According to statistics gathered by the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Authority, one-third of all motorcycle crashes result in injuries to the foot and leg areas. Of those injuries, half of them involve fractures to lower leg bones connected to the feet. As for the feet themselves, fractures most commonly occur in ankles, heel bones, and other horizontal bones. In worst cases, 1% of foot injuries result in "degloving" (large portions of skin are completely separated from connecting tissue) or toes getting amputated or crushed.
Many of these injuries can be prevented simply by wearing a better pair of boots. Motorcycle-specific ones are designed with beefed-up protection against impacts, abrasion, heat, crushing weight, and other dangers. In fact, studies have shown boots created for the rigors of motorcycle use can provide up to 10 times as much foot protection as regular shoes. That added protection can mean you get to keep feet or legs you might otherwise lose after a crash.
In this article, we'll discuss motorcycle boots found in our Boots & Footwear section. We'll review their general advantages, discuss which styles of boots are best for various types of motorcycle riding, compare unique features, and more. We confidently say the same advanced design and safety features that protect you also make the boots more comfortable to wear and live with for extended periods: smart, strong, and beautiful to look at, in other words.
Features & Construction That Make Motorcycle Boots Superior
Compared to regular shoes that offer little protection against pavement in an accident, many motorcycle boots use thick cuts of leather for good looks and excellent protection during unwanted contact with a sizzling hot engine or abrasive road surfaces. Other boots combine leather with sections made of synthetic and textile materials for enhancement of breathability, comfort, and durability.
Gore-Tex fabric used on some exterior boot areas, for example, is impervious to water, dirt, and oils. At the same time, its network of tiny pores allows perspiration and moisture to escape from the inside out - keeping feet dry with breathability that's very effective. For comfort and ease of cleaning, different types of motorcycle boots (particularly racing ones) may include removable "inner bootie" lined sections.
Stitching plays an important role when it comes to overall boot strength. Unlike standard shoes which are glued together or sewn with single stitching, motorcycle boots use 2 or 3 rows of stitching to keep all sections tightly tethered together under the worst conditions.
Under the skin, most motorcycle boots feature reinforced "armor" panels made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Most often, this material is used to strengthen the areas surrounding heels and toes. In taller boots, TPU armor plates can usually be found behind and in front of lower leg areas for bone protection. TPU has very high resistance to impacts and crushing forces, and will remain flexible in sub-freezing conditions without cracking or shattering to pieces. This gives you maximum protection to keep bones and ligaments intact in the worst situations. Some racing boots may include Kevlar or carbon fiber armor pieces as well.
Other boots feature steel toe guards between inner and outer layers to ensure toes aren't pulverized by heavy objects or hard impacts. In response to customers who have expressed fears about such toe guards slicing off toes in an accident, we'll note that the MythBusters television show tested steel tipped boots to see if this exact problem would occur with enough weight and force. After extreme blows, simulated toes did suffer some breakage when guard pieces got compressed, but at no point was amputation a risk.
If you plan on riding in conditions where boots will face an onslaught of water and/or dirt, consider treating any leather sections you have with an effective water repellant spray (we also have leather cleaners and conditioners), because untreated leather tends to absorb water. Motorcycle boots equipped with lace strings typically use a "gusseted tongue" system to ensure dirt and water cannot enter through lace eyeholes.
Padded reinforcements on the outside of the boot above the toe area are cleverly placed where boots make repeated contact with gear shift levers during riding.
All motorcycle boots have multi-layered soles that greatly contribute to strength, impact resistance, and vibration dampening. As we mentioned earlier, many of them use strong stitching to attach soles to the rest of the boot instead of just glue. This means the boot retains its integrity in an accident and delivers more years of service without coming apart at the seams.
Boots built for off-roading, track racing, and other extreme uses may also feature a steel shank built into the sole area. This prevents improper boot flex and foot injury during off-roading, racing, or accidents in general. They provide excellent support for standing on bike pegs too!
