I am asked frequently to recommend boots to wear while operating a motorcycle. After all, I own, have tried, and have worn almost 100 pairs of motorcycle boots. I have made it abundantly clear that the ONLY footwear that is acceptable to wear while riding a motorcycle are boots — nothing shorter; not a shoe; not a sneaker; and especially not stupid flip-flops (worn only by contestants for the next Darwin Award.)

However, many motorcycle riders I ride with think…

“A boot is a boot is a boot.” That common misperception is frequently held by people who care more about buying and displaying more bling for their bike than protection for their feet. Or guys who think that their work boots are tough enough. Or for the young-uns, they feel they are invincible and never will go down and need the added protection that good motorcycle boots offer.

To quote another boot buying guide, “it’s been proven far too many times that some things are out of the control of the rider and freak accidents can happen. Those are the moments where motorcycle boots can be the difference between walking away or finding your leg in a cast” … with an unwanted trip to the hospital.

There are a number of styles of motorcycle boots, and this post is only about boots to wear while riding regular street motorcycles and having the intention to wear those boots at the destination such as at the office, work site, festival, restaurant, or night spot. There are other boots made to wear on racing bikes or while dirt biking, riding motocross, or in motorcycle sporting competitions. I do not own any of those styles of boots because I am not a sport rider and I personally do not like the appearance of the style. Other blogs that cover those styles of boots.

The most important thing to remember about motorcycle boots is that they keep your feet and ankles protected when you ride. That’s it in a nutshell. Style, adornments, height above the ankle, accessories, color, skins used to make them — none of that matters. The foot/ankle protection is paramount.

Work boots are built to be tough and quality boots will be long-lasting; however, most work boots are not designed to handle hard impact across the foot. Steel-toed work boots only protect the toes, but not the foot and ankle.

Work boots like loggers are exceptionally rugged and usually waterproof, and can serve as a motorcycle boot. However, loggers use laces to secure them to the feet, and laces become untied in the wind and the laces can get caught in the shifter, brake, or melt/burn when exposed to a hot motorcycle engine and exhaust. For that reason, I do not recommend any boot that has long laces to wear while motorcycling.

Also, motorcycle boots (compared with work boots) offer better protection from asphalt abrasion, too. Since the most frequent motorcycle mishap is a slip, protection from abrasion across the foot and ankle is important.

So now that I may have convinced you to look at a boot made for motorcycling, that is — a traditional “motorcycle boot,” then what other features should I look for, and what should I be concerned about and avoid?

Features of a motorcycle boot to look for

Quality construction: I pay attention to the details describing how the boots are made and where they are made. The most telling statement is what they do NOT say — if they do not say “made in USA (or Canada, Mexico, or Europe)” then be careful because these days it is highly likely the boots are made in China or Pakistan with low-quality materials with poor construction methods by machines or robots. Other construction key words to look for include: steel shank, steel toe, double stitching, top grain leather, Goodyear welt, and leather lining. Avoid “imported” and “leather upper/balance manmade” — both indicators of crappy boots.

Decent, oil-resistant soles: all motorcycle boots have some sort of rubber sole, but the quality of the sole varies greatly. First, I look for the words “oil resistant” in product description (or on the sole itself). Vibram soles are the best — a Vibram 100 big lug sole provides ultimate traction but can be hard on the feet. A Vibram 430 “minilug” sole provides good traction, too, and are easier to stand in. I avoid boots with soles that are not oil resistant or are made of a type of rubber compound that easily degrades, such as composite soles found on some cheap imported combat or tactical boots.

Goodyear welt. A Goodyear welt is a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that runs along the perimeter of a boot’s outsole. Goodyear welted boots are relatively waterproof by not allowing water to get into the insole due to the welt-sole construction. But most of all, a boot made this way can have soles replaced relatively easily. It is rather easy to spot Goodyear welting — if you see stitching that attaches the boot sole to the vamp, it’s Goodyear welted. No stitching means that the sole is glued on. Glued soles are not water resistant and cannot be resoled. Usually boots from China and Pakistan are cheap because their soles are glued.

