What is your favorite Off-road/on road boot?

[springer]

 I am spending about 70% on-road, 30% off-road on the Africa Twin and I have a question about some gear and would love to hear some of y'all input. 

Boots in particular. When I do go off-road, I do spend a fair amount of time walking to scout whats ahead and such. Plus for some reason I crash alot too,  ;) , so there is that.


I have a pair of O'Neal MX type boots. They offer good protection but they are miserable to walk around in...painfully so.



I have been using my pair of First Gear road boots because they are comfortable to walk in and offer some decent protection, BUT they are not holding up very well in my off-road use of them;




So I am asking the collective, What are you wearing for off/on road use and how do you like;

1. The comfort? Walking around and riding?
2. What kind of protection? Like shin protection, toe protection, ankle protection, etc...
3. How are they holding up?
4. When it comes to buying again, will it be the same boot or a different one?

Thanks for the input and I am looking forward to what y'all have to say!

[klaviator]

Good timing.  I am also looking for a good adventure boot.  I currently have some boots that are comfortable but don't offer the level of protection I want for off road riding.   I have been considering the Forma boots and also some Gaerne boots but just haven't been able to make up my mind.

[KevinB]

I've been wearing a pair of Falco Avantour boots for about a year and love 'em.



Protection-wise they have a hard shin plate, ankle cup and toe, but also have a hinge design that allows them to articulate...they're as comfortable as a pair of hiking boots to walk around.

I've tested them for waterproof-ness several times and they absolutely are...but they don't make my feet sweat like most waterproof boots.

I had the stitching fail on one of the buckle straps...my fault, I was using them as a full hardcore off-road boot for a couple of months and abused them (notice how waterlogged and muddy they are in the photo). The U.S. importer, Pacific Powersports, sent me a UPS label to send the damaged boot back for repair...they couldn't fix it and sent me a brand new pair in less than a week.



I would absolutely buy these again. I'll be wearing them Sunday on the TNF ride if you want to check them out.

I haven't had any issues with the buckles as mentioned in the video. They're not as nice and smooth as the new buckle design as say on the A'stars Toucans, but I've never had any problems getting them to close and stay secured.

[Brian A]

Those are some nice looking boots Kevin shared.

These are my street riding boots and double for light duty dualsport.  If I am going to be in really rough, rocky stuff, I wear the off-road boots but for average light-medium duty dual sport riding, I have been very pleased with them.

It's the boots I wore in Alaska and then on the road trip to Maine/Canada.

I'd rate them as a 75% street / 25% dualsport option.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/cortech-accelerator-xc-boots?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyqWC9ffO2QIVyB2BCh15gwerEAYYAyABEgIu7PD_BwE


Edit to add:  Gaerne makes good stuff.  This would be worth considering, depending on exactly what you are looking for:

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/hot+deals/boots+and+socks+blowout+sale/gaerne_g-adventure+boots?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiqmW1vnO2QIVDBGBCh2-yQ5dEAQYASABEgJYpPD_BwE

[kylepeterson]

Msr had a pair of light leather boots I loved 

A shit eating dog stole one a week ago fun a rental in Mentone. So now I have one left.

If I ever find a comfortable pair of boots again I'll leave a dead dogs head next to them in the porch as a warning

[Hammerdown77]

I have a pair of the Gaerne Balance Oiled boots that I bought on sale. At one point they were, as they claimed, water proof, but I've rubbed through the lining in a spot near one of my toes and they will leak in through there once saturated.

They are a bit soft, in my opinion, for an offroad boot, but for light dual sporting they're ok, and they make a good road touring boot. They are comfortable to walk around in, and if you have wide feet, they will accomodate those very well. I don't, but they still work.

Continuing on the protection front, biggest complaint I have about them is lack of any real hard reinforcement in the toe area. They come from a trials boot background, with minimal protection, although they have heavy, high quality leather that makes them pretty supportive through ankle. But the toe is my main concern if I were riding someplace where my feet may be bouncing off rocks/trees.

