Category Archives: Chippewa Firefighter Boots

Sixth and Cruise

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Yesterday I rode my Harley “down” to my brother’s home between the South River and the West River near Annapolis, Maryland, our home state. Great ride with bright sunshine and little traffic. I kicked the Harley up to sixth gear, engaged the cruise control, put my Chippewa Firefighter boots up on the highway pegs, sat back comfortably against my backrest, and cruised for an hour. Soon enough, I had arrived.

My twin great nephews were having their first birthday party, and I enjoyed sharing their joy (and cake!) with them, their parents, and their grandparents (my brother being the granddad.)

Great “time out” for a Sunday. Back to work today… but joy and smiles from this visit will last a long time.

Life is short: show your family how you love them.

No Cop Boots?

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Someone wrote an email to me to ask what boots I was wearing when I went on a police-escorted motorcycle ride on Sunday.  “Must have been hard to choose between your Dehner, Wesco, All American, Enforcer, Chippewa, and Intapol boots,” he remarked.

First of all, I am impressed that the writer of the message was thorough enough to have reviewed my website (or this blog) and knows the variety of makers of tall police patrol boots that I own.

But let me burst a bubble: I didn’t wear patrol boots on Sunday. Why? I wanted to wear lightweight khaki BDUs, because it was darned hot and humid out. These BDUs wick away sweat and keep me cool. I tucked the BDUs into my Chippewa Firefighter boots, which still remain a frequent choice to wear when riding in hot weather. Great boots: comfortable, durable, and the lug soles provide great traction.

It is very uncomfortable to wear boots that hold breeches close to the legs on a hot day. I don’t know how some cops can stand it. Plus, I am sensitive to the fact that cops take a dim view of non-cops who dress like they do — even if we have no insignia on a shirt or stripes down the leg — there are some who take second-looks and make judgments. In my civic life, I work with some of the cops who led the ride for us yesterday, and didn’t want to have conversations take a diversion to discussions about what I was wearing — I had other things that I wanted to speak with them about.

Sure, I’ll wear breeches and patrol boots when tooling around the ‘hood in pleasant weather, and even wear leather breeches and patrol boots when the weather is cold. But I refrain from making a statement around people who are sensitive to fetish issues. Cops, military (including vets) and bikers with whom I ride regularly are generally sensitive about this matter for various reasons, so I don’t “push it.” Plus, overall, I prefer to be comfortable, particularly on a longer ride. Now ‘ya know.

Life is short: be comfortable. (And wear boots when riding a motorcycle!)

Random Boot Shots

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While organizing photos on my computer, every now and then I see some pics from the past that for whatever reason, recapture my attention. Here are a few which have appeared on my website and this blog in the past. I am reposting them for no reason other than I like ’em.

Above, my Chippewa Firefighter Boots, which are a favorite for hot-weather motorcycle riding.

Above, Chippewa High-Shine Boots with Lug Soles that I saw on a cop in May, 2008 (this photo). I had lug soles added to a pair of them for myself. Great boots!

My old Wesco Boss Boots that still look and feel great, even after 20 years.

My newest pair of custom Wesco Roughout Harness Boots that are burgundy and brown in color. Very different boots that get many comments when I wear them.

My All American “Blue Knight” patrol boots. Very well-made and rugged boots made completely of leather.

My newest pair of Dehner Field Boots that a buddy thinks are “the bomb.” I like them too!

My Dehner patrol boots with Vibram 100 lug soles. While these boots have shafts made of that plastic stuff called “Clarino Leather” (aka “Dehcord”), they still have a classic appearance that I enjoy wearing from time to time.

A random pair of Dehner motorcycle police patrol boots that I have seen among hundreds of pairs at police motorcycle competitions.

Life is short: wear boots!

Don’t Over-Boot It

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Regular readers of this blog know that I only wear boots as my choice of footwear, and I am a stickler for “the right boot for the job” — that is, when I ride my Harley, I insist on good quality, well-fitting, comfortable motorcycle boots, preferably with a big lug sole for best traction.

