Best off-road boot for toe protection

[Mark P]

Asking for recommendations for favorite riding(off-road and also dual-sport) boots with best forward and top protection for toes. Thanks!

[KTMTOM]

Alpinestar Tech 8's have done me justice for the last, well, forever! I tried the Gaerne SG12's and would vote them No. 2, but the Techs are a little thicker in the toe, probably for the inner booties to fit right, so there's more cushion there before anything  ever gets close to a toe. Stay clear of cheap boots. Theres a reason why they're cheap!

1975 KTM 250 MX
2009 KTM 250 XC-W (e)

[Jeff D]

Call Charlie Williams at Wicked Motorsports in suburban Indianapolis.  Charlie is an ISDE vet and does enduros, hare scrambles, endurocross (he won the senior class once!) and just about anything off-road.  I don't have his number at my fingertips, but google Wicked Motorsports and you should be able to find it.  He does mail order and has great prices on boots (and anything else you need) and can give you some great advice.  He won't steer you wrong.  Tell him I sent you to him.
Jeff DeBell

Jeff DeBell

[Larry Perkins]

You can not beat A-Stars.  I used Tech 8's for years and for several years now have used Tech 10's.  At a National enduro once caught a stump with my toes down at speed wearing Tech 8's.  Whacked my foot wicked but broke nothing.

Larry P

[Mark P]

Thanks all for the advice and recommendations. I'm a little embarrassed to post this but got pretty badly injured this past Saturday not from a crash but from WALKING my Suzuki DR650 across an algae covered concrete ford on the James River, south of Mason, TX and having the bike slide on the algae and fall on my left foot, fracturing my left toe in two places. I was out on a casual road/dirt road ride and had on my First Gear Air mesh armor, helmet, padded gloves, knee guards and heavy Vibram soled(non-steeled toe)Tony Lama work books.

Anyway, I was 100 miles from the truck(parked in San Saba) and once I got the bike picked up and out of the shallow water and off the slick ford, rode the distance back using the inside of my boot to upshift and the heel to downshift. I knew I was hurt and had some broken bones from the pain. This particular ford is well-known for being dangerous for bikers and I figured I would mitigate the risk by getting off the bike and "safely" walking it across the approximate 50 meter crossing. Boy, was I wrong.

Cutting to the end of my story, I got out of surgery yesterday and am in a cast from the knee to out beyond my toes. My left toe was fractured badly in two places and it now has screws and pins in it. The rest of my front foot is a bruised swollen mess. I thank the Good Lord that I accumulated a lot of sick leave but still do not like missing work.

I am going back over my gear and I will NEVER work around or get on a bike(particulary these larger DP bikes) without boots that have some kind of a safety toe that will keep toes from being crushed. That includes LOADING motorcycles. Ironically, I am always on some of my riding buddies for their "going around the block" on a bike wearing tennis shoes(or worse-those "Crocks" things..). I guess the same thing could have occurred loading and unloading the bike off the trailer or truck. Anyway, I made a poor judgement call and am paying a painful price. Aside from the cost of the injury and new handlebars, I will miss the best riding season(to me) in Texas.

I ride with A-Stars now when Im on my KTM but I guess my boots are the lower end model. I looked at the toe box and it is not very protective(although they are nice boots-not much protection from above for the toes).

Jeff-I am going to call Charlie and see what he recommends and also look around for a good dual-sport boot that has a hard toe.

Interestingly, I was just looking at the riding boots our motorcycle traffic section uses(im a municipal police officer(in a patrol car)) and they have soft toes also. Our traffic section went from Harleys to the BMW police bikes and they also went from a traditional patrol uniform with the high boots to new air mesh body armor with some kind of ankle-high riding boot. I believe I'll try an convince the leadership to get them something with a safety toe.

Thanks again!

Mark

[Dwight Rudder]

Alpinestars !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mark P]

Mr. DeBell-I ordered some boots from Mr. Williams.  
Thanks to all for advice!!

[ddavis]

Any boot is better then none. This a picture of my sons toe after woods riding in tennis shoes. His toe met Mr. Stump. He has Alpine Stars, but they were in the garage. He no longer rides without them.
His new nickname is Pepperoni Toe.

http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a445/ddavey72/toe.jpg

[wfopete]

You might want to check out some '80s vintage Scott plastic boots on CL or Evil bay.  Those babys are so tough you can hardly feel your shifter or brake pedal.

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

[Mark P]

I think I remember those.  Didnt they look like the boots the storm troopers wore on Star Wars?

quote:Originally posted by wfopete

You might want to check out some '80s vintage Scott plastic boots on CL or Evil bay.  Those babys are so tough you can hardly feel your shifter or brake pedal.

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

[Mark P]

Well, my boots arrived today and I thought Id post an update.

Jeff
Am very pleased with advice and help I  received from your bud Charlie Williams at Wicked Motosports. His telephone number is 317-858-4744. (Before I continue, he told me to have you tell the story of your passing him in an ISDT while you were riding a BMW...) I told Charlie my issues with th fractured toe and he recommended the Gaerne SG 10 and said it offered a bit more protection over the top of the toe than the A-stars. The Gaerne is still made in Italy. I was torn between the A-stars and the Gaernes and several local riders also told me they liked both but felt the Gaerne offered a bit more protection on top of toes, so I went with Charlie and ordered those. I tried on the right boot and it seems to fit well.  Charlie told me that he is not sure if any motorcycle boot could have prevented my crushed broken toe and examining these new Gaerne boots, I agree with him.  They have a good bit of protection but they are not steel toe boots.  Now, riding is only five more weeks away....

Moving to my left toe and my first experiences with a different kind of footwear called a cast. My surgery was last Wednesday and I was out cold when the operating folks put the cast on. The pain from this thing has been pretty nasty and by yesterday at lunch, I couldnt stand it anymore. My foot felt like it was going to explode inside that cast. I went to the podiatry office and asked them to look at it. My doc was on vacation and had scheduled to see me on Oct 28 to remove the hard cast, check the healing, and put a removable splint-boot on. Since he wasnt present,  the "on-call" nurses and docs on duty immediately removed the cast. Turns out the cast was too tight! It was put on immediately after surgery and then my foot swelled inside following the operation. The doc and nurses told me this is a rather common occurrence and patients routinely have new casts made during the time they are prescibed to wear the. Man, was I miserable and when that cast was cut away and my foot could expand and breath again, the feeling was pure relief.  I got to see my surgeons handiwork on a multiple-fracture toe and  it was "Frankenstein" to say the least.  There were pins coming from sides of  toe that met over top of toe and resembled a mini coat hanger. There was a long nasty incision that ran from the base of the toe to the toenail where he opened to toe to put the screws and pins to set the fracture.  The nurse cleaned it all up before they re-casted it.

All I can say is to please watch your toes and dont make my mistake. Its been a miserable last week.  I recommend Charlie Williams. Good prices and advice and very fast service.

Thanks again to all for help.

[Lloyd Boland]

I have a high instep and I purchased a set of Gaerne's last year and just love them.  Most boots are too tight in the instep for me.