A ton of good boots out there.

Laced boots are a bad idea.

12-13 inch - inside zipper

steel toe

Thick rubber sole

good 100 percent leather body

treat with mink oil to waterproof

break them in

 

Sometimes I wear cowboy boots, Sometimes I wear sneakers, Sometimes I wear Dr Martins and sometimes I wear Bates Tactical boots.
Whatever I'm wearing when I'm at home is what you'll see me wearing on the bike.

 

Kids just bought me these for my birthday. Very comfortable. 511tactical boots

 

OOPS
I'm dyslectic ,thought this was abought *****..
PS: I like em

 

Oh shoot I have to get my glasses I thought it was lets talk *****. Dang

 

For some reason, even stores advertising Tall sizes are limiting their pants to 34" inseams now. I wear 36" and could probably rock a pair of 38" without so much of the bunch-uppies at the bottom to make it look weird. So for the last couple or three years I've been stuck with 34s, which means I need taller uppers on my boots, and also taller socks so the tall boots don't rub my legs raw. I guess it was about three years ago that I ordered a pair of Harley Randy boots off of ePray. First ever Harley boots I ever bought, mostly because I had no interest in paying extra for the logo, but these were the last pair of 13s the vendor had and he had them marked at $69.99, so I bought 'em. They're 11" or 12" uppers, but whichever, my jeans don't ride up to expose socks/skin. They do ride right up to almost that point, but I've never seen 'em go past the top of the boot. The boots are definitely not waterproof, and they're also not warm at all during the Winter, so I've been contemplating getting some real touring boots sometime in the not-too-distant future. Getting lots of good ideas from this thread. Hope people keep it going.

Harley stopped making the Randy either a little before or soon after I bought mine. Not that I'd recommend them really, except to say that they are comfy and the side-zip makes 'em easy to get on/off. I do wear 'em on the bike, but I would say they're better-suited for working out on the property. We got a lot of trees down when Hurricane Michael blew through (Oct. 2, 2018) and I spent the next three months in those boots for at least 5 or 6 hours a day cleanin' up. The tall uppers are good for making sure I don't get poked by sharp branches/twigs while walking through the thick dead-fall, and also would be useful protecting against snake-bites, which, thankfully, I didn't have to test that theory. They're fine for good to moderate riding weather, but horrible in the rain and/or sub-40ş cold. A friend and I are planning a ride from here (Alabama) to Cali in the next few months, possibly have to wait until next year, but either way, I'll definitely be acquiring a better pair of touring boots before we head out. Really enjoying this thread so far.

Blues

 

Depends on how you define waterproof and what your expectations are. Contrary to what you may think, the easiest way for water to get into a boot is not through the soles or the shell material, regardless of what the material is. The easiest way for water to get in is via your pants or socks. If these absorb water they will make their way into your boots through absorption and will make its way down inside the boot and you will eventually end up soggy. Selecting the best material for boots is only one piece of the puzzle of keeping water out and your feet dry. The top of the boot MUST be sealed off, usually with gators or strap-type wrap-around seals..Rain pants alone often are not enough as if you are out in the rain riding for long periods, water WILL get into your boots through the just-mentioned method as water gets blown upwards then downwards. If you are just wearing moisture-wicking material like jeans these will absorb water rapidly. It is important to powder your feet frequently and change socks often if on long trips in wet conditions.

Not speaking just from riding experience but also many days of hiking and skiing.. Having waterproof boots do indeed help. But only so much.They are not the end-all and be-all of keeping your feet dry in rain or wet conditions.If you overlook all the other stuff, it doesn'treally matter whats on your feet.

 

Riding boots need to be high enough to protect the ankle. Laces are a bad idea because they are an inherent hazard and u don't need that kind of support sitting on ur azz? A thick, strengthened rubber sole and steel toe are also a good idea - one isolates the sole from vibration and the other offers protection. The high top also provides a convenient and easily accessible storage location for long sharp objects. Good leather treated with something like mink oil makes the boot very close to waterproof - ur not wading, eh?

Walking, hiking footwear needs to be designed for (or be made to be) comfort - ur not sitting on ur azz? Laces are 100 times better than zippers. Height is not important, what is important is that they're flexible around the ankle and lightweight. Work boots need a steel shank to help distribute load and a steel toe - common sense! Waterproofing is a factor, possibly insulation! Change ur socks daily or when req'd. Beware blisters!

 

Riding and walking are, as correctly stated, two completely different disciplines requiring differing design objectives.

When touring, I wear dedicated touring boots for riding and keep a separate pair for walking.

It's events and rallies that pose the challenge whereby you are riding, walking, sitting - then riding, walking, sitting again and again. This is where protection and comfort/support come in handy though these two important characteristics are at odds with eachother.

I am generally not a fan of waterproof boots as they make my feet sweat even more than they typically do; I have plantar hyperhydrosis. That said, the Danner Super Rain-forest boots (with frequent sock change outs) is a good compromise ... really wsh they made them in a non-waterproof variety! maybe they could call them the Super Forest.

 

If you want the best possible waterproof motorcycle touring boots (note I didn't say "walking boots", "tactical boots", "sneakers" or anything else) then you need to look at Daytona boots.

Daytona Goretex boots

Handmade, in Germany for motorcycling. They don't make anything else apart from motorcycle boots. These are the gold standard. That said, they are kind of pricey. But Daytona will rebuild them for you and make them as good as new ten years from now. As someone else said, if you want properly waterproof then you need a Goretex membrane in the boots. Even then, not all boots will keep you properly dry. Daytonas will.

Edited to add: here's a great video to show how they make their boots:
If you don't want to spend Daytona money, then TCX from Italy make awesome motorcycle boots as well. They also make nothing else apart from Motorcycle boots.

TCX Boots