Yesterday was Labor Day in the United States, a holiday denoting recognizing the contributions of the American worker to society. The day also serves as the unofficial end of summer, as in our area, many outdoor swimming pools close for the season.

I led a motorcycle ride on an absolutely stunning day with spectacular scenery through Maryland’s mountains on designated scenic byways. What a blast! And … I only made one wrong turn, requiring the group turn around … but all were good sports about it.

The day began cool, so I wore a long-sleeved shirt over a t-shirt, blue jeans, and my biker vest. I debated about wearing more leather, such as a pair of chaps, but as I was preparing to leave, it was warming up nicely. It was 72°F (22°C) when I left home, so more leather wasn’t needed. It was 85°F (29°C) by mid-day, so the long-sleeved shirt came off, too.

I debated with myself about what boots to wear on this ride. I first got out my tall, leather-lined Wesco boots, and was pulling them on when I thought, “hmmm, these might get hot.” My partner rolled over in bed, looked at me in the boots and said, “don’t ‘overboot it’.” That’s his expression for what he thinks my biker friends might think about tall Wesco boots worn with jeans tucked in.

I don’t care much about what others think, as I make my safety and comfort top priority. If the day would get as warm as predicted, those Wesco boots would become uncomfortable as the day progressed. So I grabbed my Chippewa Firefighter Boots off the shelf and put them on.

I have raved often that I think Chippewa Firefighter boots are by far the best all-around comfortable boots for motorcycling. Indeed, they proved me correct once again throughout the long, sunny, delightful ride through twisty roads and hills with panoramic vistas.

I wish I could ride and take photos at the same time. Alas, I’m not quite skilled enough to do that. You’ll have to take my word for it that it looked like this: (courtesy of the National Park Service)


Life is short: make the best of each day!

On the Road

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A buddy of mine took some pictures of me while I was riding my Harley last Saturday. I frequently choose to “ride sweep” which is the last one in the pack. It has a nice view of the bikes ahead. Here is what my view looks like:

And here is how I look when riding:


And again (look closely — I meant it when I said that Chippewa Firefighter Boots are the most comfortable boots I have worn while riding my Harley, especially on a hot day like it was when this photo was taken.)

And during a riding break:

That thing by my left cheek is a microphone, which is attached to my radio which I use to keep in contact with the ride leaders and other riders.

Are You That Leather Boot Dude?

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The other day when I came home, I changed from my work duds to full leather. Naked leather jeans, leather shirt, and an old but favourite leather vest, my “Skyrider” vest that my partner had made for me when we went to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in 1995. It was an unusually cool, clammy, wet day: perfect for leather.

I heard the mail truck and went out to get the mail. The truck was just pulling up to my box. The postal carrier was busy looking at the mail on his lap, deciding which was mine and which went to the next house. He handed me the mail and then looked at me. Let’s say he did a double-take, “leather bounce.” That is, he looked up at my face, then down at my boots, then slowly back up again, looking at the leather jeans, then the shirt and vest.

He said, “nice gear! Hey, are you that leather boot dude?”

I didn’t quite know what to say. Not knowing if he recognized me from my blog or website, I just played coy, and replied, “thanks for the compliment.”

He said, “hey, I recognize you. I was reading your website a few weeks ago and decided to get myself some of those Chippewa fire boots you talked about from that store in San Francisco. See?” Then he pointed to his feet. Darned enough, he had on a pair of Chippewa Firefighter Boots. He went on to rave about the comfort of the boots and said that he found my website informational and helpful. Gee, thanks again, man. I’m glad to meet a “happy customer.”

He seemed to have all the time in the world, and wanted to know more about my gear that I had on, how comfortable it was, where I got it, how much it cost, how it fit, and so on and so on. I had to bug off because it was damn cold and I didn’t have a jacket on. The leather was warm enough for a short trip to the mailbox, but not for standing out in the drizzle and cold shootin’ the breeze about boots and leather with the local postal carrier. (Too bad he was a substitute for our regular carrier. I’d like to see him again and continue the conversation.)

Anyway, you never know who you influence or what they think, but it just goes to show that almost anyone can be a boot and leather dude incognito.

Life is short: wear your leather (and BOOTS!)