Metal slider pieces are anchored the outside of the sole, and are designed to slide along the ground with minimal friction as they protect the rest of the boot from damage. They're usually in front where ground contact occurs, but they may also be placed in rear heel locations. Slider pieces themselves are meant to be replaced after damage occurs, and can be unbolted easily with regular hand tools.
Some boots may feature a locking feature to secure the boot at specific angles when desired. If free foot movement is preferred, simply press a release button.
Boot Choices For Different Types Of Motorcycles
While reinforced protection is important no matter what you ride, it's essential to note that boots designed for motorcycle use are not one-size-fits-all. What do we mean? While they're all reinforced to keep feet and ankles injury-free, those designed for off-roading and track racing require specialized, beefed-up protection - if for no other reason than impacts are more likely to occur, and occur with higher force.
Different types of motorcycle boots also take rider position into account along with how it affects the angles at which ankles are usually kept for sustained periods of time. Then there are factors that vary across the board such as how the boots are laced or strapped tight. Design and construction aside, one constant is boots taller in height provide more overall protection.
MX / Off-Road Boots
If you spend a lot of time stunt riding or blasting up steep angles on dirt trails, MX & off-road boots will give you the best armored crush-proof protection for shins, toes, feet, and ankles. And because dirt riding gives feet a pounding like no other style of riding, the sturdy flexible armor found in off-road boots is designed to be less restrictive for agile movements. As you shift positions, flexibility in just the right areas provides comfort without sacrificing strength.
Should you wipe out in such a way that a foot is trapped under hot exhaust pipes, reinforced construction with built-in armor shields effectively protects covered areas against heat and burns. If your riding style keeps feet pressed hard against support pegs while riding, strong soles with steel shanks can handle it without transferring painful pressure to the arches of your feet.
With off-road boots, you'll typically find heavyweight construction with combinations of synthetics, leather (in some cases), durable woven textiles, and beefier injection-molded rigid plastic plates in front and rear for shin bone protection. Replaceable buckles are the preferred tightening method.
Uni-directional tread grooves streamline the boot's path through dirt and mud with lower resistance. In some cases, you'll even find Kevlar (bullet-proof vest material) pieces used.
Sport & Racing Boots
For track racing at high speeds, sport & racing boots are designed with lower-profile designs best suited to aggressive foot and ankle positions typical in racing postures. Like off-road boots, these are all about agility and maximum armored protection - but with lighter weight. Abrasion-resistant microfiber heat guards even enhance grip against bike frames, and slider pieces around toes and heels are there if you need them.
Racing boots often are equipped with some or all of these features: a flat steel shank just beneath the arch between the ball and heel areas, hard injection-molded plastic armor on high impact areas such as heels, ankles and shins, vented ankle padding with shock-absorbing heel cups, abrasion-resistant exterior metal toe guards, synthetic leather heat shields, and thick rubber soles. Some boots even use carbon fiber reinforcements in their boot framework and ankle protectors.
Short Boots
For casual street riding around town with emphasis on comfort and/or keeping cool in hot weather, we recommend short boots. As their name implies, these generally feature low-profile designs where the top lip reaches between the calf and ankle.
As far as styling goes, you'll find short boots in all kinds of designs ranging from sneakers and classic Keds to suede boots and work boots. As is fitting with their traditional looks, exterior sections may be crafted from cowhide or buffalo leather, nylon fabric, or even suede.
While these choices in our Short Boots section may look like ordinary shoes, they've got motorcycle-level reinforcements in the form of reinforced toe and heel areas along with vibration-absorbing cushioning in the soles to prevent high-frequency engine vibrations from taking their toll on your feet and bones. Strengthened soles are also designed to flex naturally with the foot to prevent awkward clumsiness. You may even decide they work better for everyday use off the bike than regular-strength shoes do!
