Best boots for BMW GS1200

taco007

Observer
Hi Guys: I'm new to offroad, expedition travel on two wheels. Can any of you recommend boots for offroad expedition travel on a motorcycle? I have used the heavy duty MX boots on my KTM for track use but feel they are too heavy for the BMW on street/dirt. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian
 

sandalscout

Adventurer
I am not a huge fan of MX boots due to the fact that they don't flex very well. The protection offered is nice, but I never could get used to them.

That said, I ended up with a set of Gaerne G-Adventure boots. They do not have the hard plastic side plates that MX boots do, but they do have a plastic shin plate. They seem fairly stiff, have three cam buckles, and waterproof liner (that gets good reviews). I have only had them for a few days and only ridden them about 30 miles so far, but they are comfortable so far. Tomorrow will be a bigger test.

Boots are so subjective. Many of the guys I ride with ride more hardcore than I do and probably would want a stiff boot, but I finally found a boot that I like, offers decent protection and is affordable. Sizing is good also, I usually wear an 11.5-12 shoe, and the size 12 boots are great.
 

trailsurfer

Explorer
My favorite by far after buying 3 different pairs of boots the last 4 years is the Sidi Adventure Goretex. Great in all temps, 110 to 20 degrees, and completely waterproof. Very comfortable on the road, and great off road. I think the boots saved me from a serious ankle injury riding in the Utah desert this fall.
 

wesel123

Explorer
My favorite by far after buying 3 different pairs of boots the last 4 years is the Sidi Adventure Goretex. Great in all temps, 110 to 20 degrees, and completely waterproof. Very comfortable on the road, and great off road. I think the boots saved me from a serious ankle injury riding in the Utah desert this fall.

X2 I LOVE my Sidi Adventures...my only real problem is that they really make your feet stink on a long ride......I mean its really bad.....and I never have that problem..... :)
 

trailsurfer

Explorer
X2 I LOVE my Sidi Adventures...my only real problem is that they really make your feet stink on a long ride......I mean its really bad.....and I never have that problem..... :)


You probably have the Adventure Rains that are plastic and don't breath. With the Goretex I have not had that problem, they seem to breath pretty well.
 

Lygriek

New member
BMW Santiago?

I personally have wide feet and have tried to get them into the Sidi's and the Gaerne's with no luck, so I tried the BMW Santiago's and they fit really well and are all day comfortable. They have two buckles and metal toe guards on the leading edge of the sole. No plastic, but fairly sturdy leather and Goretex construction. BMW boots a have pretty good two year warranty too.
 

HumphreyBear

Adventurer
I like the Sidi range as well, but don't believe the European models I've used are available in the US. One thing I would say is that you will probably need to do *a lot* more walking in these boots than you might be used to if you are a road racer or motoX rider, so be sure that they are comfortable enough to walk around in for long periods. When I had my R1150GS riding around Europe and Nth Africa I found myself walking in my boots much (much) more than I was expecting, and had to replace the highly protective Sidi race boots I had thought would be great due to their greater protection.
.
Humphrey
 

Cody1771

Explorer
holy.. nice boots, but $650 for boots :Wow1: maybe one day... ill stick with my $239 Alpine star boots :p
 

Sleeping Dog

Adventurer
I've been beating up a pair of AeroStiches combat touring boots for around 60K miles and they are by far the best motorcycle boot I've worn.

Jim
 

MingsRevenge

New member
My favorite by far after buying 3 different pairs of boots the last 4 years is the Sidi Adventure Goretex. Great in all temps, 110 to 20 degrees, and completely waterproof. Very comfortable on the road, and great off road. I think the boots saved me from a serious ankle injury riding in the Utah desert this fall.

X2 as well. The Sidi Adventure boot are my new favorite piece of gear. They have all angles covered regarding protecting your feet and ankles. I had the pleasure of being run off the road at 55mph in August of this past year while wearing a pair of Doc Martins. Lisfranc fractures in both feet, broken left lower fibula, malleolus fractures, broken talas, several broken tarsals on both feet, complete tears of the big 3 major ligaments, broken hands, and a broken C7. The boots won't help the neck, but if I had even a marginal adventure type boot, I would be in considerably better condition now. Permanent damage to both feet and ankles is no way to go through life son.
On a positive note, I have recovered about as much as I can. I had my C6 and C7 fused a few days after the accident, and that has gone well. I even snowboarded some blues for a week over Christmas break. Painful, but the kids had fun.
Not to ramble....My point is, you have absolutely no control what your body will do when you dump your bike. You can think, "Pull your arms in, don't put your hands or feet down, etc", but the forces at work are extreme. A good pair of boots with some real protection is worth every penny you pay. Solid, cupped heal, shanks, reinforced toe box, and stiff enough to prevent twisting, but comfortable enough to shift and walk around in.
Sorry this was so long.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
You have to also concider what type of riding you do.

sat down cruising on mainly roads

Or hours at a time on gravel -sandy tracks standing up

In Oman in the desert I first used my road bike boots- comfy protected- armoured but little or no sole support

Then i bought some MX boots - yep where the F is the gear change

But I could then ride for hours on the pegs without the fatigue and pain of the lighter boots.

Biggest toughest best safety gear for me - everytime !

screw that you look like robo cop- but at least the docs end up with all the component parts when its rebuild time- instead of half your knee caps and anckles grated off by road rash
 

Scott Brady

Founder
I would not consider anything less than a Cross-Fire 2 level of protection for the dirt. I learned the hard way that some of these hybrid boots are just not suitable for the dirt for real protection. I banged up my foot pretty good (metatarsal) on a low-speed crash in a set of Sidi Adventures. Not enough foot protection IMHO.

423811


This is always the challenge huh. We all start a little lax on protection until the first real crash, then comfort, breathability and style starts to drop in priority ;)
 

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