You know how a pair of Chucks are pretty cool looking and also about the least comfortable basketball sneaker you could actually ball in? That's the issue with motorcycle riding boots that are all show and no go. Kind of like motorcycle jackets, motorcycle riding boots tend to steal the style cues of the genre, minus the actual reinforcement that will keep you in one piece. If you actually ride, rather than just want to look like you do, you should shop for protective and functional features, regardless of the kind of riding you do. Your feet and legs will be safer and also, crucially, way more comfortable as well because the real deal will support your muscles and joints.
What to Look for When Buying Motorcycle Boots
Armor: Even the lightest weight, most low-key-looking boots should have legit armoring designed to reduce harm in a slide. Canvas sneaks might look dope, but they won't prevent a rolled ankle, and if you dump a 400-pound moto on your foot wearing sneakers, you might as well be in flip-flops. Please, please, please, never ride in sandals.
Comfort/Walkability: With riding as with any facet of life, you're only as happy as your feet are comfortable. And being able to function as reasonable footwear when off the bike is a major plus.
Replaceable Parts and Construction: You can find cheaper analogs for some of the boots we've chosen. But replaceable parts and construction features that let you do things like resoling the boot will help you spend less in the long run.
Shaped Toe: You use your feet a lot while riding a motorcycle. Having a shaped toe that is less bulky will make it easier to do things like shift gears.
Type of Riding: The more you intend to ride off-road, the more you should also be looking for a boot that protects your lower leg, with a taller shin and calf section, so you don't have to wear additional armor. Depending on where you live and when and where you intend to ride, you might want waterproofing as well.
Waterproofing: Waterproofing isn't an absolute must depending on your location and the type of riding you're doing. But having effective waterproofing with materials like Gore-Tex that is also breathable is certainly helpful.
Ventilation: No one likes their feet getting sweaty. The best boots will have some form of ventilation or air induction.
How We Tested
Our tester spent dozens of hours over the past year testing four pairs of motorcycle riding boots for this guide on short daily trips and longer weekend rides. Additional picks were chosen with research and consultation with industry experts. We tested primarily for features like comfort, usability, walkability and the shape of the toe box. We prioritized choices that were well-armored and offered replaceable components even if we were unable to simulate that in testing.
Our Best Picks
TCX Terrain 3 WP Boots
While the Terrain 3 is billed as an ADV boot, after nearly a year of testing the TCX has become our go-to ride-anything choice. That's because although it's a full-length boot, our tester found that there's enough flex at the Achilles to allow reasonably easy walkability, and the hiking-boot-style stitched-down sole (which is replaceable, as are the buckles) offers tons of trail grip, even in the wet.
CE Level 2 protection includes a beefy shin plate, a full reinforced cup around the heel and ankle for added crush-proofing, reinforcement at the toe box and around the heel. Four adjustable buckles use a ratchet-style, but unlike with some brands, our tester found these boots very easy to adjust on the fly, which is handy if you're wearing a beefier off-road pant one day and jeans the next.
The Terrain 3 also has a waterproof membrane fabric that even during summer testing didn't get broiling hot. TCX also builds a flatter toe box for a better shifter feel. And even though they're protective, our tester found that the use of leatherette and the stitched-down sole gave the boot more of a hiker vibe that's reasonably handsome.
Aether Moto Boot
Aether's founders ride. You can tell that from the first time you take their amazing Moto Boot out of the box because they have heft as well as obvious elan. Sure, these 100% vegetable-tanned Italian leather beauties look like they should be paired with a Hermes tie and a Brioni suit, but there's real function baked inside, too. First, the midsole is reinforced but also designed to allow enough toe flex for easy walking. That said, the forward portion of the outsole has pared-down lugs, so they don't over-grip the pegs when you need to move around, to stand, brake, or slide a foot to the ground.
At the ankle D30 armor protects against an impact. And of course, they have a reinforced shift pad at the top of the toe box. Aether also adds accented waxed blue thread to tie down the Vibram outsole, so you get a hit of sharp style, and that outsole is replaceable, and Aether guarantees their boots for life.
TCX Dartwood WP Shoes
One way you can tell a moto boot was built by people who ride: Peg feel. The Dartwood's outsole was built to grab your bike's pegs, whether those have rubber inserts or metallic teeth, and the shifter feel is outstanding, thanks to a thin toe section. The Dartwood, like the Ginza, fools you into thinking it's just a street shoe, too, by looking like a pair of blacked-out Vans, but the entire shoe happens to be completely waterproof, and it gets D30 armoring at the ankle.
