Category Archives: Cop Boots

Chippewa Motor Patrol Boots

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I have a number of motorcycle cop boots. I like their appearance, style, and design. And I must admit that I was definitely influenced by “CHiPs” when it was on TV while I was in my teens.

Over the years, I have bought or received one dozen pairs of tall black cop boots. Not being a fetishist (as some might think), I got these boots for the purpose for which they were made: to wear (preferably with breeches) while riding my Harley.

One of the pairs of boots like this that I got more than a decade ago were Chippewa Motor Patrol Boots. They look nice, and even after all these years, are easy to keep shiny. That’s because they are made of patent leather. That is leather with a plastic coating on it. Instead of using shoe polish, all you need to do is use a damp cloth or perhaps Armorall Leather Wipes and the boots resume their shine.

But that’s the downfall of these boots, too. Because they are patent leather, they don’t breathe. Thus, they get hot. I mean really hot, and cause my feet to sweat if I wear them in the sun. Because they’re black, they absorb heat from the sun, and then become ovens for my feet.

Second, the sole that is used on these boots is just awful. It is called an “Alpha” sole — that’s the name of the manufacturer. The sole is a type of rubber, but I don’t think it is vulcanized. That is, the rubber is soft and seems to get close to the melting point when used on a motorcycle and gets anywhere near hot pipes or the engine. The soles have left black marks on my bike’s pipes. The marks have been the devil to remove.

Also, if you look really closely at the side of the boot in the photo with this blog, you will see that the patent leather looks like it has something on it. No, guys, it’s not what you think — it is damage from rubbing against a hot motorcycle engine while riding.

As I have attended a number of motor officer events over the years and have seen the boots real cops wear, I just don’t see these boots on their feet. Probably for reasons described here. Nice looking boots, but not a good choice for wearing by a real cop or a real biker on a motorcycle.

Cop Boots: Ankle Breaking Decides It

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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of continuing the ongoing, in-person conversation with a group of motor officers who are considering recommending that they change the boots they purchase and wear on duty. I blogged about this before.

Currently, these officers wear Dehner Patrol Boots with a dress instep. The boots look great. However, the stock boots use cheap plastic “Dehcord” (made by Clarino) which cracks and breaks. So most of these officers opt to buy the more expensive but much more durable European calf leather Dehner Boots. The problem is that the boots are very expensive and their uniform allowance doesn’t cover the expense of the uniform (breeches, shirts, belts, etc.) AND these very expensive boots as quickly as they go through them with duty wear-and-tear.

Yesterday, they booted up in different boots offered by Chippewa, Intapol, as well as Dehner. The rode their Police Harley motorcycles on a skills course and put their bikes and their boots through the paces.

I could describe a lot more, but what it all boiled down to was what began as a side discussion, but became the major issue: boots that “break” (or bend) at the ankle badly are unacceptable (see photo above). Unfortunately, calf leather boots tend to do that. So it’s not only the expense, but also how the boots break in that make a difference, and these guys are so busy that they’re not all that interested in taking the time to “train” their boots to break a certain way. They just want to pull ’em on and ride!

Some of the cops wearing Intapol Boots thought that they had the same “breaking” problem that they had with Dehners. Those who tested the tall Chippewa Hi-Shine boots didn’t seem to have the same problem. Besides the cost, this is also probably why so many other motor units around the country use these boots for duty wear.

They will make their recommendation to their superiors: Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots it is. The discussions and the chance to observe yesterday’s trials was interesting. (I didn’t bring my camera to take pics yesterday. It just wasn’t something I could do in this particular situation.)

Lined or Unlined Boots?

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One major area of concern about choices of motor officer (bike cop) boots that I haven’t yet discussed in this blog, but I did discuss with motor officers who I am advising on choices of boots they are making is the advantages and disadvantages of getting lined or unlined boots.

Tall boots are sometimes lined with leather. A leather lining, such as shown my Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots makes a boot more sturdy and durable. Lined boots will stand upright when you take them off. Leather is often selected for the lining because it will breathe, thus ensuring the boots do not feel too hot on the feet. A leather lining will expand and contract with changes in temperature the same as the leather used for the shaft. If, for example, cloth or other fabric were used, it would stretch and quickly lose its firmness, thus not doing much for the boot.

