Category Archives: Cop Boots

Dinner with Sneakered Bike Cops

Posted on by

Last night, I went to dinner with a buddy who is a motorcycle police officer. We joined a group of other motorcycle officers who have arrived in town for Police Week.

The dinner was at a brew pub, which was located in Lower Slobbovia (a term I have used to refer to that state across the Potomac River from mine.) I rode with my buddy in his truck; he doesn’t own a personal motorcycle, and he didn’t want to ride as a passenger on mine. (When you operate a motorcycle all day for your job, the last thing you want to do is ride as anyone else’s passenger.)

When we were seated at the restaurant, the guys ordered appetizers and beers all-around, trying the various samples of microbrews that the pub had to offer. I just smiled and sipped a ginger ale. (I am unable to drink alcohol, and the appetizers weren’t something I could eat.) Dinner — a steak — was okay (not stellar, but chewable.)

I didn’t know anyone other than my buddy, but the others were friendly and easy to talk to. The conversation we had was about the usual stuff: work-related stories and stresses, experiences, family, and motorcycle riding. When the conversation turned to family, those who were married talked about their wives and children as a natural part of the conversation. When I was speaking and mentioning my partner was part of the story, I would say, “my partner, he…”. The other guys didn’t bat an eye or make any comments or seem to care that I’m gay and have a partner. If my buddy vouched for me, that was fine with them.

I enjoyed listening to they way they described how they use their motors on their jobs. Interestingly, six of my eight dinner-mates do not ride a motorcycle off the job. And further, none of the eight motormen gathered for dinner in casual wear (jeans, t-shirts) had boots on. Each one wore sneakers — even my buddy.

As the night went on, I finally asked about wearing boots. Almost all of them said, “fine for work; off the job, I want to be comfortable,” or similar. They said that the boots they wear for work were okay, but the boots were part of the uniform, and that was that. I guess that’s about the same as what I see among the members of my motorcycle club. They wear boots while riding, but often when they’re not riding, they wear sneakers.

Me? I was the only one in boots last night, but then again, I always wear boots. I don’t own any shoes. No one noticed, cared, or said anything. But no one ever does. Shown are the boots I wore (short Wesco harness boots.)

Life is short: wear your boots!

Support Your Local Motor ?

Posted on by

Okay, time for another poll on this blog. I have decided to create a new bumper sticker. Instead of one that went over like a lead balloon (those that say “Real Bikers Wear Boots”), I have decided to create one that displays support of motorcycle operating law enforcement officers.

And that’s my question, which appeared on a poll on this blog. I asked, “what should I say? Support Your Local Motor:

  • Cop?

  • Officer?

  • Police?

  • -man (as in “motorman”)?

  • -cycle cop”

The results are in — “Support Your Local Motorcycle Cop” is the winner.

Bumper stickers will be made soon.

Best Motorcycle Patrol Boots

Posted on by

I know it is risky to say “best” when referencing anything, as different people have different opinions. Cops have worn Dehner Patrol Boots for years, and you will see many motor officers also wearing Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots, especially on the U.S. East Coast. Both of these companies have large production facilities and have the resources, equipment, staffing, and demand to make a lot of boots for the motorcycle patrol boot market.

I found out about All American Patrol Boots several years ago, but was stymied in finding a way to buy them. The company’s website has not been refreshed since 2002, and they are poor about answering email or returning messages left by phone. However, eventually I found a way to get a pair of these boots through a third-party retailer (which was also a pain in the butt to deal with.)

I got these boots at the end of February after a long five-month wait. But man, was it ever worth the wait! I have worn these boots a lot, including for several rides on my Harley. They are comfortable and perform well. What I mean by that is that the boots flex well at the ankles, without “grabbing.” The entire boot is made of leather, unlike stock Dehner boots which are made of a combination of leather for the foot and plastic “Dehcord” for the shafts.

The sole that came with this model (905L) is a Vibram 100R, which is a heat-resistant, thick lug sole that does not leave black melt-marks on hot motorcycle pipes nor mar flooring if worn indoors. Because it is a big-lug Vibram® sole, it provides excellent traction, especially when holding a big throbbing motorcycle while stopped. Lug soles are also especially good for holding a big heavy machine on a hill.

These boots keep an excellent shine, which is easy to maintain with a quick spray of furniture polish and a buff with a terrycloth wipe. I’m like most guys, and don’t get crazy if my boots get dirty from wear, but I like how they look when well-shined. When boots are easy to keep clean and shined with just a minute’s attention, they get my vote!

These All American patrol boots have a bal-laced instep, which is a traditional style for motor officers. The boots also have a buckle closure at the top of the shaft. A buckle there is so much better than laces, which can become untied when blown in the wind while operating a motorcycle and thus are a nuisance to have to re-tie often.

If All American had the production capacity to compete with the Big Boys (Dehner and Chippewa), they could give these guys a run for their money. The cost of the All American Boots made custom to my calf and height requirements was 3/4 of Dehner stock boots cost (MSRP). They are a great value for a very high-quality product.

