Best Dirt Bike Boots On A Budget

At last a shorty boot and it’s just fun, I mean it has all the goodies of a motocross boot up to eight inches, and I love that idea. I grew up putting around the trails and messing with pit bikes and doing some light dual sporting and for that, the rock hard MX boot just seemed like overkill so I wore my hikers and I ended up shattering my toe on the trailside stump.

With the blitz LS available at Amazon that wouldn’t have happened. I mean, it’s got plenty of ankle, heel and toe protection while still being lightweight. It’s easy to walk in and it’s not totally unacceptable to walk around town.

The Blitz LS is obviously the child of the Blitz CE. Same brown accent, same buckles, same hard parts, and shifter panels. They have the same interior mesh liner and more or less, they have the same soul.

Someone at Thor must have had a sense of humor though because they’ve added a kick shifting knob to the back of the shorty version. Has anyone ever kick shifted their way into a holeshot while wearing a shorty boot? No, but apparently Thor wants you to try.

A couple of things I don’t like. The chassis is split-grain leather which you might know is fashioned leather, I mean that’s great for slinking down the runway but it’s absolutely useless for sliding down the highway and so if you want to use this shoe for a bunch of payment riding, don’t.

The other thing is the cost. $160 bucks might seem pretty cheap but Thor is also selling their full height blitz CE for basically the same price, so I can’t help but feel like I’m getting ripped off a little bit on the shorty.

Gaerne SG-10 Dirt Bike Boots

Say hello to the Gaerne SG-10 Dirt Bike Boots available from Amazon. This is the baby brother to the SD-12 which the flagship in the Gaerne lineup. One of my favorite facts about Gaerne is they are an Italian company family-owned and operated and all their boots are manufactured right out of Italy. The quality of the construction of material that you’re getting with the Gaerne boots is just second to none. I love the design and the functionality of these boots now.

The SG-10 looks very similar to the SG-12 because it takes a lot of the same design in safety characteristics as the SG-12, there are a couple of key differences that I will point out but you’re coming in about $100 less than the SG-12 so you’re going to save some money.

In my opinion, one of the most comfortable boots when it comes to stepping comfort, pretty stiff boot they’re going to break in overtime but they have memory foam that is around the ankle and I’m telling you, it is like a pillow when you put your foot into this boot.

The construction is very durable, it has a microfiber base and lots of hard PTU throughout the entire boots. You will see the big shim plate over the top of the toe box, you have the panels on top of the foot section which are on your shifter side and your brake side, but again that hard plastic throughout this entire boost so when it comes to impact protection they have got you covered.

If you look to the lateral side you will see a couple of differences. You don’t have an adjustable shin plate on this, the SG-12 does have adjustability with the shim plate. You can make it wider so if you have bigger legs or you wear a knee brace or if you’ve ever had difficulty fitting your leg into a boot keep that in mind with the SG-10 you don’t have that adjustable shim plate.

If you have problems with I would recommend jumping up to the sg-12 because you get more adjustment.

If we look at the buckle design the same as the SG-12 alloy buckles that are replaceable, very easy to operate but you just take your strap, slide it right over so it self aligning and then those are going to snap down they’re not going to go anywhere.

The ankle is going to be one of the major differences I’ve talked about between this in the SG-12. It still has the Razorback system we’ll talk about that in a minute. The SG-12 features are glide plate ankle pivot system, you’re still getting a dual-hinge on each side so good flexibility.

Your ankle is going to stay locked in but it’s not going to glide plate which is designed to give a more natural movement to the ankle. A very solid design, you’re getting that pivoting ankle which a lot of riders are looking for, especially in a premium boot.

If we look at the back there is the Razorback system that I was talking about, they’re incorporating this from the SG-12. You get the shock-absorbing heel cup which is a nice feature for impacts. On the back of the boot, you will see they have the back panel piece which is separate that bolts right onto the boot itself.

If you flex the boot you will see how that works, that allows the boot to be flexible but you’re still getting that rigidity for the lateral stiffness at the same time keeping your ankle in a good position.

What I like is when you wear these boot you don’t have any ankle float so your ankle stays nice and secure on the inside. You also have stretch panels near the back of the ankle, again good comfort good flexibility and again it is going to be stiff and will break in overtime.

As we look at the medial side Gaerne uses the grip guard, this is proprietary to Gaerne. You get a big rubber guard that goes all the way up the inside giving a good heat shield with a good interface with the bike.

Lots of grips when you’re there and again a lot of PU on the inside so they’ve got you covered when it comes to impact and also just durability and quality of the boot.

Velcro closure up at the top, nice big Gator on the top that’s going to give a good seal keeps water and debris out. It has a moisture-wicking antimicrobial liner on the inside, again lots of padding.

The last thing to talk about is the sole. This is another thing that Gaerne is known for. Traditional stitched on sole so it is a little bit stiffer than some of your bonded glued on sole that we see with other boots. If you like a stiffer sole this is going to be a great option for you.