Flat gummy sole, which I like, but some don't because it doesn't have a heel. Easy to move your feet around on the pegs (again, trials boot).
Sole is fairly flexible, but not as soft as some road only boots. They are fine for some standing on the pegs, but not as good for long days of standing like you'd get with a real MX boot.

I have hiked in them, but it wasn't pleasant. They are not a hiking boot, unless the trail is relatively flat and non-technical. I hiked down a steep rocky trail from Craggy Gardens on the BRP a couple years back that ended up being a couple of miles and going down and then coming back up was really unpleasant. Would have much preferred real hiking boots.

Incidentally, check out Atomic Moto and watch their reviews. They talk about the MX vs dual sport vs adventure vs light MX boot comparos. Really good information for making a purchase.

Here are the Gaerne Balance Oiled.
https://www.atomic-moto.com/products/gaerne-balance-oiled-boots

[Hammerdown77]

Also, on the topic of water-proofness, I don't know that I'm sold on it for a dual sport boot. For a road touring boot, or something that you would use only for occasional fire road excursions, sure.

But in the warmer months (which in Alabama is most of the year), water proof boots are pretty warm on the feet/legs. And worse, if you ever get water IN your boot, your feet will be living in a swamp for a while, as they take much longer to dry out, especially on the road.

My leanings at this point are to get a real off-road boot and use water proof socks if needed. Then carry some light hikers if I need to take an excursion. There's really nothing other than a real off-road boot I'd feel safe (ish) in should my R1200 GS fall on my ankle/leg on a trail. I'd rather have the protection and sacrifice the walkability and waterproof aspects.

[springer]

 Some really good perspectives here! Keep'em coming!! 👍

[Nice Goat]

Love my Forma Adventures.  They are almost as protective as motocross boots, but much more comfortable and only about 2 inches shorter.

[springer]

Love my Forma Adventures.  They are almost as protective as motocross boots, but much more comfortable and only about 2 inches shorter.

Been eyeballing those myself. How is the walking in them?

[sctparker]

I have the Formas also and they are as comfortable as work boots walking I wear these the most  . I also have MSR dual sport boots they are about the same as the Formas with a bigger piece of plastic on the shin for maybe more protection . If you shop oversees websites and catch the exchange rate in us dollar favor they can both  be gotten relatively cheap depending on how much your credit card company charges for currency conversion.

[bblass]

I'll third the Forma Adventures; fairly good protection but all day comfortable for walking around. You can actually feel and articulate the brake pedal/shifter unlike MX style boots. Outstanding dual sport boot.

Huge fan of mine! I think you'll love them.

[klaviator]

How do the Forma's fit?  Are they true to size?  How about width?  Do they run narrow or wide?  How tall are they?

[Hammerdown77]

My co-worker has the Formas, both high and low version, and likes them. He wears the lows for commuting/day rides, and the highs for trips. He was worried about the high version being too hot, but he said that didn't seem to be the case. It's difficult to get jeans over them, hence the reason he wears the lows for around town stuff.

I'll throw out another option comparable to the Formas. Alpinestars Corozal and Belize. They are basically the same boot, with the Corozal being the full height version, the Belize being the low. Similar to Forma ADV. They come in black or brown. If you have had Astars boots before and know how they fit, these would be a good option. More importantly, Midway and Freedom Powersports have at least one variation of the two, so you can try them on. I tried on a set in my size at Midway and they fit me much better than my Gaerne Balance Oiled. I should have bought them, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted another water proof boot.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-corozal-adventure-drystar-boots?gclid=CjwKCAiA8vPUBRAyEiwA8F1oDLr__yGy1MAMmpiWDAXJn7yD4hSDgW4bNso916ph4Tyethoqmkd3BxoCpXsQAvD_BwE

[Hammerdown77]

How do the Forma's fit?  Are they true to size?  How about width?  Do they run narrow or wide?  How tall are they?

Watch the video reviews on Atomic Moto. He covers all these areas.
https://www.atomic-moto.com/products/forma-adventure-boots