That’s why I am raving about these boots, and call them the best. This is just my opinion, but I’ve been around the block once or twice, have ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on a motorcycle while wearing many different motorcycle boots, so this opinion is grounded in experience.

Here’s a video that I made recently describing these boots and showing them in action on my Harley. Enjoy!

UPDATE: If you arrived on this blog post looking for a recommendation on a great general all-around motorcycle boot, read this post, here.

What the Sheriff Said

Posted on by

I facilitated a meeting today at my office in which several county sheriffs, police chiefs, and their respective staffs participated. It was a worthwhile and interesting meeting.

In honor of the law enforcement officials coming to the meeting, I wore my new All American Patrol Boots that I received last week to the office. The boots were great for a number of reasons. They have lug soles for traction on the icy sidewalks outside; they look great, and almost “shoe-like”; and they are very comfortable so as I am walking around facilitating the meeting, standing for hours, my feet don’t hurt.

Several of the attendees arrived early. I talked with them as they got their coffee and settled into a seat. I noticed one county sheriff wearing a uniform with Dehner bal-laced patrol boots. Before I could say anything, he came up to me and said, “Are those Dehners?” I said, “no, these are made by All American.”

“Never heard of ’em, tell me more.” We had a nice, long conversation about tall patrol boots. Several of the other sheriffs and chiefs joined in the conversation. I had to control myself when he asked, “how tall, lift your pants?” … which I did. Then “cool! Those are nice! Where can I get them? How much did they cost? Are they comfortable? Do you wear them when you ride [your motorcycle]?”

Wow… who woulda thunk. And this is my job! (Actually, in providing full disclosure, I am not a sworn peace officer. I work with law enforcement officials among other local leaders for various activities that I do at my place of employment.) What a nice way to begin a meeting!

What Turned On a Non-Bootman

Posted on by

These are “Blue Knight” series Patrol Boots made by All American Boot Mfg. of Sun Valley, California. I have been waiting for these boots for five friggin’ months! I can’t explain why they took so long, but I am sure glad they’re here.

These are GREAT BOOTS! They are all-leather, including being fully leather-lined. The leather is thicker than the leather used for Dehner Patrol Boots, so they feel stiffer than Dehners do. I really like these boots.

My partner who isn’t really into boots said that he thought these were the best-looking boots he has seen in a long time. After I laced them, I put on a uniform, then pulled on the boots. Wow! The whole “package” came together very well.

My partner referred to me as “officer, sir!” … then not too long after, … (this is a G-rated blog, but let’s say we had a LOT of fun!)

Great boots! Hell to get, but certainly very comfortable, good-looking, and enjoyable. I can’t wait to go for a ride on my Harley with these boots on my feet. I’ll have to wait a while for that, unfortunately, as the weather and my life aren’t “cooperating.”

See more pictures of these boots on my website by clicking here.

Life is short: wear your boots!

A Cop Gives Up His Boots

Posted on by

A riding buddy of mine was assigned to a motorcycle police unit and has worked as a bike cop for many years. He also owns a personal motorcycle and we ride together from time to time. He’s a really great guy. We have enjoyed many rides together over the years.

He recently was promoted to Detective, and shed his regular uniform and tall patrol boots for a suit and dress shoes (yuck!) He told me that he always considered his patrol boots as part of the uniform. When we rode our motorcycles together, he always wore some kind of short tactical boots.

Due to his promotion and change of uniform, he asked me a while back if I knew if his six pairs of Dehner boots might have some future use for others. Um, yeah! He is not a “bootman” as I claim to be. He really wasn’t aware of, nor wanted to know about, the boot fetish community out here. What he doesn’t ask, I don’t tell. But over the years, he has seen me riding my Harley in all sorts of boots, tall and short, inside and outside of my jeans or leathers. He hasn’t said much about my boots, other than to give me a half smile and say sometimes, “new boots?”

He gave me his old boots and asked me to manage their sale on eBay. As my “sellers fee,” I could keep one pair for myself. Isn’t it fortunate that they’re my size! So here is the pair I chose to keep: the newest ones (to him) which he got just a few months ago. They are Dehner dress instep patrol boots. They’re stock, meaning that they have a leather foot and Dehcord (plastic) shaft. They have a standard Nitrile rubber sole. They are a 10.5D, which is a little bit larger than my usual boot size. However, they fit me just fine — especially since they have a 1″ wider calf circumference, which accommodates my muscular calves quite well.

The rest of his pairs of boots are sold — don’t come begging, please. Interestingly, they sold to five men in the U.K., who bid more for them than anyone else. I gave the net proceeds of the sale to my riding buddy, who put it to good use to take his wife and children to see his in-laws in California for Christmas.

This was a “win-win” for both of us. I really like these new-to-me-boots, and my riding buddy receiving an unexpected windfall.

Life is short: wear your boots!