Unlined boots, such as my Chippewa Oil-Tanned Engineer Boots, have a rough leather interior of the shaft. They are durable boots on the outside. However, they do not stand up well on their own when removed. But because there is no lining, they do not get hot, even when worn in warm weather. Unlined boots tend to sag or crease more at the ankle simply because there is not much there but soft leather.

Tall motorcycle boots come both ways, lined or unlined. Some unlined tall cop boots are made of stiffer leather, or leather look-alike plastic products such as Dehcord used on stock Dehner patrol boots. I definitely don’t recommend boots made with such a product, because while they are less expensive (but still overpriced) than an all-leather Dehner boot, you get what you pay for: crap that will not hold up while in regular use.

Other unlined boots, like my very comfortable Harley-Davidson Police Enforcer Boots, are made of all leather. The leather selected for these boots, though, is treated to be very stiff, so they stand up well and don’t crease badly at the ankle.

Well-made boots from reputable manufacturers like Wesco may be purchased with or without a leather lining. I have a number of pairs of Wesco Boots, and have them both lined and unlined. I definitely prefer the lined boots, because they hold up better and don’t sag as much.

How does this matter affect the choices that the motor officers I am working with will make? I did not mention it in my previous blog post, but I know that they definitely prefer a boot with a leather lining, but haven’t ruled out unlined, stiffer all-leather boots such as are made by Intapol. Check back with this blog in the future to find out what they decide. I will be meeting with them again in a couple weeks for a demonstration from a couple manufacturers and more discussion.

Bike Cop Boot Advising

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UPDATE: I see that this blog post is the most popular one on my website. If you found it from a search engine while seeking information about motorcycle police patrol boots, see my Guide to Motorcycle Police Patrol Boots by clicking here.

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I met a motor officer while I was at Law Ride on May 11 who said that his agency was reviewing the uniform policy, particularly the boots to specify with a motor officer’s uniform. The current boots that they all wear are Dehner patrol boots with a dress instep and Vibram lug sole. They are very nice-looking boots, but also very expensive. Since each officer receives a fixed amount of money for his/her uniform allowance, they are finding that the allowance isn’t covering the cost of the boots and all the components of their uniforms (shirts, breeches, outerwear, belts, etc.) as often as they have to replace them due to job-related wear-and-tear.

The motor officers in this agency met with management to consider changes to make to the boot specs in the uniform policy, and they invited me to participate in the meeting as well. They all agree that tall, black boots are what they want. They won’t deviate wildly like going with some sort of short tech boot or a color of leather other than black.

They also like having the Vibram lug sole. It gives great traction while operating the motorcycle, and also wears far longer than any other sole.

What they don’t like is the cost and the materials from which their current boots are made. Stock Dehner patrol boots with a lug sole can cost around $400 per pair (with their discount). Unfortunately, stock Dehners are made with a synthetic (plastic) product made by Clarino®, which the Dehner Boot Company calls “Dehcord.” This stuff cracks easily and is hard to maintain. It keeps a nice shine, but once cracked, it can’t be fixed. (Personally, I don’t recommend boots made with this product. It’s crap.)

Their next option are Dehner patrol boots made of Voyager or imported calf leather. These options are more expensive, with calf leather being $300 more. While these leathers will hold up much better and for longer on a boot worn for rough duty, the cost is a major concern.

They are also looking at alternative manufacturers of boots that I showed them from my collection. Intapol makes a nice patrol boot, and even comes with a zipper which makes them easy to put on and take off. However, they were concerned how long the zipper would hold up in actual usage conditions.

They looked at my Harley-Davidson Police Enforcer Boots, which look really nice and are the most comfortable of all of the various tall bike cop boots I own. Unfortunately, these boots are not made with a dress instep. They’re only bal-laced. They don’t want laces on their boots. There is also some question about availability of these boots from the manufacturer, Wolverine, and the fact that these boots are made in China, which runs some degree of risk on dependability of shipments as well as sometimes questionable quality.