That miracle material stays soft and pliable to let you move but turns to near concrete on impact to protect delicate bone and muscle. And for that same reason, TCX includes a molded polymer midsole that prevents the shoe's base from collapsing while still allowing toe flex so the Dartwood is completely walkable. TCX also cribs from the world of cycling by adding a lace-grabber at the top of the tongue to prevent errant laces from getting caught in your moto's engine.
Other Good Options
REV'IT! Everest GTX
Testing the Everest GTX we found that the hiking-boot-style construction makes it ultra comfy both on and off the bike; it's that rare motorcycle boot that feels so good you'd wear it all day. Our tester found it to be a lightweight and comfy option that's still 100 percent waterproof. That's relatively unusual for a mid-cut boot, and if you live where it rains and need CE Level 2 protection but also must have a walkable moto shoe to get around on foot this is a great choice.
Ah, and about the name? Despite the ambitious moniker, the Everest is a more ideal city riding boot because it doesn't offer the stiffness of something you'd need for genuine dual-sport riding. But, importantly, it's way more armored than the flimsy poseur protection you see targeted at urban riders. That's because REV'IT! beefs up the heel, adds ankle protection at both the inside and outside of that vulnerable area, and shields the toe box to protect against shifter wear. There's also a meaty guard at the shin and extra overlap on the inner calf to protect against engine heat.
There's just one caveat, which is that because the boot tightens via a zipper, with a hook-and-loop fastener fitting overtop. Our tester suggests you buy a snugger fit than you might usually because once these boots break in they could begin to feel loose, and without buckles, laces, or a rotary closure there won't be a way to take up that added slack.
Alpinestars Tech 7 Enduro Drystar Boots
If you get the gold version of the Tech 7, like the model they sent our tester, you'd better up your off-road game—they're not exactly subtle. Then again, if you ride technical dirt you already know to be humble; you'll beater eventually, and that's why you're buying overkill armoring. And knowing that, you'll appreciate the design of the Tech 7 Enduro, which uses a biomechanical pivot at the ankle to allow forward flexion—but prevents sideways bending, so you won't bust bones during that awkward landing with the bike pinning your leg. (Yep, been there, done that.) There's of course built-in shin, heel, and toe-box armoring, too. This is a very rigid boot, period.
But it's truly built for performance. For instance, a grippy rubber pad on the inside of the bike provides extra stickiness against your bike's plastics, so you're less worked trying to squeeze your rig as you drive your knees around corners, and there's enough give at the heel and toe to flex forward.
If you're an aggressive off-roader you'll dig subtler aspects of this build, too. For instance, Alpinestars used metal on the parts of the buckle that are most vulnerable to suffering abuse during scrapes and near-tumbles, but the pair of lower straps close in reverse to the outside of the boot, not the inside. When shut these provide extra shielding on impact—and should you smash them they're of course readily replaceable, unlike your ankle.
Our tester found the outsole offers sensational grip, too, both on the pegs and when pre-hiking technical sections. (FYI: The outsole is replaceable, too.) Sure, the kitchen-sink design makes these boots beefy, and you'll have to readjust your shifter up a hair to allow easier gear changes, but the protection is bomber and — believe it or not — the Tech 7 felt reasonably comfy to our tester, too.
Sidi Atojo SRS
The Sidi Atojo is a slightly less MX-specific boot than the Crossfire 3, a boot you'll see Sidi off-road riders swear by—but that kick's a full pound heavier than the Atojo. Still, this is an off-road-specific boot, but if you're a serious ADV rider, someone who wants to go tackle a BDR in say, Colorado or Wyoming, a boot like this is going to offer you more pucker factor margin than the average ADV boot—too frequently those are just not quite as overbuilt as the Atojo SRS.
Speaking of which, even though the Atojo SRS is burly, with extensive armoring at the toe box, ankle, shin and heel as well as heat protection at the interior of the calf, it's more tapered than many more ham-fisted-styled motocross boots; as we tested them we found these Sidis grew more all-day comfortable after break-in, and although we'd rather not walk city blocks in them, they are just walkable enough.
