So you made the purchase of a cool pair of Dehner (brand) police motorcycle boots. Very handsome boots, for sure! Congratulations on your selection of a great pair of boots.

As a Dehner-boot wearer myself (see my collection), let me share some insights on how to break in these boots properly, so you can wear them for years, comfortably, and laced right. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen non-cops wearing bal-laced Dehner boots that are laced wrong — either tied like sneakers with laces in an x-pattern, or tied at the top, not in the middle.)

Dehner boots are classics, but the stock boots, which are most common, have plastic shafts (the company calls it “Dehcord,” but plastic is plastic) which if not broken properly at the ankle, may break wrong and cause problems with comfort by rubbing and causing sores on the back of the ankle.

I have created a tutorial video that explains what to do right after you open that Dehner box, pull out those tall black boots, admire them, but before you put them on for the first time.

Yep, that’s right: don’t pull them on your feet right away. Watch this video, follow these procedures, then be very happy with your new boots.

Life is short: break in your Dehner Boots right!

If your browser does not handle this embedded HD video well, See it on my YouTube Channel.

Dehner Motorcycle Patrol Boots, called “Dehners” for short, are well-known and highly admired by many. Lots of motor officers around the country wear these boots. While there remains controversy in their price (about the highest of all patrol boots), and the composition of stock boot “Dehcord” plastic shafts is also causes many discussions, there’s nothing like the appearance and the feel of these boots on your legs.

The boots shown here are an old pair of all-leather Dehner Boots with Vibram big lug soles on them. They are “traditional” boots, with a bal-laced instep. I have had them for well over 15 years. They were getting tight on the calves, though, so I had to either fix them to fit me again, or not wear them any more. I didn’t want to give up a pair of boots like this, so I got out my boot stretcher. Over the past month, I slowly stretched the calf of both boots, and now they fit great again! Woo-hoo!

I spent some time shining them up with good quality boot polish and slow, steady strokes with a fine brush. The foot shows a little wear where my shifter of my old Harley rubbed against it, but to me (and some cops I know), that’s a sign of well-worn boots.

I’ll be riding my Harley with them on again in leather or breeches. Nothin’ like a good lug sole when riding the bike… great traction.

I was dressed in a pair of leather jeans tucked inside these boots with a sleeveless leather shirt when my partner got home from work last night. He thought the boots looked great and complimented me on being able to wear them again. He thought, though, that the full leather gear was a bit much. Even though it wasn’t all that warm, I did get a bit sweaty during my “greeting.” (LOL!) The smell of leather & sweat added something to what became a spontaneous sharing of tenderness and intimacy.

Whew… gotta find some more “old” boots and get them all shined and in good shape for more such “encounters.”

Life is short: wear boots!

I posted instructions on how to break in Dehner patrol boots about six months ago, here.

It is unfortunate that motor officers, much like anyone else, just pull on a new pair of Dehner boots when they get them, rather than take the time to break the ankles properly. Photos of this post are of motor officers wearing Dehner boots. (Real cops in their actual boots.)

One of the cops whose boots are shown below told me that his boots were very uncomfortable. I can understand why. The sideways-turned bend at the shaft of the boot where it meets the foot must rub his ankle on the inside and cause sores.

Anyway, if you get new tall police patrol boots, take time to break them in correctly before wearing them. Otherwise, you’ll be very sorry with the permanent, uncomfortable results.

<==== sideways ankle break         =====>
boot shafts not wide enough for calf circumference, causing the boots to sag badly at the ankles because they cannot be pulled on all the way up, as well as the fabric of the breeches to bunch up at the boot tops because the fabric cannot fit inside the boots due to lack of adequate room.

Life is short: wear Dehners well!

Shown here and below are photos of boots worn by motor officers who participated in the Law Ride that was held in Washington, DC, on May 9, 2010.

Look at the areas on the side of each officer’s right boot that is inside the red circle. You will see that the boot shaft in that area is a dull gray. That dull gray area on the boot demonstrates what happens to Dehner’s Dehcord (Clarino) product when it is exposed to heat of a motorcycle engine.

I have often pointed out that such damage occurs, and now can show visible proof.

It’s kinda a love-hate thing about Dehner Boots. They style is great. The quality of the material on the shaft of stock boots cannot withstand ordinary exposure to the heat of motorcycle engines. Why? It is plastic, not leather. The change of color and loss of shine is due to the plastic slightly melting and changing its composition just a little bit. Unfortunately, once damaged, the material cannot be repaired, fixed, or restored to its once lustrous shine.

Many cops have told me that they like stock Dehner boots because they are easy to care for. A quick spray of furniture polish and a wipe-down restores the boot shafts to a very shiny appearance. All except the area exposed to the hot engine, which dulls out rather quickly. Some cops don’t care, and some do. Those who do replace their boots quickly enough that it doesn’t matter to them if the boots “show character” from such damage incurred when worn on a police motorcycle.

I have to point out, while I am a Harley guy (thus the name), this damage occurs to Dehner boots worn on a Police Harley. The other manufacturer of police motorcyles — BMW — has its engine, engine guard, and exhaust pipes configured in such a way that the rider’s boot shaft doesn’t get close to the source of heat, so the boots do not discolor like they do when worn on a Harley.

If you like Dehner boots but don’t wear them while riding a Harley, then the stock version should suit you well. They are much less expensive than the all-leather version, which costs more than twice as much.

Life is short: know your boots.