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Boot Recommendations

I would suggest the MOST IMPORTANT THING with boots is how they fit your feet.

DO make sure your boots allow for reasonably thick socks with probably a thin under-sock. (I won't go into this topic since I really don't know what I am talking about.) My BMW Allrounds are a size 45. I wear 10.5 size shoes. There is enough room at any time of the year for a fairly thick sock and my toes don't get cold after an hour of riding until the temp is close to freezing. This, of course, is another meaningless fact. Your blood circulation to the toes may be much better (or worse) than mine.

"Live and learn" is still the order of the day. Can only hope the OP takes away some useful ideas.

All this talk about fit, yet no one linked to a boot that comes with REAL sizes. I am an 11 WIDE. I have been told, "they run wide"...BS. I want a boot that is an 11 WIDE, or E.

I can find Chippewa in an 11 WIDE; but would like a waterproof boot in 11 WIDE.

Does anyone have experience with finding a boot that is wide and is waterproof?
 
I've been looking at BMW's All Around boots. They look very nice and have had good reviews from what I can tell.

I have had a pair of the all around boots for 3 months - so far they are very good. I tried the SIDI Adventure Rain looking for something very solid but couldn't fit my wide foot into their medium width boot.
So far they are waterproof, comfortable and supportive in a couple of minor slides off road. R1150GS.
 
Update

Guys, thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't considered the BMW boots, among others, but will look into them. Not soon however. My doctor confirmed today that X-rays show I have several broken bones in my right foot. Walking on it for a week didn't help. It appears I'm off the bike...and out of the shoe shopping business for about six weeks... Mac
 
Sorry to hear of the broken bones Mac. Wish you all the best. Heal soon. You are riding out to the Rally I assume?
 
All this talk about fit, yet no one linked to a boot that comes with REAL sizes. I am an 11 WIDE. I have been told, "they run wide"...BS. I want a boot that is an 11 WIDE, or E.

I can find Chippewa in an 11 WIDE; but would like a waterproof boot in 11 WIDE.

Does anyone have experience with finding a boot that is wide and is waterproof?

My guess is that "motorcycling" boots sell in small enough quantities that they don't come in different widths for the same length. Could be wrong. Remembered something on this topic from the book "Going the Extra Mile" by Ron Ayres. Quote from page 17:

"One of my favorite boots is the Red Wing Style 1229, which is available in a variety of sizes and widths. At ten inches high, it's tall enough so your pants won't creep over the top of the boot. Constructed of red maple fortitude leather, the Red Wing has 1000 grams of Thinsulate, a built-in Gore-Tex bootie, and a non-slip Vibram sole that gives good traction. The robust insulation not only keeps my feet warm during freezing temperatures, it also protects them from the scorching temperatures I encounter on hot Texas summer days. As an added bonus, the boot is comfortable for walking."

If still made, 11 years after the book was published, this might be your answer. Or maybe they have a "new and improved model" that will keep your feet dry, safe and happy.
 
I gave up finding the EE width I needed in a motorcycle boot and am using my Carolina CA10145 work boots. This particular style is being discontinued, but I'm sure there are work boots with similar features available. Like the Red Wing boot mentioned above, these are GoreTex lined for waterproofing and Vibram soled. When I was still working, I once stood in four inch deep water for over an hour and my feet stayed dry.

Most motorcycle boot reviews have little good to say about walking comfort once you arrive at your destination. A serious backpacker would probably consider work boots to be too heavy, but I wear them comfortably for hikes of 8-10 miles several times a year.

With any lace-up boot, keep the bow in the knot small to prevent snags on footpegs, shifters and brake levers. My extra lace gets wrapped once around the ankle before knotting and is further covered by my pant cuff.
 
I purchase a pair of Gaerne, Impulse Street boots a few years ago. Very comfortable walking around all day when needed. Also, they are fairly nice looking for all around use. Totally waterproof and insulated, so cold days, teens and twenties, feet stay warm, yet I have not had a problem with feet getting to hot when riding in the nineties. I wear a 10 EE in a western boot, and my Gaernes are a 10 that I normally (except in hot weather) wear a heavy wool sock, very comfortable.
 
Another + for the Combat Lites. Took about a week of wearing to get them broken in, and I did have to adjust the shifter level up a bit on two of the bikes.

My Sidi boots did well for 5 years and about 40,000 miles, but in the end, having a zipper fail when I'm 400 miles from home was annoying. No more zippers for me.
 
I have not found a pair of riding boots that my wallet and I both like. I just use the combat boots that were issued to me in the service. You can get them in different widths and they are dirt cheap.
 
Sidi Adventure Rain. Very comfortable on day rides or extended days in saddle. Might be a lil costly but cheaper than emergency visit.
 
You can make any boot waterproof

I live in Seattle. I ski, kayak, hike, and ride in the rain. I know a little bit about staying dry and comfortable in wet weather.

While I think Gore-Tex is a neat material when used in jackets, pants, and gloves, in footwear it's a joke.

