; they're that comfortable..

Someone at a Moto-magazine ran a test, years ago, to see which boots were TRULY waterproof. They tested a wide variety of boots, about 20 different ones, IIRC .

Only the SIDI On Road Sympatex boots were able to resist the water immersion past 24hrs. Matter of fact, after several days, they still held, so that was that.


IMHO, This is the best Sport / Touring motorcycle boot made.








-

[kingoffleece]

All breathable membrane products need to be treated to prevent "wet-out".  Jackets, gloves, boots, all of it.  Plenty of tech info on the web if you need the nuts and bolts of why.

NixWax makes a whole bunch of products that work and there are others as well.  Properly maintained these materials will work to the satisfaction of most riders.  The psychics involved, due to all kinds of variables including but not limited to humidity and tempture will dictate how much water vapor can be moved and in what direction.  Also, most membranes do NOT like dirt and espicially oil/grease contamination.  These will compromise the performance big time.

That said, I've used SEDI on road boots for plenty of multi day rain rides (on purpose) testing my waterproof bike products.  Never wet feet.

[leafman60]

Agreed, 100%

Got my SIDI On Road Sympatex boots in 2004, or so - I Still got them.

I even wear them sometimes when watering the lawns; they're that comfortable..

Someone at a Moto-magazine ran a test, years ago, to see which boots were TRULY waterproof. They tested a wide variety of boots, about 20 different ones, IIRC .

Only the SIDI On Road Sympatex boots were able to resist the water immersion past 24hrs. Matter of fact, after several days, they still held, so that was that.


IMHO, This is the best Sport / Touring motorcycle boot made.








-

I agree BUT Sidi has discontinued them! No longer made!

[malik]

Waterproof luggage: - I've been using the Ortieb Rack Packs for the past 6 years - mostly the medium (31L), & sometimes the small (24L). Have probably done more than 100.000ks on the medium & still going strong. The roll top works well. Both fit the camping gear (hammock, fly, bottom insulation. sleeping bag & liners & blanket, ground sheet, pegs & ropes & a few clothes. The medium has room for a few more clothes, plus a couple of bottles of wine or whatever. Keep an eye out for the specials at BestRest Products
 (http://www.bestrestproducts.com/c-108-rackpacks.aspx)
 - they have the bags on discount often (& the actual price is cheaper than listed) - the best offer I caught was 2 bags for the price of one.

They same sort of bag is available from Givi in 40L, & SW-Motech in 35L (and bigger) as well as from others. But I know the Ortieb lasts well.

For touring, the boots I use the Alpinestar Web Gortex - actually waterproof for years; replaced them a few years back, only because hitting a car destroyed one boot (but saved the foot). A wide fitting boot, wider than the Formas & the Sidis I've tried on. Pretty comfortable for me, but NOT a hiking boot. They are supposed to be a superceded model, but some vendors still stock them. As you will be living in them, the boots you tour in will have to fit very, very well. And there's not much give in the goretex lined boots.

Mal

Mal

[Yukonica]

Gaerne builds some good footwear as well. They have street/adventure/dirt/or racing styles.
I'm in the G-Adventure; half way between a road and a trials boot. But rather than sales pitch a boot that is probably not  what OP is looking for I'd like to suggest features to avoid in the spirit of longevity. Zippers and Velcro closures.
Zippers will eventually wear out due to grime in the coils (toothed zippers are an even worse choice for footwear).
Velcro loses it adhesive quality when soaked and also 'fuzzes' out with use. Snatch buckles like you see on skirts work pretty much forever. You really only need one across the instep to hold your foot on the shoe but a couple up the leg make for a much more secure fit.

[leafman60]

I just ordered a pair of Sidi On Roads from Extreme Supply tonight for $199 on close-out. Not sure how many they have left, but it's a good price if you're looking to get a pair before they're gone.

Great buy!

I may order a pair as spares!

They're up to $288 a pair now. Still a great buy.

http://www.extremesupply.com/product/SIDIONROADGORETEXBOOT.html

Same at other places like Revzilla-

http://www.revzilla.com/product/sidi-on-road-gore-tex-boots

.

[leafman60]

Oh, I just found the $199 On Roads at Extreme. They are the older style On Road-

http://www.extremesupply.com/sidi-on-road-sympatex-boots.html

[lucydad]

All,

Wow, thanks!!  It will take a while to process your abundant input data.  Water proof is a key need for riding this time of year. 
Too bad there isn't a motorcycle boot superstore where a buyer can go try on boots.  Sizing can be a bit dicey and a return policy key.

I will figure it out.  Been busy today with getting current house roof replacement estimates for shingles.  Not cheap.  Also did my class homework.

