Short boots. Yea or nay?

[Drawweight]

I’m looking on changing/upgrading my kit for next year.

I’ve always just bought your average big standard bike boots but I admit I’m tempted to change to a shorter boot, mainly for comfort when walking around.

Have any of you changed and what’s your view?

Obviously safety will raise its head but once again has anybody had an accident in which the type of boots has made a difference?

[vonhosen]

I have both, which I wear depends on the bike journey & it's purpose.

[andburg]

with vonhosen

going out for a ride, might stop but most time spent moving - full boots
going out for the day where I'll spend a chunk of time off the bike - short boots

[Bumblebee7]

vonhosen said:

I have both, which I wear depends on the bike journey & it's purpose.

Same. Will add that the short boots see very little use and were predominantly purchased for situations where I'm using the bike as a means of transport only and will spend considerable time walking around at the other end without getting changed.

[Kawasicki]

I use long boots for when I half or fully expect/plan to fall off.

I use short boots when I am tempted to wear normal shoes.

I wear normal shoes when I decide I couldn't care less.

So far, so good. Had a lot of (in the hundreds) of falls off-road, wearing motocross boots... no issues. Had a fall with decent street/track boots, and my foot and ankle had bad bruising. Had no falls in normal shoes.

[Hungrymc]

I did buy some short boots. I don’t like riding in them, shins and ankles feel very exposed. I only use them for a short ‘jeans’ nipping to the shop kind of trip.

Race boots are a pain for walking in but I have some adventure boots and they are fine.

[the cueball]

Racetrack / winter - full boots (different boots)

Summer / Touring - short boots

[trickywoo]

Short boots are drafty. Gets cold unless it’s pretty warm.

I have them the same as everyone else for lots of walking about when off the bike.

[bogie]

Short boots are too draughty for me, on all but the warmest days and I prefer a bit more lower leg protection, depending on your bike there can still be hot parts of exhaust you can contact.

Ive been wearing some Alpinestars "firm" boots for about 4 years now, really impressed, have been waterproof for 5 hour stints in torrential rain and and as comfy as any pair of shoes I have.

they do them in black or brown, and in the sale here

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

[Pothole]

I use my short boots most often. I have some long Alt-Bergs for long, cold rides.

[stang65]

On modern bikes in leathers or full textiles I wear full boots. On classic bikes (or occasional really slow ride on a moderrn) when wearing armoured jeans it's short boots that look casual (RST Frontier os probably nearest current model). If I'm going to be walking a lot a pair of shoes doesn't take much carrying - it's likely you'll have a bag of some sort anyway as who wants to walk around leather/textile bike trousers?

It's my personal choice to never ride in non-bike gear. I don't see the point in wearing proper bike gear and not proper footwear, so I never wear "standard leisure" shoes on the bikes. This doesn't mean I have any opinion on anyone doing anything different before any keyboard warriors jump on this!

[NSR500]

Short race type boots most of the time for me unless i have leathers on then its long boots, i find the short boots more comfortable

[black-k1]

I've never had a problem walking around in "normal" bike boots so wear those all the time. If I need some form of shoe on the journey for work or something, I'll take the shoes with me and change there.

[AW111]

The one time I went for a spin (to look at the sunset) wearing short hiking boots was the first time I'd dropped a bike in decades.
Hit a rock with my ankle just above the boot, and ended up in hospital for stitches & a cracked ankle bone.

0 stars, would not recommend.

[Pothole]

AW111 said:

The one time I went for a spin (to look at the sunset) wearing short hiking boots was the first time I'd dropped a bike in decades.
Hit a rock with my ankle just above the boot, and ended up in hospital for stitches & a cracked ankle bone.

0 stars, would not recommend.

My short walking boots (all hiking is walking, not all walking is hiking, in fact does hiking even exist?) are below my ankle bone. My short bike boots are not. Your sample size of one is utterly irrelevant, statisitcally.

[trickywoo]

black-k1 said:

I've never had a problem walking around in "normal" bike boots so wear those all the time. If I need some form of shoe on the journey for work or something, I'll take the shoes with me and change there.

Where do you leave the boots?

[AW111]

Pothole said:

AW111 said:

The one time I went for a spin (to look at the sunset) wearing short hiking boots was the first time I'd dropped a bike in decades.
Hit a rock with my ankle just above the boot, and ended up in hospital for stitches & a cracked ankle bone.

0 stars, would not recommend.

My short walking boots (all hiking is walking, not all walking is hiking, in fact does hiking even exist?) are below my ankle bone. My short bike boots are not. Your sample size of one is utterly irrelevant, statisitcally.

OP asked for opinions. Why are you so aggressive - having a bad hair day?

[black-k1]

trickywoo said:

black-k1 said:

I've never had a problem walking around in "normal" bike boots so wear those all the time. If I need some form of shoe on the journey for work or something, I'll take the shoes with me and change there.

Where do you leave the boots?

With the rest of my kit. (helmet, leathers etc.) I've yet to find anywhere that requires more formal dress that is not happy to find me a "corner" somewhere that I can leave my kit. If it's my work, then I put them under my desk or by the coat stand that has my leathers on it.

[Pothole]

AW111 said:

Pothole said:

AW111 said:

The one time I went for a spin (to look at the sunset) wearing short hiking boots was the first time I'd dropped a bike in decades.
Hit a rock with my ankle just above the boot, and ended up in hospital for stitches & a cracked ankle bone.

0 stars, would not recommend.

My short walking boots (all hiking is walking, not all walking is hiking, in fact does hiking even exist?) are below my ankle bone. My short bike boots are not. Your sample size of one is utterly irrelevant, statisitcally.

OP asked for opinions. Why are you so aggressive - having a bad hair day?

Oh dear. You consider that aggressive?

The question is posed on Biker Banter so we can probably assume the OP is referring to motorcycle specific footwear, can't we? Your incident does not appear to be representative of anything the OP would encounter unless he channels Nancy Sinatra.

[J B L]

I seem to remember a stat researched by paramedics that shown the rate of injuries sustained whilst riding on the road increased from head to toes.
i.e. across 100% of crashes looked at, 80% of injuries happened below the knee (ignoring the gravity of the 2% which happen to the head) or something like that.

Bottomline, I have comfortable vented A* for the summer which don't look like Optimus Prime's feet when walking around with Kevlar jeans above them and I can't see any obvious advantage to wearing shorties taking into account that little bit or research hereabove.


Edit: managed to find articles relating to that, not in the proportions I was mentioning, but clearly, legs are exposed to injuries. Which is what stuck in my mind eventually.

https://roadracerz.com/motorcycle-injuries/?utm_so...

https://www.rideapart.com/news/255035/what-body-pa...

Edited by J B L on Thursday 9th December 11:12