Breaking in new Motorcycle Boots

 

I recently acquired these cute TCX X-Street Waterproof Motorcycle Shoes so I could have something stylish in this horrible snowy, cold winter we've been having.

I don't plan to ride in them, they're definitely a casual shoe for me. But, I wanted to share my experience breaking these in! It wasn't easy and definitely a little painful along the way. I tried them on and they felt pretty good. A little pressure across the toebox (width wise) but not too bad. I only wore them in the store for a few minutes. But as soon as I put them on the next day to wear to work, I completely forgot about this whole break in thing. (It's been a couple years since I've had to go through this).

And my feet were SCREAMING at me the whole time. 'WHY DID YOU BUY THESE? YOU'RE KILLING US?!' I was worried, a little worried. Okay, *really* worried. But, I knew I had to stick it out. The pressure wasn't so bad that I got bunions or anything, but they were just uncomfortable after 2-3 hours of wearing them. I just assumed that I wouldn't be able to wear them all day and would have to use them as cute, going out shoes. A dinner... a movie.. maybe some shopping.

But after a few weeks (not wearing them every day to work, but at least every couple), they fully broke in and I realized one day that my feet weren't killing me like they used to. These particular shoes were also very very wide in the heel and ran a full size large. I'm normally a Euro 37, US 6.5 but I had to go down to a Euro 36. With such a loose ankle, I realized that I needed to lace them very snug around the ankles. Otherwise my feet would slide forward and smush my foot into the toe box.

As soon as I laced them up nice and tight, it made a Huge difference because my ankles were sitting right where they should be so my feet weren't moving back and forth inside the boots. Remember, you don't want any forward and backward movement of your foot when it's inside the boot. And it's totally normal for your toe to be close to the edge of the toebox as long as it's not pushing forward into the very end as you walk.

I know breaking in gear is a b*tch, but it's SO worth it in the end. Try not to size yourself in the store (when it comes to leather), but size yourself the way you want it to fit a month from now.

Women's Motorcycle Boots for 2014

Awhile ago I wrote a blog post with recommended motorcycle boots for women. I'm updating that post by adding 4 New boots for women for 2014. 2 of these are updated versions and the other 2 are new altogether.

These are strictly updated versions of boots mentioned in that post. I've left out ones that haven't changed.

Alpinestars Stella S-MX 6

(Keep in mind that 'Stella' is just Alpinestars label for the women's line. Everything is Stella this or Stella that. The actual name of the boot is the S-MX 6.)

The S-MX 6 above is the update to the popular S-MX 5. They've actually a nice upgrade in terms of protection with a torsion control system along the ankle to help prevent accidental twisting. Much more in line with the higher level race boots that Alpinestars makes. Of course, if you're looking for full race protection (achilles heel, stronger sliders, more shock absorption in the heels, etc.) then you should stick to something stronger like the S-MX Plus or SuperTech R's, which actually work well for women with slender feet/ankles. Previous versions of the S-MX Plus are also currently on closeout.

Dainese Svelta GORE-TEX

The Svelta is slightly different from it's big sister the Siren, because it has a narrower calf space with the higher inner zipper. I didn't like the Siren myself, because the calf space was too generous for me. So if you liked the Siren but found it a little bulky, I think you'll like Svelta. And it also has the wonderful GORE-TEX breathable membrane. Keep in mind that Dainese has a narrower toe box and tapers inward along the pinky toe.

Sidi Apex Lei

The Apex Lei is the shorter version of the Vertigo Lei.  If you like the idea of a shorter street boot with maximum protection, this is the way to go. If you missed my review of the Vertigo, you can read it here. The fit will also be the same as the Vertigo Lei.

Gaerne Rose

You may also have seen photos of the new Gaerne Black Rose (left) recently that look different from the previous version (right). There are no differences, except the new girly design along the inner ankle. Still one of my favorite city boots to ride in.

Sidi Verona Lei

The Verona is a really simple city or touring boot. Basically a lower profile version of the Livia Rain. Fully waterproof, but half height. Particularly nice if you have trouble finding wider calf motorcycle boots.

And of course, you can find all of these boots at Revzilla.com :)

New Casual Boots by Tsubo

Since I'm not riding, I have to share these casual boots which I can't wait to get next week!

I discovered the company Tsubo a few months ago when I bought these awesome wedge heels that have amazing foam support. These particular boots are called the Loe, and have a nice layer of comfort foam and a breathable lining which supposedly keeps your feet comfy and dry. Unfortunately not waterproof (hey, Tsubo, that would be AWESOME) but still cute.

You might be wondering why I can't wear these while riding? Well, I guess I could do anything I want, theoretically. But here are the main reasons:

1. I would quickly scuff and wear out the toe box from my shifter
2. Poorly articulated for riding position (think knees bent, heels back, flex to point toe up and down)
3. NO ankle protection or impact protection if my foot hits anything solid
4. NO internal support to keep my ankles from twisting
5. NO anti-slip soles (us short folks need STRONG, grippy soles to handle 300-500lbs of motorcycle weight)
6. NO reinforced toe box or heel cup

Oh how I wish Sidi would come out with something similar to this with all the protective elements, but something tells me we'll be waiting awhile.....

Follow me on all of my social feeds to see pics of these boots when they arrive.

Motorcycle Gear for Kids!

For those of you looking for street motorcycle gear for your kids, check out Kinder Rider. They offer jackets, pants, boots, helmets and gloves!