This boot has big stitching that goes all the way around the sole. It’s not glued on, it’s not bonded so it’s going to stay put. A nice big steel toe cap on the front that’s what they’re known for the durability.

If you look at the bottom there is a dual-compound rubber sole, very durable and completely replaceable. If it does wear out you can’t have it taken off and have another one put on. So durability factor again what Gaerne is known for.

If you’re looking at this and the SG-12 wondering which one should I go with there are two things I would point out.

• 1. You’re not getting the glide plate system but still a rock-solid dual pivoting design on the SG-10.

  2. Your not getting that adjustable shin plate.

Those are the two sacrifices you’re making, however, those aren’t deal-breakers. You’re going to save $100 bucks going with the SG-10 so head over and check out read the bullet points and check outrider reviews.

Fly Racing Maverik MX Boots

Today we’re going to take a look at the Fly MX Maverik off-road boots available from Amazon. These are the Fly MX Maverik dirtbike boots, they are offered in three colors we have white black and all-black and also a high vis version.

They are available in sizes 7 through 15, I am typically a size 10 across the board in MX boots and size 10 in the maverick fits me perfectly so I would say the sizing is dead-on.

Let’s go ahead and run through all the features that these boots have to offer.

They are priced right, they’re more affordable than others, they’re right at $115 to check the site for more info on the most current pricing and if you’re looking to step it up with the fly racing brand you can check out the sector boots where you’re going to get a little more performance out of them.

You have a lot of 3D molded plastic to keep you protected, they give you great frontal protection with the 3d molded shin plate. The toe box is nicely wrapped and it comes completely over on to the medial side of the boot.

You’re also going to notice a few details like the recess stitching all over the boot that just adds durability and it prevents the strands from being ripped out so it’s going to hold up nicer over time.

On the inside portion of the boot, you’re also going to see a leather heat guard which is nice for heat protection, and you’re also going to see some flex zones throughout, you’re will see them on the top of the foot also in the Achilles area.

These are fairly stiff right out of the box so you will need to break them in but after a few Moto’s you should be just fine. The sole is traditional so is stitched on to the boot, you can have it replaced by a cobbler. You have a steel toe cap and a still shank on the inside of the sole to add rigidity and durability later on down the road.

Another thing that you will notice is the sole is kind of contoured so that you’re going to get a better more aggressive riding position while you are on the pegs.

They use a four strap four buckle design and the straps are memory foam, so you set it once and forget it. The buckles are very easy to get to and easy to operate, you have a little lip on the ends so that’s going to make it better for when you’d have gloves on.

The upper portion of the boot is elastic gaiter which gives a great seal against your leg to prevent debris from making its way inside and you’re also going to see that heat guard go all the way to the top just for some out of protection.

The interior of the boot is really nice, you have a lot of padding in the ankle area for great support and comfort. On the inside portion by the heat guard, it almost feels like you have this gel-like material so again it’s more comfortable and it’s going to give you a little extra protection.

So there you have it, these are the Fly Racing Maverik MX dirtbike boots. If you’re looking for something that’s more on the entry-level side, a little more affordable and a great value definitely check these out. Once again sizing available 7 through 15 and they are offered in three different colors.

Fox Comp Boots

The Fox Comp Motocross Boots available from Amazon are a new entry-level boot from Fox Racing and they’re a great option to get you on the trails or the track. The Cobb boots are coming in at a hundred and ninety dollars, you’ve got a great combination of comfort and flexibility with these boots.

The construction is synthetic leather with TPR and TPU throughout. You’ve got great abrasion resistance as well as impact protection. One thing I did want to note for you is that these are an entry-level boot, these are designed to get you out on the trails and out on the track but you do trade off some rigidity and protection for that all-day comfort.

Before I get too far along with some of these features let’s take a second and talk about the fit. These boots are available in sizes 8 to size 15 and they come in a multitude of different color options.

For reference, I typically wear a ten and a half and most of my boots these aren’t actually offered at half sizes so I’m wearing a size 11 in these boots and they fit me nice and snug. If you’re in between two sizes I’d recommend going with the larger of the two sizes to have a nice accommodating fit.

One thing to note if you do decide to check out these boots in person I’d recommend wearing socks that you’re going to routinely wear with these boots because that is going to have an effect on the fitment.

Jumping back to some of the finer details of these boots you’ll see starting with the sole it works its way up towards the top of the toe and then you’ve got some additional reinforcement, it works its way up towards the back of the heel.

This is not an overly aggressive sole but it’s going to provide you with great grip as well as great impact protection and crush protection at the sole.

The toe is surrounded by TPU and as you work our way back towards the end of the boot there is a TPR and you will see that there is a grip pattern that’s been molded into the TPR.

Its a really nice touch that allows you to more easily grip your frame which is super important when you’re riding in that dirt application.

