When we talk about safety gear for motorcycle riders, there are items that always spring to mind first. Helmet – Jacket – Gloves – Kevlar jeans. However, we need to talk about boots!
Our feet control a lot of the motorcycle. They help us stop the motorcycle, change gears, and even as simple as holding it upright! Yet no one thinks about trading in their Converse shoes, steel caps or joggers in for a pair of motorcycle boots. Motorcycle boots provide necessary safety and protection for your feet.
Just like the rest of your safety gear, there are varying degrees of protection and design. The boot you would wear on your dirt bike is different to the boot you would wear on a sports bike on the track, which is different again to the boot you would wear riding your cruiser to and from work. And not all of them are boots! There are some comfy and great looking, whilst still protective motorcycle shoes available.
Those old runners or the converse that you’re wearing would fold in half without much pressure at all. Even the most basic motorcycle shoe will have a rigid sole.
Most soles are reinforced with at least a strip of plastic. The tougher they are, the longer they will last. If the shoe won’t bend easily, then your foot won’t bend easily.
You put your feet on the ground every time you stop your motorcycle. If your foot slips (like mine did on gravel that one time), it could spell the end of perfect fairings.
Having good grip on the soles of your shoes can assist with holding your motorcycle tall, no matter the road condition.
If you’re a shorty like me, a tough toe and a rigid sole give me the ability to stand on the tips of my toes to hold up the motorcycle (almost like a ballerina).
That’s not the only reason tough toes exist. Proper motorbike boots/shoes provide protection for the fragile bones in your feet and toes.
Plus, have you ever changed gears with no shoes? Or even just a thin old pair of joggers? Hurt, didn’t it? A tough toe stops that ouch and makes it easy to change gears, and even helps provide leverage!
Don’t go grabbing the steel caps though. Steel caps are great for the worksite and do a bang-up job of stopping you feel anything on your toes. Which means you can’t feel when the gear lever clicks into gear. Trust me, missing a gear rarely ends well.
Ankle joints can be a weak spot naturally, and when you’re holding up a 200kg motorcycle, you need all the stability you can get!
A boot with good ankle support will not only protect you in the event of an epic crash or tumble but can also provide support on those near miss drops, foot slips and generally holding up of a motorcycle.
Here’s something you may not have thought of. You may not plan to ride in the rain, but Mother Nature has a mind of her own.
A lot of motorcycle shoes and boots are waterproof. So you can ride in the rain and stomp in the puddles and keep your toes nice and dry.
Nothing like a wet pair of socks to dampen the mood of a ride.
If you’re riding a large adventure bike or motocross bike, you will want the additional protection for falls and bushes. Normal canvas shoes tend not to be very thick and aren’t designed to take an impact. There are motorcycle shoes that look like normal shoes, and there are motorcycle boots that look like they belong on a motorcyclist’s feet.
Which ever look you are going for, there is footwear to suit you.
I hope I have provided you with enough reasons to get out there and protect those feet!
At Westerns, we are always here to help you decide on the best footwear for your ride and answer any questions you have. Come in store or give us a call!
Ride Safe and have a good one!
Prue
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