This week I had the pleasure (and pain, will explain shortly) of visiting Helimot in San Jose, CA . The pleasure of this trip was created by the thoughtful and wonderful mini-tour I was given of Helimot's "factory". Unfortunately I'm unable to post many photos of the interior workings of this leather wonderland, but I can share an example of the tremendous quality of workmanship that Helimot puts into each and every one of their garments.

Everything is hand stitched, by real hands. No robots, no child slaves, just regular people who have highly technical sewing skills. Their gloves and custom suits are all hand made on site. Due to the riding season in full swing, there is currently a 10 week turnaround for a custom suit! The winter months are your friend, as the turnaround is only 2-3 weeks. Helimot is a celebrity on the track, when it comes to Daytona boots, their handmade leather gloves and custom leather suits (1 and 2 piece) .

I have a pair of Daytona Ladystars, which I adore and ride with everyday. Unfortunately I was having a minor problem with the boots becoming a little tight above the arch of my foot, due to a 'bunyon' growing on my foot bone. Ick, just saying the word 'bunyon' makes me gag. If you don't know what it is, just google it. Needless to say, it isn't fun and it's taken the fun out of wearing my boots for more than 20 minutes! I have fat feet and I guess they didn't like how the boot was fitting. They fit perfectly in length and width, and I don't regret my purchase at all. But in order to fight this bunyon creature, I had to take them down there and see if there is anything they can do for me. Luckily they are able to stretch them (very slowly and carefully) over a period of 2 weeks. 2 weeks! Shat. At the same time I was thrilled because they'll be able to stretch them out a little ibt. But then, it hit me. I will be without my precious Daytonas for 2 weeks. :***( The reason I bought these boots were so that I could have a little extra height on my bike and feel more stable when putting my feet down. For me they have made a tremendous difference with my self confidence on my bike as it does weigh 100lbs more than my previous one. As you can see by this photo, the insole of a Ladystar far exceeds the height of the insole of my Oxtars (or any other women's riding boot for that matter).

I can't wait to go back and pick up my boots next week! I'm also going to try and arrange for a short video tour and/or interview with Helmut and/or Linda so I can share a little more about their products on my site. Check back next week and hopefully I'll have some more to share.

Going back to my Oxtar Sunrays has been okay, but everyday I am reminded of how much I miss my Daytonas. It's quite sad, really. Who knew one could become so attached to a pair of boots?