Chippewa Hi-Shines with Ultimate Traction

Posted on by

BHD's Lugged Chip ShinesHave you ever had one of those experiences where you saw something that someone else was wearing and you said to yourself, “I’d like to get that!”

That happened to me in May. I saw a motor officer at the Law Ride® in Washington, DC, who was wearing — as a number of cops were — a pair of Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. What I liked most about the boots, though, is that they had a thick, Vibram® 100 lug sole. I blogged about it here.

I started hunting for those boots, and spoke with someone at Chippewa, who said that they don’t make them, and confirmed it with Mike, owner of Stompers Boots of San Francisco, and Ron & Rich, owners of Big Black Boots. The boot retailers seemed to think that there wasn’t much of a market for them. I beg to disagree.

I was hoping that perhaps Chippewa, owned by Justin Brands, Inc., might consider offering their Hi-Shine engineer boots with lug soles. Lots of cops that I spoke with then, and many more since, have told me that they would like to get the boots with that sole and not to have to go through the trouble of finding a cobbler to add the sole later. (Hmmm, perhaps my loyal lurker from Justin Brands might see this and pass it on to the appropriate people?)

There were some of us, for example, who were disheartened when Chippewa discontinued offering lug soles on their shorter oil-tanned engineer boots. Nothing is wrong with the soles on their boots now — there are some of us, cops included, who prefer soles that offer the ultimate traction when we ride our big machines, plant our boot on the ground at stops, and when we ride in parades or other slow traffic, need to have a lot of control by using the boots to help us control speed (or crawl), very frequent stops, and maneuvering procedures, such as “walking” the bike forward and backward when parking.

Well, anyway, after all this talking and looking and thinking, I just got myself a new pair of Chip Hi-Shine Engineer Boots with Vibram® 100 lug soles! Whoo-hoo!

Since I already have a pair of these boots, some have wondered (my partner being among the first) why I wanted another pair of these boots. In fact, I had “lug-lite” soles added to my existing Chippewa Hi-Shines by a cobbler in June.

Well, the answer is in learning that my very favorite boot retailer, Stompers Boots, is in such a dire financial condition due to the crappy economy that Mike, the owner, may have to close the store next year. I thought, then, I’d throw some more business his way to try to help out, and get the boots now, rather than wait indefinitely. (And if you’re a Bootman like me and like what Stompers has to offer, this is a suggestion to get your orders in now!)

Life is short: Wear your boots! (I sure do!)
Stompers Boots

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by

I’m kinda busy getting ready to entertain about 100 people tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., so I thought I would share some joy (and a little demonstration of my odd-ball humor) with the following video, produced during a little “down time”. Enjoy!

Most importantly, I extend my very best wishes to my partner, my family, my life-long and newer friends — especially my loyal blog followers. Share your joy with those you love. Remember, life is short: show those you love that you love them, each and every day!


Bike Cops Speak

Posted on by

Since my Guide to Motorcycle Police Patrol Boots has been linked from two major internet sites this week — one that is read regularly by motor officers and one that is read by those who enjoy boots — I have seen the visits to that page on my website soar. Yesterday, I had an all-time high of website visits with over 3,400 unique visitors.

That’s fairly astounding. These visits have generated some email. A few message excerpts follow (names are withheld to protect the innocent):

Hey, man, for a non-bike cop you really know your boots! Thanks for putting all the information together. It’s helpful.
*******************************************
I’m amazed and impressed. This is one of the best and most fair comparisons of motor patrol boots I have read in ages — and I have been buying boots and uniform equipment for [location] motor unit for years
*******************************************
It is good to see the various listings of boots. It is helping us decide what to get for our outfit’s next major purchase
*******************************************
Your video helped, but the quality could be better. Email me back. Our county could do a better-quality video and perhaps some of our officers could be in it. Let’s talk
*******************************************
yes sir, officer! That sounds great!

An honest one, which I expected:
*******************************************
…glad you admit that you’re not a cop. I hate pretenders
*******************************************
Yep, I’ve never claimed to be something I’m not. I do, however, appreciate your hard work and thank you for your service to your community.

And here’s another, which I found a bit funny though tongue-in-cheek:
*******************************************
for a gay guy, you know your boots. Nice pics.
*******************************************
Hmmm… “for a gay guy”… I guess that’s cop speak for thinking that “us gay guys” may not know that much about boots (or anything else.) I’m still scratching my head over that one.

Finally, this last one which I really appreciated:
*******************************************
Interesting web page. I’ve worn Dehners for years and until I read one of your messages earlier this year, I didn’t even think of getting Chippewa boots. I got a pair this summer. They’re much more comfortable. The other guys on my squad have been switching out, too. The Chippewa boots are just as easy to keep clean as Dehners, and don’t crack (like you said happens.) Keep up the good work. I have shared your web page with lots of others on a motor cop forum that I post messages on. You are helping more cops than you may realize. [sent by a Sergeant in a motor unit in California].
*******************************************