It helps to understand how Gore-Tex works: Gore-Tex fabric has hundreds of thousands of tiny holes ('pores' in Gore-Tex speak) in every square centimeter of Gore-Tex fabric 'membrane'. These pores are large enough to let water vapor pass through, but not large enough for water droplets. Thus, Gore-Tex "breathes" out perspiration while keeping out rain water.

However, these pores have an Achilles Heel: They can easily get clogged up with dirt. Gore-Tex loses its breathability when dirty. You might as well use rubber neoprene, as dirty Gore-Tex won't breathe. This isn't a big problem in a ski coat or with an Aerostich suit or with a pair of cold weather/rain gloves, as the dirt can be washed out in your home washing machine using modern detergents designed for high-tech fabrics (such as the Nikwax 'TechWash' product).

I've yet to hear of a product or technique for cleaning the Gore-Tex fabric embedded in boots. Within short order, the Gore-Tex fabric will clog up with dirt, and the membrane becomes impervious to water vapor.

However, any leather pair of boots can be made waterproof by using any one of a number of fine boot waterproofing products. I'm old-school and use "SnoSeal", but there are hundreds of other options. A liberal initial application and an annual reapplication will keep any leather boot waterproof for the life of the boot. These products work, are relatively inexpensive compared to the mark-up for 'Gore-Tex' boots, and will also protect and nourish the leather, prolonging the life of the boots.
 
Within short order, the Gore-Tex fabric will clog up with dirt, and the membrane becomes impervious to water vapor.

:dunno The goretex membrane on my boots is covered and protected by some pretty thick leather. I've had the boots about 9 years. They've been re-soled twice. So far my feet are still dry.
 
:dunno The goretex membrane on my boots is covered and protected by some pretty thick leather. I've had the boots about 9 years. They've been re-soled twice. So far my feet are still dry.

A dirty Gore-Tex membrane won't let liquid water in - your boots will still be waterproof - but the material will no longer breathe, meaning moisture (water vapor) generated inside your boot stays inside your boot. If the leather has been treated with a waterproofing material, then the Gore-Tex is useless marketing fluff, as the water vapor can't permeate the leather, assuming it migrates through a clean Gore-Tex membrane.

This is exactly why Gore-Tex will always be nothing more than an unnecessary waste of money when used in footwear. In a jacket, pair of pants, or gloves, the Gore-Tex membrane is laminated or sewn to other fabrics that breathe - and can be cleaned. In a boot or shoe, you might as well laminate the Gore-Tex to neoprene rubber, because the water vapor will never make it through the impermeable waterproof leather outer layers.

If your feet sweat, and you want to get the moisture away from your skin while wearing m/c boots, the best option is to wear two layers of socks - a thin base 'wicking' layer (polypropylene/capeline/etc.) under a synthetic or wool boot sock. Make sure the boot sock extends far above the top of the boot. The exposed sock material above the top of the boot will actually wick moisture up the sock and out of the boot as you ride.
 
Been there...done that.

However, any leather pair of boots can be made waterproof by using any one of a number of fine boot waterproofing products. I'm old-school and use "SnoSeal", but there are hundreds of other options. A liberal initial application and an annual reapplication will keep any leather boot waterproof for the life of the boot. These products work, are relatively inexpensive compared to the mark-up for 'Gore-Tex' boots, and will also protect and nourish the leather, prolonging the life of the boots.

I have a pair of Chippewa boots that I use SnoSeal on. I have walked across creeks, hunted in the rain, walked across muddy fields and bogs and never got a wet foot.

Those same boots in a driving rain at 80+ MPH on a BMW K100RS will take on water in the toe and discharge it out the top of the boot.

Perhaps the problem is my riding style?
 
Just acquired a pair of TourMaster Solution 2.0 waterproof boots.

Excellent fit and craftsmanship, and best of all ........ they come in half-sizes and wide widths. Got them from MotorcycleGear.com

The 12 1/2's with a wide width fit great! :thumb
 
Flip flops--no. A Pair of Clark desert boots which is what I wear off-bike about 80% of the time. I was going to an event where I'd be doing a lot of walking and as I pulled into the driveway, a LEO informed me I couldn't park there. I stopped, put my right foot out...it slid..and the bike and I did a slow "laugh-in" type tilt over. Foot bruised, Jesse bag has a slight war wound. Big deal! I just considered taking a picture of my blackened toes. Be thanksful I did not!
But seriously folks ...I've been looking at the Aerostitch boots for a long time...and given the reccomendations here, I think I'll go that route. They're expensive but my feet are worth it.

what is an LEO?
 
sold out

Just acquired a pair of TourMaster Solution 2.0 waterproof boots.

Excellent fit and craftsmanship, and best of all ........ they come in half-sizes and wide widths. Got them from MotorcycleGear.com

The 12 1/2's with a wide width fit great! :thumb

size 11 wide...SOLD OUT. Great price if they had mine. They have 12 wide; are your boots short?
 
This is exactly why Gore-Tex will always be nothing more than an unnecessary waste of money when used in footwear. In a jacket, pair of pants, or gloves,
Gore-Tex really needs the outside humidity to be less that the inside humidity- cross country skiing on a nice day is a perfect use. The Gore-Tex is actually a waterproof/water resistant sock. OM
 
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