[Demar]

I have a pair of these Vendramini Aero boots for warm weather. The mesh really lets in the air and on 100F days I can feel the air moving across my feet. I have a pair of Vendramini Tuareg for cooler weather.

http://www.motoworldonline.com/Vendramini-Aero-Air-Tex-Boots_p_1100.html

http://www.customfitmotorcycleboots.com/en/boots/allroad/vj429-tuareg-s.html

[leafman60]

An important thing to consider when buying boots is re-sole capability. A traditional sewn welt or similar is the easiest for shoe repair shops to re-sole.
The cool-looking molded-on soles require the shops to actually saw them off.  That process can sometimes breach the waterproof barrier underneath.

[charlie b]

So what is the current alternative to the Sidi On Road.  The Tour looks similar.  The All Road looks good too, but, is mesh and fake leather.

I would be looking for boots that are as comfortable as my Danner tactical boots (and as waterproof).

PS I should have said, as comfortable for all day walking in them.

[leafman60]

This response from Sidi's US importer to whom I sent a complaint about discontinuing the On Road.

NOV 23, 2015  |  08:49AM PST
Bill Berroth replied:
Hello David,
If I’m speaking candidly and only for myself I completely agree. It was a solid boot and personally I would take the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” stance. But for whatever reason its no longer available. I’m sorry.
Sincerely,
-Bill Berroth

Customer Service Representative
Ph. (619) 401-4100 Ext 105 | Fx. (619) 401-4108
10225 Prospect Ave., Santee, CA 92071

[cloudbase]

I've got a pair of these


Puma Desmo

and a pair of these


Puma 1000

Like 'em both.

[Rox]

Dr.Marten's. Best riding boot Ive ever had.

But if you need a riding boot marketed as a motorcycle boot Sidi is probably the best out there for the money.
   If you want good but on the cheap check the Sedici line from Cyclegear. Probably the best cheap boot out there right now.

[Dean Rose]

Dr.Marten's. Best riding boot Ive ever had.

But if you need a riding boot marketed as a motorcycle boot Sidi is probably the best out there for the money.
   If you want good but on the cheap check the Sedici line from Cyclegear. Probably the best cheap boot out there right now.

http://www.cyclegear.com/SEDICI-Maximo-Waterproof-Adventure-Boots

Good looking boot.

Dean

[elvisboy77]

Had a pair of the AS full height boots for years, loved the look and the coverage of my foot and leg, but never got comfortable shifting and braking with them, ultimately sold them on AdvRider.  I replaced them with these TourMasters about a year ago, they've worked very nicely this past season:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tour-master-solution-wp-air-boots?utm_source=product&kwd=&gclid=CjwKEAiA7MWyBRDpi5TFqqmm6hMSJAD6GLeA-Hbt-ohf5oTOZACyOvPk2gnvkOTGZZUYw0YTsEHEFxoCv4fw_wcB

Easy on, reasonably comfortable & priced.  I take a 9.5 U.S. which became a 43 Euro size, so they may run slightly small.

I just ordered and received a pair of these, really nice!  Thanks for the heads up.

[pyoungbl]

Over the years I have tried lots of boots for motorcycle use.  Everything from Army Jump Boots to Redwings.  They all have benefits (cheap being the main benefit).   About 25 years ago I bought a pair of Combat Touring Boots, mentioned by others on this thread.   I hated them because they were so damn stiff.  Still, since I paid so much for them I wore them as much as I could stand.  Then I got caught in a real gully washer frog strangler rainstorm.  The leather got good and wet but I was still walking around in the boots as they dried out.  All of a sudden they fit like my favorite sneakers.  For about 10 years that's all I wore.  Finally the sole wore down to the point where I did not have traction to climb a hill.  I sent the boots off to be re-soled, this time with Vibran soles for better traction.  The boots came back looking like new and still feeling great.  At the 20 year point I finally decided to try the Touring Light boots, just to have something a little lighter for warm weather.  This time I got the boots good and wet (soaked them overnight) and wore them for about 1/2 mile walk.  They broke in immediatly. Now I switch between the two.  I expect these to be the last boots I'll ever buy.  Oh, I did get some "waterproof" Sidi boots.  They felt great.  When the soles wore down I had to throw the boots away.  As for "waterproof"...my experience is that when they claim to be waterproof that means they let the water in but not out, water resistant means they let the water in and then it leaks back out.  Either way your feet get wet.  The only way to keep your feet dry is to wear some kind of boot cover.  Aerostich makes a very effective boot cover that attaches to the bottom of the leg fabric on their pants.  This covers the toe of the boot, where most water hits, and will keep your feet dry when riding.  If you are crossing a stream all bets are off.  Bottom line, spend the money for good boots that you can resole as needed.  If your bike takes a nap you will be glad to have all the leather protection you can get.

Peter Y.