Commuters - How long would you expect your boots to last?

[E36GUY]

A question for commuters please. How long would you expect your boots to last?

I'm having a bit of a discussion with a brand supplier about the state of mine after 9 months use. I ride 25 miles each way every day in all weathers but my commute is mostly open road rather than in town so I don't have to put my feet down too regularly. Oddly, the brake boot is completely worn out whereas the gear boot that gets more use isn't.

I am happy to accept fair wear and tear. One would expect scratches etc with regular use but I can't see that the wear in the images as acceptable for only 9 months use.

Your opinions would be appreciated.....

[Tribal Chestnut]

RST - you've done well to get that long out of them.

I bought some once, sole started to fall apart pretty bloody quickly.

st boots, put me off their gear for life.

[Pothole]

I am expecting 10 years plus. I've just spent £250 on Alt Bergs. I'd be proper miffed at that kind of wear after 9 months.

[supercommuter]

I had to keep replacing boots every 6-8 months with brands like spade/rst etc. (I do 3-5k miles a month into London). Got fed up of replacing boots so bought a decent set of Alpinestar SMX9 Goretex boots. These have just started letting water in the right hand boot now after 18 months, but still good condition on the outside. I wear sealskin socks, so don't notice the damp sole in the rain. Think they will last another 6 months before I replace.

In the commuting game I have learned that buy cheap, buy twice really does apply!

[Prof Prolapse]

Had my RST sports boots for 3 years (Razor?) waterproof (ish) ones. Commuted 12 months, did about 15,000 miles in them in total. In fact, a mate still uses them. So they're probably well over 20,000 miles, and he's a fat bd (so presumably wears them out faster).

Luck of the draw I think sometimes with some of these companies.

[Bailey93]

The sole is starting to let go of the front of my sidi boots after 5 years use. And a track day crash. Use them to commute 20 ish miles a day

[CAPP0]

I'm still wearing a pair of Sidi Black Rains which are older than I can remember, certainly at least 10 years. They didn't have lots of use in their early life (only in the rain, funny enough ) but have been my daily wear for a couple of years now.

They're a little worn around the toe edge, but the bike keeps most of the weather off me so they still keep my feet dry. Will probably need changing next winter I guess.

I've had several pairs of Sidis, with the race ones having been down the track a couple of times but still very much useable. I did once have a pair of Daytonas, but the cheap ones, not the Goretex ones, although people with those swear by them.

[BuzzBravado]

Currently commuting on Spada boots and they are bursting at stitching already. Only used them last winter and this winter.

[CaptainSlow]

£50 J&S specials, had them three years, used for commuting and touring in Europe and Wales. Not sure how you lot are going through boots so quickly.

[J B L]

Used to use a pair of non Gore Tex Spyke Violator which has been very good for the past 5 years (incl 1 year @ 8000 miles) and now just plumped up for a pair of Daytona Road Star GTX which I expect to outlive me!

The above is not acceptable if you've paid more than £100!

[rat840771]

I went to buy some new boots the other day and went for the dainese axial pro's as they were the only boot that offered really good protection all around you ankle as your foot in protected by a composite boot. They weren't cheap, but should last me years! The other boot that offers better protection was the Daytona - They were £1400! unbelievable.....the inner boot is cast to your foot, they did look good but not £1400 good.

[sjtscott]

Its a false economy to use 'cheap' boots for daily commuting I worked that out years ago after working out I wasted £120 on a pair of Fr(W)ank Thomas Gore Tex boots - the gear change pad holed in less than 12month commuting and that was that. Hence dropping £200+ on 4 pairs of Daytona Roadstar GTX so far. These boots are circa £300 now if you incorrectly pay UK price without buying direct from a german supplier. They are going for around £260-270 on ebay last time I checked
Its the only boot that fits me properly and I can get multiple daily year round use out of. I on average get 3 to 3.5 years out of every pair before they're fully mullered. Either sole is worn away or something fails on the goretex liner and they start letting in water somewhere - sometimes the two are connected.

Edited by sjtscott on Monday 9th January 14:49

[Moulder]

My Frank Thomas boots (which on here seem to be the byword for questionable quality) lasted longer than that.

Looks like the boot has been catching on the brake lever, which has worn it through prematurely. An effective way to solve this would be a scooter.

[RemaL]

E36GUY said:

A question for commuters please. How long would you expect your boots to last?

I'm having a bit of a discussion with a brand supplier about the state of mine after 9 months use. I ride 25 miles each way every day in all weathers but my commute is mostly open road rather than in town so I don't have to put my feet down too regularly. Oddly, the brake boot is completely worn out whereas the gear boot that gets more use isn't.

I am happy to accept fair wear and tear. One would expect scratches etc with regular use but I can't see that the wear in the images as acceptable for only 9 months use.

Your opinions would be appreciated.....

First question how much did you pay for them?

[sjtscott]

RemaL said:

First question how much did you pay for them?

looking on the RST UK website £160 seemed to be their most expensive boot - hence my cheap comment before.

I'm going for paragon 2s at £120, OP am I correct?

[SAS Tom]

To be fair I wouldn't expect a cheap pair of boots to last very long. Those have clearly been used and abused. To be fair I don't take much care of my boots either but I doubt you'll get much sympathy when they look like that.

My last pair of Alpinestars Gran Torino boots lasted 4 years of riding pretty much every day but within that time they had 2 lots of replacement soles. They finally started leaking but I think the re-soling service from alpinestars is great at £35 a time.

[tris88]

Would have thought it's more likely the foot you put down at lights etc. rather than wear from the brake pedal?

[RemaL]

sjtscott said:

RemaL said:

First question how much did you pay for them?

looking on the RST UK website £160 seemed to be their most expensive boot - hence my cheap comment before.

I'm going for paragon 2s at £120, OP am I correct?

OK £160 is not cheap, but if that's their most expensive all weather boot then no I would not expect them to last long. But if they are like that after 9 months then i would be talking to them. I gather it comes with a years warranty. I know it wear but if you do 200 miles a year or 25 a day for 9 months like the OP you would expect them to last the year at least

[obscene]

Got 8 years on my Daytonas and the only thing to go on them have been the tag connected to the zip, otherwise still fully function and look alright still. It shows you get what you pay for.

[RemaL]

obscene said:

Got 8 years on my Daytonas and the only thing to go on them have been the tag connected to the zip, otherwise still fully function and look alright still. It shows you get what you pay for.

On the Daytona subject any recommend place to buy them. No store local to me sells them