There is a single buckle closure towards the bottom and then you will there are some additional closures at the top, this is referred to as the active lock closure from fox. This is new and this is where you’re going to get a lot of the flexibility that this boot provides.

As you open the buckle you will see they’ve got some flexibility but they are adjustable so you do have three points of adjustability on the inside.

This dirt bike boot has bellows towards the front so you’re getting flexibility there as well. You’ve got that movement with these active closure straps and you’ve got that movement with the bellows so you get that flexibility and that’s we’re going to get a lot of that all-day comfort.

Moving from the exterior of the boot to the interior you’ll see that you have a ton of 3D mesh throughout the entirety of this boot. This is going to promote airflow and keep you nice and comfortable when you’re riding in the dirt application.

You’re also going to see that we have a speed lace system, this is not removable but it’s very enclosing it’s very comfortable to wear and it’s going to help the boot and not shift around on you when you’re out there hitting the trails.

The details like that, the flexibility, the comfort these boots provide is going to make these a great entry-level boot.

So there you have it, a new entry-level boot that can get you to the trails or the track with great movement and flexibility.

Gaerne GX-1 Boots

The Gaerne GX1 Motorcross Boots available from Amazon is one of our favorite models in our line and they made some really nice changes to it over the earlier version.

First, let me hit the basics of the GX-1, the first and most important thing that we want to talk about is we don’t know how they do it but they do it Garen a makes this boot in Italy. It is something that is really hard to find at this price point.

The Italians just have a better way of building a boot, a better feel, better materials better fit, all these things are intangible but trust us when you get boots that are made in Italy they just feel a little bit better on your feet out on the bike.

At this price point, this boot retails for around $199 and it comes to the sizes 5 which is a 37 all the way up to size 14 which is a 49 so a big size spread.

They come in two colors, black, white, our favorite is of course black. The construction of the GX-1 is pretty basic is the most classic version of motocross boot with four buckles. Their buckles are a really nice durable and simple male/female pass-through design.

They work very well whether they’re dirty or clean they’re very easy to adjust and they’re very easy and inexpensive to replace. However, we don’t believe that you’ll need to do that because our experience has been they’re really rugged.

The second thing to talk about in the GX-1 is the fact that it is a welt sole which is another thing that is also difficult to find at this price point. Well, soles are a more difficult technical and longer-lasting more rugged way of producing a boot and the GX-1 has a wealth sole.

This one is quite durable, quite rugged and very long-wearing and of course, it can be resold. There’s a lot of plastic protection around the exterior of the GX-1, of course, it has a large plastic shin plate. It has the typical large inside ankle plastic keys wrapping over the toe all the way up around the inside of the ankle and of course forming the straps for the boots.

It has also a nice plastic protector on the back of the calf and a nice plastic heel counter with a small little reinforcement.

The nice thing about the plastic compound, it is a more expensive plastic polyurethane instead of polyethylene or polypropylene. It’s got a nice soft pliable feel to it, which makes the boot very comfortable and it still gives good support but makes it very comfortable and this is something you typically don’t find on this price point of the boot.

There’s a good amount of inside padding on the boot, it starts just above the ankle right in center zone and then runs down on both sides along the ankle and that helps hold the ankle in place and gives it really good support.

The weight of the boot is about 3.8 pounds which is pretty light for a motocross boot, that’s on the lighter side. No other boot brand does as good a job as they do at making a boot fit and feel good, we feel that guarantee really is the top rung of the ladder when it comes to fit. The GX-1 definitely follows along with that.

It’s got a nice slim fit through the ankle and in the heel area and a nice wide fit in the forefoot. The toe box is not too tall, it doesn’t have a lot of extra volumes, it’s got a really nice shape to it but there’s plenty of width in the forefoot and this boot just feels right when it’s on. That along with the soft pliable plastic give it a really good flex.

The new GX-1 has a softer compound to the inside plastic piece and the cutouts on it are much larger and much more intelligently shaped. This just has a nice uniform easy flex to it, a much better feel and no pinch or bite on the boot.

The rest of the design of the boot is fairly similar to the older version which is excellent. They are super rugged, the wearability that durability this boot is just one of the best that we have seen. We have customers that have had them for many years and we’ve had customers spent a lot of time out on the trail and on the bike in them and they just really hold up very well.

The protective characteristics are also quite good, it’s got a lot of support it’s particularly good at this price point. The other thing about this boot is really good is the walkability, it is fairly light again 3.8 pounds for a size 11 which is a 46 that is on the lighter side of motocross boots and the soft plastic gives us a nice easy flex.

This is a great boot for people that are getting off the motorcycle and need a little bit of walking but still require a bit of protection. This boot is great for casual off-roaders, more serious off-roaders, great for dual-sport guys, great for guys doing light adventure, people that are going off-road on bigger bikes and really shouldn’t be wearing an adventure touring boot.