Shopping around for boots... One common spec is waterproof membranes. Sure they claim to be breathable. From what I understand - you got to take that with a grain of salt. They can be a bit toasty in the summer from what I've read. It seems fairly difficult to find something that doesn't have some sort of waterproof membrane.
Why would you want waterproof boots anyway? For those (hopefully rare) occasions when you get caught in rain wouldn't you just don the rain boot covers/gaiters that are part of your rain gear?
I'm not looking for something special. Just some typical motorcycle riding boots. Lace-up preferable. Roughly 6" to 7". CE ratings a bonus. Something similar to this...
I'm aware that HD has a line... I don't particularly care for garish medal medallions with Harley Davidson emblazoned on them. I'm not crazy about a bunch of buckles. I also don't care to pay the HD Brand tax if I can help it. Massive heals don't appeal. However, they did have a boot that might fit the bill - if I had to go that route. There are other brands out there... Daniel Smart, Milwaukee Leather... They all can tend to have the same medallion/branding garishness issues.
Wouldn't it be great if you could find someplace nearby where you could actually try them on?
Anyway... Am I putting too much emphasis on finding non-waterproof boots? Are the membranes not as bad as I've read? Options/selections certainly increase significantly if the non-waterproof requirement is removed.
Do you ever walk in wet grass? Ever have to step across a ditch/creek? How about puddles in parking lots etc? Lastly have you ever tried the gaitors/boot covers?
Do you ever walk in wet grass? Ever have to step across a ditch/creek? How about puddles in parking lots etc? Lastly have you ever tried the gaitors/boot covers?
Generally... No. Wet grass, ditches and creeks are not commonly encountered when and where I ride. If they were to be encountered I would suspect that something had seriously gone awry. I generally don't have problems navigating puddles in parking lots with non-waterproof boots. Even if I got to traverse one or two on a rare occasion, most boots I've worn will come out the other side dry enough.
I don't have experience with gaiters/boot covers, but they seem like they should work well enough.
Sometimes it’s not raining hard enough to get off the bike to put in gaiters. And if I’m already wearing leathers, they can repel quite a bit of rain. But, the splash can really get your feet wet.
I have a pair of Bates that I’m very happy with. Waterproof, made in the US, reasonably priced.
Waterproof boots aren't hard to get.
You can find these at Cabela's, Bass Pro, or Army Surplus.
Comfortable as gym shoes. And not water proof. If ya walk in wet grass, your feet will get wet !
Try this.
A formula that's worked for me since forever.
I have a hard and fast against laces on motorcycle foot wear. I don't even entertain that option.
Engineer boots were cool enough for my dad and I'm proud to wear them everyday 💙.
These were about a hundred bucks.
The shoe grease is another old school trick. It not only waterproofs, it keeps leather soft and supple.
These run sized large so I recommend ordering true to size and wearing thick boot sox.
Yup... I've seen the Xelement boots also. I have to wonder if they are all - Daniel Smart, Milwaukee Leather, Xelement, etc. - just rebranded boots made from the same manufacturer in Pakistan or South East Asia somewhere.
I haven't tried Engineer boots. Generally, I tend to gravitate towards lace-up boots. I generally find that they provide the best adjustability for getting them snugged up just right. However, I'm not opposed to anything and I might try a pair of the engineer boots on the next time I run across a pair.
04-02-2023, 10:51 AM
Why would you want waterproof boots?