But that's not why you go with these—you're after bomber protection and that starts with a hinge system with two pivot points. The lower hinge doubles as an ankle guard and limits fore-aft range of motion, with a secondary tab above the top of the foot to prevent hyperextension. A second hinge higher up allows forward flexion at the shin. Together, the two hinges form a spine that prevents sideways bending that might cause injury during a crash. And because the ankle guard wraps around to the rear, that prevents a backwards bend that would jam your Achilles.
The Atojo is lined with a few materials, including Teflon, to prevent interior moisture buildup that could cause bacterial growth. Why? Ever smell boots without such anti-funk properties? Enuf said!
Sidi also makes almost the entirety of this boot replaceable, from the buckles to the outsole (where you can switch from street to off-road-specific lugs), the shin guard to the hyperextension system. Yes, they're an investment, but the Atojo SRS was made to be renewable for decades into the future.
TCX Infinity 3 GTX
The first thing that struck our tester while testing the Infinity 3 GTX was how tapered and low profile it is. That's unfortunately a rare trait for mid-cut or taller moto boots, where the bulk (a term we use with emphasis here) of models feel like they came off a snowboard footwear assembly line. So the Infinity 3 is impressive for paring back heft—but TCX didn't excise safety because you're getting CE Level 2 protection across the board.
That begins with a grippy outsole that's also laterally ultra-stiff to add crush protection, and TCX includes an internal ankle guard, with the external Atop reel closure mechanism doubling as an ankle guard on the exterior. Speaking of which, that system threads around the bottom half of the Infinity 3 to cinch over the top of your foot, but we do wish there was a second reel at the cuff, since that relies on Velcro. Sure, it works, but our tester less refined for tightening around the calf and Velcro has a bad habit of becoming less grabby if you ride through muck.
Still, the Infinity 3 GTX is otherwise pretty flawless: Our tester found it to be very lightweight; there's enough ankle flexion to make shifting and braking as well as walking very comfortable, and the stiff midsole made extended riding on the balls of my feet in the standing position perfectly supported. TCX adds reflectivity at the back of the boot, a stiff shin guard, reinforcement at the top of the boot to reduce shifter-induced wear, and a stiff ankle box to hold your foot static to prevent skin abrasion.
Dainese Torque 3 Out Boots
If you're lucky enough to have track access, that's great, but just like you wouldn't try that in a pair of jeans, you shouldn't aim at apexes without the right protective footwear. Plus, a boot like the Torque 3 happens to be comfortable enough for street riding.
Dainese, which has its roots on the track, builds this boot from the sole up, using a thermoplastic plate at the midsole to prevent distortion and adding armoring at the shin and the inner leg to protect against engine heat. But the real key (and why you shouldn't wear a street boot on the track) is the addition of magnesium sliders at all three sides of the heel and across the toe. Counterintuitively, that's not for impact; it's to prevent your lower leg from "grabbing" the track.
In a slide, you want to keep sliding, which dissipates energy. You get hurt when your body sticks to the pavement because then the entire force of the crash has to go somewhere—and that's bad. The Torque 3's magnesium armor plating is designed to take that hit and continue the skid, so your body bears less brunt. And all that plating is replaceable, too.
Provided you're keeping the shiny bits upright, you'll appreciate subtler details, including an air-induction system designed to cool your dogs and flex at the Achilles and front of the ankle for easier walkability.
REV'IT! Expedition GTX Boots
In a reflection of just how far REV'IT! pushes development, their Expedition GTX has its own branded Vibram called Apex. This multi-zone shoe bottom has a zone for traction, another for braking and another for better stability. But, truly, REV'IT! went to the nth degree for this entire boot, aiming for as much freedom of movement as possible but still achieving CE Level 2 protection. Partly that's because they use phase-changing SEESOFT armor that allows movement but stiffens on impact, as well as hard armoring where you need even more impact protection, like at the shin—where freedom of movement isn't an issue.
The injected ankle cup prevents rollover, and what the brand calls Dynamic Support Frame secures the calf, heel, and foot to prevent an Achilles hyperextension if you have to suddenly put a foot down during a fall. Even with all of this protection and full Gore-Tex waterproofing, REV'IT! 's incorporation of a Boa closure makes getting these kicks on or off easy, and that also means a simple release of the tongue pad and a pull on the Boa lets your dogs relax at the coffee or fueling stop.