Chopper & Cruiser Boots
Cruiser and "chopper" motorcycles are all about customization. Cruisers are known for larger frames and powerful custom engines with more traditional proportions. Choppers typically take that formula and add radical proportions for a real visual statement. Designs of these bikes can vary, but their upright or forward-leaning riding posture, loud exhausts from exposed engines, and general attitude give them a persona like nothing else on the road.
Chopper & cruiser boots are designed around the seating position riders take on cruiser bikes, which is typically an upright one. As such, these boots are designed for maximum comfort when lower legs are positioned straight down and the ankles rest at 90 degree angles to the foot pedals. Soles are generally thick with sturdy base areas. Select the "tall boots" checkbox to see cruising boots with more leg protection if you choose.
Adventure & Touring Boots
Like cruiser bikes, touring bikes are commonly built on larger frames but engineered to make long on-road trips comfortable and less tiring. For example, better suspension damping and softer shocks provide a smoother ride, counterbalanced engine weights create less vibration and harshness, exhaust systems are quiet, and ergonomic seats provide better support with a more relaxed sitting position.
Adventure bikes (also known as "ADV" bikes) are larger dual-purpose bikes designed for both long distance pavement riding and off-road use. They have many of the engineering refinements of touring bikes with suspensions and drivetrain components geared to handle the rigors of off-road use. Because they are larger, heavier, and less nimble than true off-road bikes, getting the most out of them on trails requires strength and experience. Since the majority of their use comes down to covering long road stretches, we'll group these together with touring bikes when it comes to boots.
Adventure/touring boots for these bikes are lower in height than tall boots, but higher than short boots in order to protect lower calf areas from being sandblasted with road grit, rocks, and other debris. Primarily designed for all-day comfort, they also offer beefed-up strength to protect the rider in critical toe and ankle areas. Thicker cuts of leather protect a rider from engine heat and abrasions that can happen just sitting on the bike as the miles roll by. Classic designs tend to resemble traditional shoe styles - making them a great choice if you're not a fan of splashy colors or studded leather looks.
Because they aren't for hard-core use on rough trails and stunts, touring and cruiser boots are less stiff and more comfortable to wear while walking around off the bike. Straps and buckle closures are designed to accommodate unexpected weather far from home where there's nowhere to hide, and they offer excellent water resistance.
Methods Of Closure
No matter which style of motorcycle boot you need, you'll find a choice of methods to close and secure them tightly on the feet. Laces are excellent for fine-tuning your preference of fit, but they may come untied or snag at inopportune moments. Because buckles and Velcro straps create a snugger and more secure fit, they're often the preferred choice for sport/racing boots. In a high-speed wipeout, tighter-fitting boots will stay on much better.
MX/Off-road boots are typically equipped with elastic straps and buckles because these items aren't likely to get caught on anything such as passing brush, rocks, or nearby engine parts. When straps are released, off-road boots open wide along their sides for easy ingress and egress. Cruiser boots usually feature laces, non-elastic straps with buckles, and even zippers in some cases. Heels are often raised for the purposes of strength enhancement.
Replaceable Parts
In our motorcycle boot replacement parts section, we've got a range of parts designed for easy installation when some of the ones we've talked about wear out and no longer work so well. Many boots, particularly racing ones, come with fitted bootie pieces that can be taken out for cleaning. We've got replacements for them.
You'll also find a wealth of replacement ankle protector pieces, front slider pieces, heel protector plates, complete soles, straps, buckle assemblies, lace strings, and more. We recommend a quick look through our boot insoles section where you'll find comfort pads for any boot along with the inner footbed section that supports the bottom part of the foot.
This wraps up our look at the different types of specialized boots for motorcycle riders. Note that in our Riding Gear main section, we also offer elbow & wrist protection, knee & ankle protection, chest & back protection, airbag jackets, gloves, and much more in the way of rider protection.
We also invite you to read other informative articles on our website discussing a range of topics including in-helmet Bluetooth communication upgrades, helmet selection guides, riding gear and protective clothing, chest and back armor, neck braces, and more. If you have questions about anything on our website, we'll be happy to help on the phone seven days a week!