ok, time for some real boots...

[sparkingdogg]

went for a ride today, a hard ride... a real f*ckin' hard ride. wiped out on a big rut. went down pretty hard (was riding my "new" '98 kdx200, fatty pipe, and good jetting, gets RIGHT on the pipe!).

handlebar deflector landed right on the inside of my right foot.

didn't break anything, and it only hurt for maybe 10 minutes, but i am getting to old to really f@ck my feet up...

was wearing my work boots

bought a pair of thor mx boots a while ago. it is like wearing concrete blocks duct-taped to my feet, absolutely awful. too stiff, too hot, and walk like herman munster.

so i wear the work boots, 75% of the time.

ok, what are you guys (and ladies) wearing???? every pair of mx boots i have had, were dreadful to wear. granted i am wearing $100-150 boots. are the expensive ones really that comfortable???

thanks in advance!

[Indawoods]

Any GOOD boots are going to be stiff... that's the protection part of it. Keeps you from bending something too far any given direction causing injury.

I just bought some AXO Prime boots that I really like so far... More so than the Alpinestar M3's I have...

http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7060

[sparkingdogg]

yeah inda, but do they actually flex???

a few of my wipeouts, i swear, i just couldn't feel ANYTHING. the brake, the peg, the ground!!

i really need some protection. mid-40's and broken bones do not sound good.

one of my catalogs shows mx shoes (don't laugh!) but i don't know.

do you really wear them 100% of the time?

damn, when i was 20 i would catch big air with sneakers on!

now i just wanna walk! my dad just had knee surgery too. gotta be safer than those work boots. pretty minimal protection there...

[Indawoods]

Flex? Well... if you make them. It's not like wearing tennis shoes if that's what you mean.

It is something you have to get used too... like 5 rides or so should get you used to wearing them and functioning.

I wore my boots around the house for 3 days before I could function in them. They are comfy now. Also the AXO's don't have the metal toe plate which is nice if you walk into Wally World buying supplies. It doesn't piss people off too much.

[MXOldtimer]

Just put those stiff new boots on (raise the shift a spline or two) and go ride a 100 miler. You'll hate'm at first. Once they get hot, good and sweaty, they'll start to loosen up and conform to your foot. By the end of the 100 miles they'll feel good other than the few sore spots you'll acquire. lol
Each time you ride they feel better and better and there "WILL" come a day you'll feel naked without boots on.
I couldn't imagine riding without boots on, matter of fact I've retired boots that even though looked great they got too soft and I had to buy stiff boots to feel comfy again.

If you raced much MX you'd find out stiff boots are your friend. I've sprained ankles landing from jumps with soft boots.

[Jeb]

+1 on the AXO Prime.

Like as is already said here the mx boots just take time to get used to.

To Old Timer's point, I read somewhere where a pro actually soaks new boots down, completely, and wears them around throughout the day.

A BTW - SIDI makes hinged mx boots that are regarded by those who can afford them as the most comfortable in many ways. High dollar boots, upwards of $500.

[KarlP]

I've been through a lot of boots over the years. Some were awfull, some fell apart pretty quick.

The best so far have been the Berkins (I think that's how you spell it) that I'm using now.

New boots s&ck, for sure. Ride out somewhere and park the bike and do some trail maintenance or cut new trail.

I recently hit a stump so hard the toe nail on my big toe fell off.

[Varmint]

$100 or $1000 wear the boots! I had a work boot incident where I caught my toes between a root and the peg at about 5 miles an hour. I thought I ripped my foot off. The pain was horrific. Boots were ordered the next day.

[NewMexico505]

I have to agree with the above posts, you need stiff boots.

The only time I wish I DID NOT have stiff boots was dragging my feet at 40mph to spray rocks on my buddy behind me, foot hit a buried rock just poking up and my leg / foot spun around, I kicked myself in the back of my head. My buddy had the last laugh.

-Erik

[scheckaet]

You will get use to it, 3-4 rides and they loosen up and you get feelings back. I can't imagine riding without them now, actually feels weird when wear sneakers.
I got a used pair of A* tech 10 on ebay 3 years ago (already broken in )and I still wear them, the sole is about chewed out so it's time to break in the tech 6.
What makes a huge difference for me is to get them 1 size higher (i wear thick socks) and I replace the "inner cardboard like" sole that offer virtually no cushion if that makes any sense with an old pair of sneackers inner sole and some type of arch support (wallyworld) and it made them so much more comfy! I have no "hot spot" and they feel good.
I would look at a reputable brand, I tried the berrik that were one sale for 80 bux at the local cycle gear and holy sh!t they sucked, really stiff, not comfy at all and didn't even fit a human foot!
Also tried some oneal, they felt alright but my riding buddies destroyed them very quickly in less than a year (and we're not hardcore riders), said they don't last at all
You can get a good new pair from a reputable brand for 150 bux that is comfy and will last.

