Experience of riding a bike is quite unique. It’s impossible to feel the same thrill of riding about in the open wind with a car. Although, this does leave us open to the elements and affects our safety. Thankfully, there are quite a few pieces of gear that can improve both our safety and comfort. Motorcycle boots are one such item. While motorcycle boots aren’t mandatory by any law, their inclusion can only benefit us.
Style
Among the factors that’ll affect your purchase is style. While functionality is all well and good, it’s nice to show off a new pair of boots when both on and off the bike. Styles for motorcycle boots are plentiful. Color, pattern, ornaments, and the overall look of the boots can make them feel even nicer to wear around.
No two models of bike boots are the same, even if they come from the same brand. When all else overlaps between two boots, it may be this style that makes a real difference in our purchase.
Whether you are looking for touring boots or racing boots can heavily affect the buying process. Color also plays a role in this choice. Matching colors with the bike is a great way to go, giving both of you a sleek look. The fastening system is also a part of the style. Whether you go with zippers, laces, or something else is completely up to you and part of the style.
Type
When discussing type, we are talking about the difference between boots that are specifically made for drives and those that can act as casual clothing too. Getting boots purposefully for driving means we may somewhat cut down on comfort to offer ourselves a better experience while on the bike.
Boots exclusively used for driving should be comfortable and nice, but the same boots may not be as good for walking. The focus of these boots is on securing our feet and making it easier to operate the pedals on a motorcycle. Opting for bike shoes that are also comfortable as casual clothing is a whole different deal and for some nice models you should check https://nortiv8shoes.com/
The boots that can be worn as casual clothing aren’t necessarily worse on or off the bike, but they are usually understood to be less cumbersome than the purely driving ones. If you’ve ever gone around in a pair of heavy boots, you’ll know how tiring it can be to walk around for prolonged periods of time. The same goes for the distinction here. Make sure to know what you want before seeking models to try out, it’ll halve the number of potential picks.
Material
The material you want these boots to be made out of comes next. Leather is the most common material, perfect for protection and maintenance. Additionally, leather boots are breathable, which means they won’t get bad odors after a few hours on the road. The leather boots are also known for their longevity, being able to stick around for years before wearing out.
However, some people aren’t keen on leather. Whether it’s due to ethical or functional reasons, they will avoid buying leather shoes. If you fall into this group of people, there is an alternative in the form of artificial leather. Artificial leather can also make strong and durable boots with waterproof qualities.
The breathability is scarcely compromised, allowing them to stay fresh and clean for longer. The property that may get affected is longevity. Artificial leather can get worn out faster than regular leather, depending on the type of ingredients used in its creation. Knowing the brands to purchase from may come in handy here, the same goes for real leather too.
Safety
Safety may be the most important factor of the boots. Safety is no joking matter, especially when behind a motorcycle. Even experienced drivers can get into dangerous accidents due to other drivers on the road. When this happens, it’s good to have extra protection and reliable footing with our boots. While this level of precaution may not always prevent an accident, it will make us safer overall.
The feet are the part of your body closest to the floor. If a dangerous situation occurs, our feet may end up scraping the tarmac. Even if the power of impact alone is something we manage to get away from unscathed, the friction could be extremely dangerous still. With strong boots on, it’s possible to retain more coverage on our bodies and hopefully prevent harrowing injuries.
What you should look for first is a non-slip sole. This can be identified by looking at the sole. If it has ridges and is made out of non-slip materials, this may be just the thing we want. The soles should be thick but not too thick. There should be ample thickness to protect us while still leaving our sense of touch unobstructed. Thick soles can affect our ability to operate the bike by affecting how hard we press the pedals.
Waterproof properties are required as well. While out and about, it’s easy to get wet. Getting cold and potentially ending up with water inside of our boots can heavily hamper our ability to act at an inopportune moment.
The ankles should be properly secured too. As you can imagine, they are one of the most commonly injured areas. The ankle is a very important part of our foot that connects to the rest of the leg. Serious injuries on it could reflect onto the functionality of our entire leg. So find boots that adequately protect your ankles. This type of boots needn’t be exceptionally high, just high and sturdy enough to keep the ankle as safe as possible.
Other safety factors can go into this choice, such as the fastening system being properly tight, having gear shift panels, and the overall stability of the shoes. However, the previous ones are what you should primarily look out for. Finding boots that fulfill those criteria yet don’t fulfill the remaining few we’ve listed is rare.
Conclusion
The act of buying motorcycle boots is one of knowing what you want and need. Decide on the style and fit of the overall shoe before checking out any boots. Of course, if you aren’t sure what you want, looking around is always a fun time. You should still consult the information above for the best purchasing experience though.
Once the details are clear to you, follow through with the important information and requirements for every category. Don’t be discouraged from inquiring clerks about specific models or trying out multiple sizes of the same model. Finding the right boots will lead to a better driving experience and a safer one too.
