There are a lot of different boots out there and they definitely all serve different purposes, the problem is which one do you need?

The easy answer is if you have plenty of money then buy a separate pair of boots for every type of riding you will do. The problem is some boots a great at protecting you on the bike but not very good if you are walking any distance when you are off your bike.

You might be meeting up with friends in town, you need a good safe pair of boots to get into town but you don’t want to carry another pair of more comfortable boots to change into when you get there.

The manufacturers have realized this and have now come up with a range of boots you can wear on and off your bike.

Short Motorcycle Boots

The first type of boot we will look at is the short motorcycle boots. These are also called motorcycle shoes because they’re similar to your favorite pair of shoes.

The thing that’s great about these is they’re very comfortable, they’re easy to get on and off and they’re comfortably off and on the bikes.

So while they may look like high-end tennis shoes they actually do have some motorcycle-specific things going on inside of them.

There is ankle protection on both sides and a pad over the shifter area. Some boots are perforated to allow air to flow through so for those warm summer days that’s nice.

Most boots have reinforcement over the toe box and the heel cup giving you support and structure around your foot. The bottom line is all of these are designed to give you some level of protection if you crash and that’s definitely one of the biggest reasons to wear motorcycle boots.

You need to be protected so regular trainers obviously aren’t the best thing to use while riding. If you’re currently wearing trainers while riding I would definitely encourage you to go with a proper motorcycle boot.

The Alpinestars has a very sleek European style to them. They have a laser edge sole which is very low-profile, definitely comfortable but a very thin sole so keep that in mind if you’re planning on walking around a lot.

They will not only provide you with better feedback and feel from the controls, but they also do a much better job of protecting you if you happen to crash.

Next is the TCX X-Street, again more about the style than anything on this boot but you do have some ankle bone protection and some light reinforcement over the heel and the toe box area with a fairly rigid sole.

Remember the stiffness of the soul not only translates to how comfortable it is walking around but stiffness is also important because if you do crash it’s going to prevent your foot from folding in ways it’s not meant to fold.

It’s definitely a little bit more comfortable for walking in so again you’re looking at compromises.

Now, these TCX X-Street boots are actually waterproof, they come in a waterproof or a nonwaterproof version.

If you really need boots to be waterproof whether you’re commuting or long-distance touring or maybe live somewhere where it’s colder you just want a little bit of extra protection from the elements.

Having a low top boot that’s waterproof is going to be less effective as a high top boot that’s waterproof and the reason being is the gaiter on a high top boot prevents water from coming down behind the laces.

The laces only go up so far so if any water splashing up and water comes up inside your feet are getting wet o keep that in mind. A waterproof layer is going to make the boots warmer so for riding in wintertime having a waterproof boot is definitely a bit more comfortable.

Venting v Waterproofing Your Boots

The SIDI street burner is kind of a unique boot in that it is a low top motorcycle boot but it has a lot of the protective features of a full-on race boot. You have a reinforced heel cup, a toa slider and a techno VR adjustment system which really customizes the instep of the boot.

There is ventilation that you can open and close on the sides and lots of ankle support in this area as well.

So it’s low top, its technical and if you’re a sports guy that’s not necessarily going to the track but you want that kind of aggressive sport look but a low top this is definitely a cool option.

Definitely not something that you typically recommend for just any rider out there but if they’re looking for this specific style then there’s not a whole lot of other options like it.

Cruiser Motorcycle Boots

Moving on to more Cruiser oriented boots or touring boots. You have several different styles and things to consider.

Some boots look more like work boots or combat boots, this is the Tour master coaster boot.

While it has traditional laces up the front it actually gives you a zipper entry on the side. The side entry is something that you’re definitely going to want to consider.

Zippers make it a lot easier to get them on and off quickly, laces obviously take a little bit more time but they allow you to customize the fit a little bit so being able to zip it up makes it a lot easier to slip the boots on and off.

One thing that I will point out is that zippers are just another point of failure. You tend to get into places or situations where you’re encountering a lot of mud or sand or grit a zipper getting dirty is definitely something that you have to watch out for.

To keep them clean you can loob them up with a little bit of soap or wax. A pavement crayon works really well to keep your zippers lubricated and sliding nice and easily.

The field Armor 2 boots are definitely a little bit more on the aggressive side of the styling and they use a buckle closure. I’m a big fan of buckle because they are a lot more resilient when it comes to dealing with mud. I ride dual-sports occasionally and I need a boot that’s going to hold up with that kind of abuse.

It does look a little bit along the lines of a traditional work style boot but what I’ll caution you with on traditional work boots is they might look the part and they come up nice and high but they don’t have things like the armor.

This boot uses D30 armor around the ankles and obviously different boots use different levels of protection and you definitely get what you pay for with motorcycle boots.

Touring Boots

Let’s talk about some touring boot options because this is probably the biggest category of motorcycle boots that are going to work for the most amount of riders.

One of the best-selling boots of all time is the tour master solution.

This is the tour master solution 2.0. It’s going to work great for a huge variety of riders no matter what kind of bike you’re on.

It does come in a waterproof version and a vented version and has a waterproof liner if you need a little bit more airflow on your feet while you’re riding.

The waterproof version does have some ankle armor built into it, there are several boots in this category that are just kind of a plain-jane waterproof motorcycle boot. It’s kind of a mid-height, it’s not a super tall boot but it’s not so short that water is going to be coming up over the top of it.

You also have a zippered entry which is the most common type of entry found on most motorcycle boots. There is also a gusset, that’s the waterproof membrane that makes sure water doesn’t get behind the zipper.

This particular boot uses a high pore liner. There are different brands of liners, some of them do a little bit better than others, as far as being breathable.

One thing I will caution though, the velcro does tend to wear out over the course of time so after a couple of years of undoing those and doing them up every day velcro eventually does wear out.

Next, we have the TCX Explorer Evo. This boot is one of the boots that uses a genuine gore-tex liner. Gore-tex is the best when it comes to being waterproof but remaining breathable and the TCX Explorer Evo takes it a step further.

It has a mesh panel on the side together with fabric on the front of the boot and at the back.

What that does is for those who hate having sweaty feet but need a waterproof boot, go with something that has gore-tex that has a little bit of breathable material on it.

It allows the perspiration to evaporate out of the boot a little bit better than something that’s a solid leather boot with a none gore-tex liner.

Keep that in mind if you need to have something that’s a little bit breathable but waterproof. Gore-tex is the way to go, then again you are going to pay for it as they are roughly twice as expensive as the Tour Masters. Obviously, budgets are a consideration as well.

Let’s talk about soles because walking around is definitely something that we all do when we get off our bikes, some of us more than others. If you have a destination that requires some walking having a good amount of rubber material on the bottom of the sole is definitely nice.

Some flexibility is good for walking but too much is obviously not as safe for crashing. None of us want to crash but you definitely have to prepare for the worst when you’re talking riding a motorcycle but having a soul that’s really thin is something that you’re going to find on a more sport-oriented boot.

The Sidi Courier Black boots are going to be much stiffer side to side, they are still hinged so you can still walk around in them. They are surprisingly comfortable to walk in for a sport boot, they’re not going to be anything like the touring boots and mainly the reason they’re not as comfortable is that they have that really thin rubber sole.

It gives you really good feedback on the controls of your bike. It has a composite midsole insole on the CD boot which gives you a good amount of compromise between flexibility and structural support for your foot. The CDSDS are the vented version so a lot of perforation.

One thing that I’ll point out is with touring boots a lot of times the challenge is finding a boot that is not waterproof. If you’re looking for a boot that’s vented there are a few options out there but for the most part, touring boots typically have a waterproof liner.