Then they looked at the Chippewa “Hi-Shine” Engineer Boots. Because these boots are a fairly major departure from what they are accustomed to wearing, they were initially hesitant. But they saw so many other officers at Law Ride (and other events) who wear these boots and like them a lot for their good looks, comfort, appearance, and value (they cost about $190/pair). The unfortunate thing is that in order to get a Vibram sole on the boots, a cobbler would have to add the sole. The manufacturer does not make the boots with a lug sole.

Anyway, they’re mulling over their options. I was honored to be asked for my opinions during this meeting, and pleased that I had a variety of boots from my collection to demonstrate and aid them in their discussions. They are a great group of men to work with, and I look forward to our ongoing discussions.

Most Popular Bike Cop Boots

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All websites have logs that show how many visitors look at posted pages or images. I look at my logs from time to time to see what others find most interesting, which I determine by the pages and images with the most views.

Pictured here are the boots that have been viewed more often than any others from the recently posted galleries about Law Ride 2008.

They are, not surprisingly, Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots. The boots look good, and were worn on about 3/4 of the officers who were at Law Ride.

Life is short: admire cop boots!

Law Ride: Boots for the Biker

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At Law Ride on Sunday, May 11, I took a lot — I mean A LOT — of pictures of boots, cops, and cops in their boots. It was a great event because I got to hang out with law enforcement officers and ride with them, and thank them for their service. But it was also enjoyable to attend as a Bootman who particularly likes tall black boots, as there were so many to see.

I spotted these Chippewa Engineer Boots on a cop. They ARE Chippewas (see the Indian Head imprint on the side), but have a solid lug sole, which appears to be a Vibram 100. Man, I really like Engineer Boots with a Vibram 100 sole, and haven’t been able to find tall ones, especially made by a reputable manufacturer like Chippewa. Every time I tried to talk to this cop about his boots and where he got them, or if he had the soles added by a cobbler, he was involved in a conversation with other cops. I didn’t want to intrude or seem strange walking up to a cop to ask him solely about his boots.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2008: I GOT MYSELF A PAIR OF THESE BOOTS! See them here.

I’m draggin’ this morning. I was up way too late last night, ’til after 10pm, celebrating the win of my candidate for our County Council who was in a special general election on Tuesday. I worked most of the day turning out the vote, and was pleased that he won by a 2/3 majority. He will assume office on May 23 or thereabouts. It was a pleasure to work on his campaign as his webmaster and among his legion of civic activist volunteers. I am especially pleased because he is the husband of my very close friend who was in this office for 17 years. He will carry on her work of constituent service and fiscal prudence with integrity and independence.

Even though I was out partying (defined as hugging everyone in sight, eating chicken nuggets and drinking a Sprite) until all hours, I still naturally awoke at 4:00am. I’m gonna’ crash tonight. Fortunately, I don’t have any more evening meetings this week.

Life is short: wear your boots!

Law Ride Photo Processing and Galleries

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Continuing my blogging about Law Ride which was held this past Sunday in Washington, DC. I am still working on cropping, resizing, and organizing all of the pictures that I took that day. I have lots of other things going on, which limit the time I have for working on this set of photo galleries.

I’ve had community meetings and public hearings going on, as well as my regular day-job, so my life continues, as usual, non-stop. Security at a public hearing last night was provided by a county motor officer, which isn’t the usual case. Man, it was hard for me to focus on listening to speakers with such a distraction in the room.

Meanwhile, my candidate is up for a special general election today, so I am bringing voters to the polls and doing what I can to get him elected. Fortunately, we have a great group of volunteers who are doing great work. I look forward to tonight’s celebration.

Back to Law Ride for a moment, I received two very nice email messages from two people who were at the event on Sunday. One was a cop and one was a fellow biker/supporter. They like what they’re seeing and reading. That’s great.

I’m in a bit of a quandary to determine just how to lay out the galleries of all of the photos that I took. There are lots and lots of boot shots. Because there are so many, I am thinking of doing one page on Engineer style boots, another on Bal-laced boots, another on Dress Instep Boots, another on the cops on their bikes, another of the cops off their bikes, and another of “miscellaneous” photos that won’t fit in these categories. So many photos, so little time! Oh well, I’ll get around to posting the galleries eventually, time permitting. Meanwhile, enjoy these daily teases!

