Every good motorcyclist, rider, and enthusiast alike need something protective to wear when driving a motorcycle. Aside from the helmets to protect our heads and the shades to protect our eyes from sunlight, it’s the footwear we wear on our feet. A badass pair of motorcycle boots.
These boots are not your typical black leather boots to wear with a pair of leather pants and a leather jacket. These shoes are designed to be worn casually, at work, and for motorcycle lovers. Most importantly, they provide protection for your feet. The real question is how to determine on choosing a pair.
In this guide, we can help you determine your pair between 5 different brands. We will use these characteristics to help pick the best one. How much protection can it provide your feet? Will your feet be comfortable and be able to lift the shoes? And are you able to afford these shoes?
COMPARISON CHART
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1. TCX Mood Gore-Tex Shoes
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2. Dainese Dover Gore-Tex Shoes
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3. Forma Hyper Shoes
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4. Rokker Urban Racer Boots
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5. Rev’It Mohawk Boots
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1. TCX Mood Gore-Tex Shoes
TCX created their Mood riding shoes in collaboration with Gore-Tex to add their waterproofing fabric for harsh weather conditions. On the outside, they are designed to look like sneakers to fit in everyday casualwear. They provide comfort with the lining made of full-grain leather, and the soles have a rubber grip to keep your footing on the pedal.
The footbed is adaptable to any foot type and can be replaced over time to prevent odors and bacteria from building. While great for casual wear, it’s also mid-weighted with durable and flexible foot protection from heel to toe and additional shock absorption to have resistance against harsh impacts. And they have a lace enclosure for adjustable tightness to keep the shoes on your foot.
Because they are made out of full-grain leather, they will be stiff with movement at first. However, full-grain leather can soften over time while in use. It can increase the shoes’ flexibility as it ages and won’t lose their protective characteristics.
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2. Dainese Dover Gore-Tex Shoes
Similar to TCX, Dainese Dover also collaborated with Gore-Tex to create riding boots to be waterproof for weather resistance. Instead of full-grain leather, it’s made of suede leather which can weaken the shoes’ durability. However, suede makes it up with its great flexibility for comfortable movement and attractive appearance. This supports the rigid inserts within the shoe’s ankle to be less tight.
The laces are replaced with speed lace straps for quicker and easier foot reassurance to stay on your feet. They give the shoes a futuristic look that can be worn with sleek and casual outfits. The soles are also made of rubber for a steady grip on the pedal. And on the upper foot of the shoe, a gear shift guard is embedded into the shoe to protect itself from gear shift ignition.
While it has heavy-duty foot protection, the shoe itself may be heavy for your feet. In total, these shoes weigh 5.17 pounds. If you want to try these shoes on, your feet will need to build some muscle first. There is reinforced protection on the heel to protect it from harsh impacts. However, there is no protection at the toe.
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3. Forma Hyper Shoes
Forma Hyper managed to design a pair of riding boots that is very light while keeping its foot protection. Using Drytex fabric, these shoes are not only waterproof but also give breathable movement. A great shoe to have if you have skin irritation and allergies from sweat bacteria.
The shoes provide heel protection and have a rubber sole with slip resistance to prevent slipping on dry and wet surfaces. In the shoe’s interior, it has reinforced ankle, heel, and toe protection. The footbed has anti-bacterial protection and is replaceable to prevent bacteria and odors from growing.
For a secure fit, a zipper is added on the side with laces. The zipper is also a weakness these boots carry. Even with the Drytex fabric, zippers can be uncomfortable when they tighten around the ankles and can break on harsh impacts if not careful. And sometimes, the zipper can get stuck if not adjusted properly.
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4. Rokker Urban Racer Boots
Rokker Urban provides their vintage-styled Racer boots with plenty of high-quality foot protection. It has a very durable exterior that is waterproof for weather resistance and shock absorption for harsh impacts and high falls, providing more protection for the heel, toe, and shin.
The rubber soles have a lot of qualities that are useful for working conditions. Thanks to being made of Vibram rubber, these soles are resistant to oil, it’s anti-abrasive to prevent skin and sole damage, and is also slip resistant to walk across slippery surfaces.
These boots are great if you work in car garages, construction, and other jobs that operate in harsh weather conditions. The only downside is the price tag. Compared to the previous three pairs, these boots are twice as expensive due to being handmade and exported from Portugal.
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5. Rev’It Mohawk Boots
Rev’It is known for creating work style boots for construction and heavy-duty labor. In their Mohawk collection, they designed motorcycle boots similar to their worker boots. They provide waterproof protection for mud and other weather conditions. It’s adaptable to any foot type with the anatomical footbed and comfortable ankle cup.
The boots provide high-quality foot protection at a more affordable price than the Rokker Urban Racer boots. They have a reinforced heel cup and toe cap to withstand shock impact. They also provide heat insulation for your foot during colder temperatures during the autumn and winter months.
There is a shifter strap used to lift the motorcycle shift to prevent chaffing the toe cap. It doesn’t serve much of a purpose as it can tighten the shoe’s grip on the upper foot can cause pain later over time. The footbed isn’t replaceable and can increase bacteria and odor growth. And similar to the TCX Mood, the Mohawk boots are made of full leather that starts stiff at first but softens as it ages.
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Conclusion
Now that we review the top 5 casual motorcycle boots, it’s time to determine a winner. With the information provided, the best boot will have to be comfortable, have a great design with foot protection, and be affordable. The boot that stomped the competition is the TCX Mood Gore-Tex shoes. Here are the 5 reasons why this boot is the perfect choice for your next motorcycle ride.
- Comfortable and Can be Worn Daily– The TCX Mood Gore-Tex provides lots of foot comfort while keeping its heavy-duty foot protection. Being in the mid-weight range, they can be worn by anyone without any foot strength needed. With a genius design to look like a sneaker, this can be worn daily with any kind of casual wear. Most importantly, TCX chose full-grain leather for flexibility to be gained through age.
- Thoughtful Protection While in Style-TCX designed these boots to have durable protection against most environmental conditions. The Gore-Tex waterproof fabric added weather resistance against harsh weather conditions such as heavy snow and rain. With reinforced full-grained leather, it can provide protection from heel to toe while keeping its flexibility. And with the rubber sole, it can absorb shock from harsh impacts without damage.
Affordability-With high-quality protection and design usually comes with a price to pay. These pair of boots are at an affordable price range compared to its competitors. While TCX’s competitors are at a price range that’s about twice or three times the price, TCX costs a fourth from all their prices combined.
Replaceable and Breathable-This shoe recommends replacing the footbed over time. These boots are designed to be used for driving with plenty of foot protection and through rough weather. Those conditions can leave moisture inside of the shoe that can build up bacteria and unwanted odors. It’s a great way to prevent any infections in the feet.
Adaptable Footbed and Adjustable Laces-The best part of the TCX pair is the anatomical footbed and laces. The footbed is not only replaceable, but it’s also very adaptable to all types of feet. It adds comfort without having to change a pair of shoes that specifies your foot type. And laces can adjust a secure tightness around your feet.
