What Boots?

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robkdx
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What Boots?

Post by robkdx »

I have some Fly Mavericks which are getting worn out.

I only trail ride. Without spending huge dollars what are my options? I see trails boots are different but I cant see what the differences are apart from the sole having tread.

Im very open to ideas on this.

Mods I wanst sure where to put this so feel free to move it.
spl383
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Re: What Boots?

Post by spl383 »

Fly mavericks were my first boot and they lasted me a couple of years and they fell apart. I bought a pair of Gaerne React and after having them 2 years they still look new. They are very comfortable right out of the box, I like the Uni-pivot ankle system.and for only 256 not much more than a entry level boot.
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diymirage
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Re: What Boots?

Post by diymirage »

when it comes to boots, helmets, chest protectors buy the very best you can afford

I started out with a pair of fox comp 5 boots (about $200.00) and I managed to break my ankle wearing them, doing nothing to crazy
just like you, trailriding
(my foot slipped of off the footpeg and got caught in a root before I could pull it back up. when it got caught, it got twisted and pulled back and just ripped the bottom pat of my tibia off)

now I wear a pair of alpine star tech 10 boots ($600.00)
I managed to get them on sale from a online partswarehouse around this time of year
(something about last years model) and I only paid $300 for them

there is a WORLD of difference, perhaps the biggest difference is in the metal "frame" build into the boot which limits the amount of movement of the ankle (this is adjustable, by the way, and it sounds like the Uni-pivot spl was talking about)


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newbbewb wrote:DIYmirage has it right.


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Re: What Boots?

Post by Sullyfam »

I have a pair of Gaerne that have performed perfectly for the last 7yrs. They are a bit weathered looking, but I've had zero issues and trust me they have been put to the test. Prior to that I had Tech 10s for 5yrs with no issues as well. I would buy either upper end model if budget allows.


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Marylander
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Re: What Boots?

Post by Marylander »

I've got the forma terrain tx, which were the least expensive fully hinged boots available when I bought them. I think they're great. They've since been updated a bit. Here's a review:
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Re: What Boots?

Post by robkdx »

diymirage wrote:when it comes to boots, helmets, chest protectors buy the very best you can afford

I started out with a pair of fox comp 5 boots (about $200.00) and I managed to break my ankle wearing them, doing nothing to crazy
just like you, trailriding
(my foot slipped of off the footpeg and got caught in a root before I could pull it back up. when it got caught, it got twisted and pulled back and just ripped the bottom pat of my tibia off)

now I wear a pair of alpine star tech 10 boots ($600.00)
I managed to get them on sale from a online partswarehouse around this time of year
(something about last years model) and I only paid $300 for them

there is a WORLD of difference, perhaps the biggest difference is in the metal "frame" build into the boot which limits the amount of movement of the ankle (this is adjustable, by the way, and it sounds like the Uni-pivot spl was talking about)


http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopi ... hilit=ouch
Ok that got my attention. So a lot more to this than I thought.

I will keep my old ones going for a bit and save up some more.

Thanks for the heads up Mate, I had thought they were all much the same.
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diymirage
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Re: What Boots?

Post by diymirage »

I don't remember what my copay was for the operation but I'm pretty sure I could have bought me more then a few pairs of boots for less


what seems to be coming back from everyone advising you on this is the "hinge"

I would make that a priority when looking for boots



"they prevent damaging shock and rotation"
yeah, you want that :)
newbbewb wrote:DIYmirage has it right.


-1996 KDX 200 woods weapon (converted to 99 green body)
-1996 KDX 200 plated street toy (barney edition)
-2003 Yamaha TTR125-L (wifeys bike)
-1997 KDX 220 project bike
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Re: What Boots?

Post by robkdx »

diymirage wrote:I don't remember what my copay was for the operation but I'm pretty sure I could have bought me more then a few pairs of boots for less


what seems to be coming back from everyone advising you on this is the "hinge"

I would make that a priority when looking for boots



"they prevent damaging shock and rotation"
yeah, you want that :)
Just been out and tried on some Alpinestars Tech 7 enduros. Very nice, nice price to.
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What Boots?

Post by canamfan »

I bought the alpinestar tech 3 boots I would not recommend them. One of the straps is almost torn off after a couple of rides and the buckles are hell to get undone, however they are getting better. They are worlds better then my old oneal boots which were worn out. Next time I will spend more, I think you get what you pay for.
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What Boots?

Post by Kiddreamr »

I started off with the alpinestars tech 3 and got some gaerne sg-10 for xmas. Way better and imo worth the extra money. The new alpinestars tech 1 looks promising, cheaper than the tech-3 with improved buckles and has a type of pivoting ankle for around $200. But if you have $350 or can hold off to save for it you would not be dissappointed with the gaernes. The gaerne has absolute perfect buckles and are more comfertable straight out of the box then my worn in tech3s.
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Re: What Boots?

Post by 6 Riders »

I recommend Gaerne SG's for wide feet and Sidi Crossfires (non SRS) for narrow feet.
Trail riders actually need more protection than MX guys due to trail debris.
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Re: What Boots?