My 02 cents
wilf

[sparkingdogg]

wow, thanks for all of the input!

my foot is sorta sore today...

part of the problem is, the kdx is too tall for me, at 5'8". i am going to hafta do the lowering link, once i figure out which kdx i am gonna keep. i have biffed 5 outta 5 last rides, and 2 biffs were directly caused by the bike being too tall. side hill, obstacle, foot 12" from the ground... down we go! :-P

when i am moving, the tall kdx feels great. when i hit the tight trails, esp. the side-hills, i get into trouble. now when i put on the concrete block boots, i can hardly swing my leg over the seat! my ankle can't pivot at all, and i nearly can't even get on the bike...

i am pretty sure the boots are not broken in yet, they have been worn maybe 10 rides, with a lot of the rides being 1 hour or less. so maybe they will loosen up, and flex a bit later.

on the 220, i tend to putt around more, with that torquey motor. but this 200 i just got hits so hard, it is a blast to hit things wfo hammering the gears!

but i still don't think i would get another pair of these thor boots, i really am not very happy with them. guess i will hafta manage for now...

[sparkingdogg]

I wore my boots around the house for 3 days before I could function in them. They are comfy now.

for real? they do LOOK like good boots, and the price seems good. comfort is about the LAST thing i can say about the thor's.

[sparkingdogg]

+1 on the AXO Prime.

Like as is already said here the mx boots just take time to get used to.

To Old Timer's point, I read somewhere where a pro actually soaks new boots down, completely, and wears them around throughout the day.

A BTW - SIDI makes hinged mx boots that are regarded by those who can afford them as the most comfortable in many ways. High dollar boots, upwards of $500.

i have some sidi street boots, they kick a$$. but $500 is too much right now!

[sparkingdogg]

I recently hit a stump so hard the toe nail on my big toe fell off.

with the boots on? dayum!!

[sparkingdogg]

$100 or $1000 wear the boots! I had a work boot incident where I caught my toes between a root and the peg at about 5 miles an hour. I thought I ripped my foot off. The pain was horrific. Boots were ordered the next day.

ok, you guys talked me into wearing them! not to mention the pain in my foot!!

[scheckaet]

the kdx is too tall for me, at 5'8".

I'm 5'7 and the kdx is just fine for me...
Do you have a tall seat or something?
Is your front and rear sag set up properly? Correct spring weight?
Or maybe you've got a balancing problem

[Varmint]

the kdx is too tall for me, at 5'8".

I'm 5'7 and the kdx is just fine for me...
Do you have a tall seat or something?
Is your front and rear sag set up properly? Correct spring weight?
Or maybe you've got a balancing problem

I'm 5'8" and the bike was tall for me too. Like you, I had to throw my leg over with a hop, skip, and a jump. Forget it if the tool bag was there; I had to remove that and put the MX fender on.

I set the race/static sag (per the specs on this site!) and it is much much better now. No more tippy-over toes. Balls of my feet down with the heels slightly up. Give that a shot.

[sparkingdogg]

the kdx is too tall for me, at 5'8".

I'm 5'7 and the kdx is just fine for me...
Do you have a tall seat or something?
Is your front and rear sag set up properly? Correct spring weight?
Or maybe you've got a balancing problem

hmmmmm...

well, i have a '89 200, a '98 200 (yesterday's ride), another '98 200, a '00 220, and a '04 200. all the seats look the same, and all are too tall...

[sparkingdogg]

the kdx is too tall for me, at 5'8".

I'm 5'7 and the kdx is just fine for me...
Do you have a tall seat or something?
Is your front and rear sag set up properly? Correct spring weight?
Or maybe you've got a balancing problem

I'm 5'8" and the bike was tall for me too. Like you, I had to throw my leg over with a hop, skip, and a jump. Forget it if the tool bag was there; I had to remove that and put the MX fender on.

I set the race/static sag (per the specs on this site!) and it is much much better now. No more tippy-over toes. Balls of my feet down with the heels slightly up. Give that a shot.

ok, i will. i am parting most of these bikes out, so i need to get my 'own' bike set up. i ride a different one each time, it seems...

[MXOldtimer]

If your part'n stuff out I need a headlight shroud (plastic only) and a pair of radiator shrouds, in good shape of course.