Comfort: if I am going to be wearing a pair of boots all day while operating a motorcycle, they must be comfortable. Boots that are very heavy (sorry, Wesco & Whites), become uncomfortable to me (feeling like Frankenstein feet) and I find myself choosing other boots to wear over them if I will be out all day riding.

Fit: boots may or may not be the same size as a pair of dress shoes or sneakers. There is no standard for lasts (the form of the foot of a boot against which leather is stretched to form the boot foot). Boot lasts can vary as much as one whole size in length (the number in a sizing designation) or width (the letter in a sizing designation). Some boots run large (like White’s Nomads or tall Chippewa engineers) and some boots run small (like short Chippewa engineers or Dehners). That is why it is important to do two things: 1) get your feet measured using a professional device for that, and 2) try boots on before buying, if at all possible (or … see the section on retailers.)

Easy to maintain: the last thing I want to do is spend time maintaining boots. That is why most of my motorcycle boots are made of oil-tanned leather. They get dirty, so what? I just wipe them down (and if necessary use a garden hose to clean mud from the lugs of the soles) and I’m done. Yeah, I do have some motorcycle boots that require more maintenance, such as Dehners. They look nice when they’re all spiffy and shiny. But most of the time, I prefer the rugged looks of a pair of biker boots that have had lots of time on my feet when I’m in the saddle of my Harley.

Secure on the foot but no laces: Some men like boots that lace up, like loggers or linesman boots. But most of us bikers, including myself, don’t want to take the time to lace boots. We just want to pull them on and take off. However, I look for boots that fit well and remain secure on the foot. The last thing I want to have happen is to be involved in a crash and have the boots fly off my feet or have the laces come untied in the wind and get caught in moving motorcycle parts. After all, boots are there for protection. So I make sure that my boots fit me well.

Retailer: choose a reputable retailer that has a generous return policy and (best) no charge for shipping. The best boot retailers allow for return of a pair of boots if they don’t fit at no charge to the customer. A good retailer will also provide free shipping for purchases over a certain amount. Good quality boots always exceed that “certain amount” (knowing smile.) If you see a pair of boots on the internet that you like, do comparison shopping explained here.

Price: nobody wants to pay much for footwear, at least not regular guys who don’t give a crap about fashion and labels. However, we don’t want crap, either. Be wary of boots whose retail price is less than US$150. It is likely those boots are made with inferior products in China or Pakistan. Also be wary of boots with name-labels like “Harley-Davidson” or “Frye.” Boots with those legendary labels are made by third-party companies who have paid for a license to use an iconic name to make products with those labels and have access to retail such as a H-D dealership. Unfortunately, while boots with these labels may be priced around US$200, the price has nothing to do with quality. It is an inflated markup for the label. Caveat emptor! As far as price goes, I have found quality motorcycle boots with all the features listed above retailing between US$200 and US$300 for ordinary, commercially-made on-the-shelf boots, and well over US$600 for custom made boots (Wesco, Dehner). It is true, “you get what you pay for.”

Concerns and what to avoid

While I do not like to be negative, there are some boots that should be avoided:

1. Boots made in China, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, or thereabouts

‘nuf said — see above. Shortcuts in construction and cheap materials make boots made in these countries not worthwhile. Look for clues for the COOL (Country of Origin Label) such as, “imported,” or “made of imported materials.” If the seller were proud of the COOL, they would tell you where the boots were made.

2. Boots that are priced low (aka “cheap.”)

The old adage applies — you get what you pay for. Cheap boots fall apart and do not provide the protection a motorcycle rider requires. Also, cheap boots are often not water resistant, much less waterproof. What biker hasn’t been caught in a sudden storm? At least good boots will keep your feet dry, even if the rest of you gets wet.

3. Boots that take on a label or adjective to imply their “American-ness” or “coolness”.

Really, look carefully at some boot promotions. The more Americana in the name, the less likely the boots are to be of good quality. And adjectives such as “rebel” or “patriot” do not describe anything related to the manufacture or construction of the boot.

Final Summary

For more information on choosing motorcycle boots, read my “motorcycle boot guide”.

For links to on-line boot retailers that I have purchased from successfully and recommend, See the links page on my website.

Life is short: wear boots when riding a motorcycle.