Post by Friedom »

6 Riders wrote:I recommend Gaerne SG's for wide feet and Sidi Crossfires (non SRS) for narrow feet.
Trail riders actually need more protection than MX guys due to trail debris.
I'm with 6r. I was ready to get some SG10s when a crazy deal on some Crossfires came along so I snagged them. They've saved my joints on a few occasions. Only one had any speed involved (stuck throttle), others were just awkward trail get offs in 1st gear.
When I was in your shoes (boots?) Looking for this answer, I read about a guy whose friend was riding home wearing sidi's one night and hit black ice. Bike slid out, rider did too. He was fine, but then a bus rounded the bend and ran over his legs. Yes, his legs.
He came out with nothing broken and some "pretty cool bruises".
Suddenly $400 for a pair of boots is a steal. I don't care if I look like a storm trooper, there's no reason to skimp on protecting the most complicated joint in your body.

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What Boots?

Post by SS109 »

I'll be the dissenter here in that I don't agree that more money necessarily means better protection. Many helmet studies that are coming out show that cheap polycarbonate DOT helmets might actually better for us (impact wise) than the expensive carbon fiber/fiberglass SNELL helmets. Read up on it. Not taking anything away from you diymirage but it sounds like any boot you wore would have resulted in some form of serious injury. That energy has to go somewhere so maybe it would have been your knee or hip instead, who knows?

I have worn cheap and expensive gear. Other than maybe comfort I haven't noticed any other tangible advantage to buying expensive gear and I have crash tested most of my gear fairly extensively. :mrgreen: I think proper fit and wearing something, whether cheap or expensive, is better than wearing nothing. Spending your cash on an expensive helmet or boots at the expense of wearing knee/shin, chest, elbow, and hip protection is not the smart choice. However, if buying more expensive gear gives you piece of mind, go for it. Just don't be shocked if you still have a major injury wearing it!
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diymirage
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What Boots?

Post by diymirage »

SS109 wrote: Not taking anything away from you diymirage but it sounds like any boot you wore would have resulted in some form of serious injury. That energy has to go somewhere so maybe it would have been your knee or hip instead, who knows?
I'm not a physist, nor a physician but I can tell you my knee is bigger then my ankle and further removed form my toes
which means that my knee is most likely stronger then my ankle, and because of the distance, there is more room and time for the energy to dissipate (I'm guessing because there are some bones that can flex and take some of the energy away?

I don't know, just thinking out loud here

I think the thing to keep in mind is, working our way up, the ankle is not only the weakest point of our body, but it also bears the largest weight so it makes sense to protect it as good we can
newbbewb wrote:DIYmirage has it right.


-1996 KDX 200 woods weapon (converted to 99 green body)
-1996 KDX 200 plated street toy (barney edition)
-2003 Yamaha TTR125-L (wifeys bike)
-1997 KDX 220 project bike
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Re: What Boots?

Post by 6 Riders »

Ever try to walk with a broken big toe? Helmets, yes there are cheap ones that have the same or better performance in a crash as expensive ones......Boots, get better as prices AND options (like hinges) go up. Top of the line, for example SG 12 vs SG 10, not much difference in protection, so kinda wasting $150. But the different between $200 Fox boots and SG 10 is a mile apart. I have a good write up on boots on my computer. When I get it set back up, I'll post the write up here.

In summary, you can get really crappy boots for $200, decent boots for $150 and good boots for $300-$350. Everything else is butter on the bread.
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What Boots?

Post by SS109 »

diymirage wrote:I'm not a physist, nor a physician but I can tell you my knee is bigger then my ankle and further removed form my toes
which means that my knee is most likely stronger then my ankle, and because of the distance, there is more room and time for the energy to dissipate (I'm guessing because there are some bones that can flex and take some of the energy away?
There are some things in the knee that aren't so strong like your ACL and MCL. Personally, I would rather have a broken bone, or other common ankle/foot injuries, over either one of those.
diymirage wrote:I think the thing to keep in mind is, working our way up, the ankle is not only the weakest point of our body, but it also bears the largest weight so it makes sense to protect it as good we can
I agree it needs protection or I wouldn't be wearing riding boots. However, I believe the knee is just as vulnerable to serious injury, maybe more so, due to it's complexity. My point is that it's just not as cut and dry as "spend more, get more" when it comes to protection.

I know everyone's opinions/experiences will vary but I have never had a serious injury of any kind from riding. For the record, I ride with a $400 helmet (Klim F4) and $340 boots (AXO Dart Pro). I believe in wearing quality gear but I do look at cost vs performance.
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Re: What Boots?

Post by Marylander »

The boots I mentioned above are sub $300 and include the full mechanical hinge. I think they're comfortable too and they're holding up just fine.
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Re: What Boots?

Post by robkdx »

Just to give some feedback. I have cheap boots but am shopping for better ones. On another forum I have been convinced I need knee braces. So shopping for them as well.

I wear body armor, Moto X pants and a Carbon V4 Fox helmet. I want not to be broken when I get older. Over here gear is very expensive so i have to save for it.

Yes the boots I go for will have hinges.
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Re: What Boots?

Post by robkdx »

Oh a pair of carbon POD knee braces have popped up on the local version of E-bay. Look to be my size and they are cheap so will try to go and try them on.
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