What’s It Like to be Surrounded by Motor Officers?

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On Sunday, May 11, I had the pleasure of riding my Harley with members of the Blue Knights to Law Ride, which is a gathering of police motor officers from all over the country. They assemble at a parking lot at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Precisely at 11:00, the motor officers begin the procession with us supporters following. We ride down East Capitol Street, past the U.S. Capitol Building, then across Pennsylvania Avenue to Sixth Street, turn right, then right again on F Street, past the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial, left on 5th, then left on G, and park.

My group arrived at the RFK Stadium parking lot about 8:45am. We were there early enough to stage ourselves in the first line of bikers that will follow the motor officers. Then we dismounted and watched thousands of others arrive on motorcycles of all sizes and makes. Of those who came, I estimate there were about 600 – 700 motor officers in uniform. The rest were biker/supporters, like me.

What’s it like? I’ve been asked this question often. For a gay guy, perhaps what I may look for and at may be different from others, but I’m not there for sexual or fetish fantasies. I’m not that kind of guy. I believe that the jobs of our law enforcement officers is tough and they deserve recognition. Yeah, of course, it’s a pleasure for a guy like me who really likes boots and uniforms to be there, to watch, observe, and take pictures.

But what I enjoy most is speaking with some of the officers. I begin by introducing myself. I ask the officer where he is from, and thank him for his service. Usually chit-chat about the job, riding such-and-such a bike, and working in that city or county follows. Because I have traveled to almost every nook and cranny in the U.S. over the years, I find that often I have visited the city or county where the cop is from, so I usually have something to talk about — the cop’s hometown. As for anyone, people like to talk about where they’re from, what they do, and what they enjoy — motorcycling. Most officers enjoy conversations with us “civilians.” After all, they are trained to work with people.

Many of the officers tend to hang out with each other, and swap stories based on their mutual training, background, and experience. I wouldn’t call it cliquish. I would say that people in the same profession tend to have more to talk about with each other. And many of these officers have met before — on this ride or similar rides elsewhere.

If you behave as a normal guy who enjoys motorcycles and appreciates and supports the work of police officers, then there’s not much else to it. You just stand around, occasionally chit-chat with a cop, and take pictures. That’s it. Nothing special, nothing dramatic, nothing difficult. Just hang out, being a biker among fellow bikers.

When the ride queues up to leave, a horn is sounded and a call is made to “mount your bikes.” The cops and the rest of us do that. I put my trinkets that I bought or received as a gift in my saddle bags, put on my jacket, gloves, and helmet, start my engine, and wait to be directed to join the ride, two-by-two. Off we go, down the streets of DC.

Yeah, there is something neat about hearing the roar of all those bikes, seeing all those boots, uniforms, and being one among fellow bikers. That’s what makes this ride fun. The rest — boots, uniforms, leather — is icing on the cake.

The shiniest motorcop boots

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Oh my goodness, my boot visions were realized today when I rode on Law Ride, a ride led by motorcops from all over the U.S. They ride from RFK Stadium to the Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial. Us supporters follow.

I spoke with several cops, including the one whose boots are shown here. Man, what a nice guy. And his boots were gorgeous! These are Chippewa Hi-Shines, which are selected more often now by cops than any other boot, including Dehners.

I had a great conversation with this officer, who has visited my website. He already knew my interest in boots, and asked several good questions. He gave me a hat from his motor squad. What a nice guy. What a GREAT DAY!

More will follow. I had a terrific time and took a lot of photos as the ride was organizing. Ummm, ummm, ummm… my hopes were realized, and the boot beauty was in abundance.

Booticipating

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The weather is clearing and it looks like tomorrow morning will be crisp and sunny. Great leather weather, with a pair of tall black cop boots thrown in.

I’m joining friends to attend “Law Ride,” which is a motor officer (and friends) ride in Washington, DC, from RFK Stadium to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial to pay our respects for those in law enforcement who have died in the line of duty in the last year.

I have gone on this ride for several years now. I really enjoy it. I am particularly looking forward to some boot gazing while the motor officers are queuing up in the morning before the ride heads out.