Boots for RTW - Help me decide
 

I'm going to travel around the world, starting this spring and I have a hard time deciding on what type of boots to bring - Adv boots or hiking boots.

The trip will go trough the Middle East in springtime, Central Asia and Siberia in summertime / fall and later America and on. The trip will take two years as a starting point, maybe more. The bike is a modified BMW R80GS and I intend to leave the tarmac a lot:
Attachment 22183


I have two boots in my home to try out at the moment:

One is the Alpinestars Toucan.
Attachment 22182
I have researched and tried all the different Adv-boots (not touring, not full MX) available, Forma, Falco, Alpinestars, Sidi and TCX and found these the best compromise between comfort and protection + support in the lateral movement (which I was looking for when wearing a big boot in the first place). It's furthermore Gore tex which can be both good and bad depending on conditions.


The other boot in question is a set of Meindl Engadin hiking boots.
Attachment 22181
They are category B/C meaning they are quite stiff. They are non gore-tex.


My thoughts towards going with the Alpinestars boots is:
- More safety to the angle (better protection in the lateral movement).
- I will bring along a pair of running shoes + sandals for extra footwear.
- Nice dry in the rain on the highway trough germany...
- Hot in the summertime and longer drying-time after submerging in river crossings or the like.
- For use on the bike only. Comfortable boot yes, but not a boot for walking around for longer time

My thoughts on the hiking boots:
- Generally less protection, but do I really need more. Its a stiff boot yes, but the lateral ankle movement is definitely less stiff than the Alpinestars Toucan.
- I will only bring sandals as extra footwear.
- More suitable boot to live in for a long time.
- Non goretex means a "cooler" and a quicker drying boot.
- Will need to bring waterproof over-boot protectors.

It's my first big trip, where I intend to go off-road loaded with luggage - so it's difficult to know what I actually "need" and what I think I need.
I previously travelled just in regular footwear, on 70's BMW's on the road here in Europe and on light bikes on- and off-road around Asia.

I guess the questions leaving me indecisive is:
Is the extra protection of the Alpinestars adv boot needed at all or is it "overkill" (I'm not going to race the Dakar but on the other side, I'm 24 and like to go fast) / does the hiking boot offer protection enough.

One pair will need to go back to the store, so I don't have to possibility to start using both of them, before making a decision.

Your 24 and like to ride fast, and haven't ridden your loaded bike of road. There is only one choice - proper M/C boots.

I'm old(er), slow and fairly experienced at riding my loaded bike off road. Last year, wearing proper boots, an accidental drop put me off the road for 3 days with a badly sprained ankle plus it took 3+ months to come properly good. If I had been wearing hiking boots I'm convinced the trip would have ended there and then. (Note I also carry hiking boots - but they are only used for their intended purpose)

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Motocross boots and light hikers or trail runners (which are just running shoes with a bit more sole). I wouldn’t want to walk in those giant hiking boots anyway—unless you’re carrying a huge pack, on ice and snow, working as a commercial logger, or desperate to increase the amount of suffering in your life, light hikers will serve you well. They range from featherweight through perfectly reasonable to too-heavy-to-carry-around-for-a-couple-of-years.

I’ve just once needed my heavy riding boots, and like the poster above it would have ended my trip had I been wearing something less robust. It’s somewhat like wearing a helmet—which I’ve never actually needed, but wear anyway against the possibility that I will.

Hope that’s helpful.

Mark

I alternate between a pair of Chinese made bike boots and Merrel hiking boots. The bike boots feel more comfortable on the bike, mainly because of the thinner soles which changes my foot position slightly, whereas the Merrels are a bit warmer in winter and completely waterproof. They also dry very quickly. For a RTW I would probably go for hikers, they are better at walking around, which means you dont need to bring other shoes and can save some space/weight.

If you want to do a fast RTW trip, you are defeating the object and should rather fly:tongue3::tongue3:

Hello

So you can't try them on your bike and do a testride?

I did my RTW on very comfortable hikingboots (leather-textil-goretex) and gaiters.
Meanwile I have also bought skiboots (Sidi-Adventure) and used them on short trips.
In Iceland it was nice to have high boots with goretex but Marocco in february was already a pain in those hot boots.

Also I have much less control riding with skiboots than hikingboots.
So to me it's the advantage of more protection vs. control, I'd choose control.

If I'd do another trip over several years, I'd go again with hikingboots.
But that's your trip, you have to choose.

sushi

fwiw. I think you're on the right lines with an 'Adventure' style boot rather than a full-on [more rigid] MX style boot, which is why the manufacturers have developed this hybrid design.

Personally I prefer the more affordable and slightly lower cut Alpinstars Belize (again leather with a waterproof liner, but their own brand Drystar rather than Gortex) - primarily because the slightly lower mid-shin design is more comfortable to both walk in and wear for long periods seated on the bike.

Certainly If you do plan to ride a high proportion of unsurfaced roads and trails, then good ankle and toe protection is a worthwhile investment.

Ultimately though, trying to choose any definitive product/piece of gear/bike for a RTW trip is a waste of time - certainly a trip of that length [you say 2 years] things are inevitably going to change and evolve, and in the case of gear, almost certainly wear-out or get damaged at some point...

So I would start out with the most appropriate gear for the initial leg/s of your journey (temperature and terrain wise), then if you need to buy something else that is more appropriate as the trip progresses, so be it.

The world is not a big place these days, and anything can be posted home or forward as required... or even donated to someone less fortunate than you if you no longer have a need for a particular item.

Hope that gives you something to consider...

Jenny x

My wife and I both bought Forma Adventure boots and in the nine months we have been away so far they have been great. Comfortable to walk in and protective when we came off the road in Canada. I carry a pair of lightweight Merrill boots for walking and general wear which I use when not on the bike.

I've been riding for numerous years, mostly off-road, and had numerous off's without any injury which I contribute to reasonable riding skills but also my protective gear.

I ALWAYS follow ATGATT rules on every ride.

Then one day I was heading to the store for a quick grocery run - it was all tarmac.
It was hot and I felt self-conscious about clod hopping around the produce department in my MX boots.
So I donned my leather hikers - first time ever.

On the way home I decided to take a quick detour through the woods down some simple tracks.
A perfect combination of bad decisions and a large rock left me with every bone broken or cracked in my right foot.
My riding season finished early that year.

I am convinced if I had my regular MX boots on my injuries would have been substantially less if at all.

Obviously my suggestion is heavily reflective of my own experience - wear the best foot protection possible especially if you are leaving the tarmac a lot.


Hope this helps and prevents future injury :mchappy:

Boots
 

I wear Hiking boots....but good ones that give some ankle support, so does my wife, but I think you should go with your gut feeling rather than being influenced here !!!:oops2:
bier
Paul

I am planning a trip from UK to Cape Town via west Africa next year. I have looked at many different boots and came down to the Alpinestars Belize and the Forma Adventure Low. There is a guy that did the same route in the Belize and loved them. I went for the Forma in the end after some good reviews and so far they are very comfortable. I ware them with Leatt knee guards which are also very comfortable and in 2(minor) off's have not felt a thing. They don't have as much protection as some other boots, but I suppose that in the end its a personal choice.

Good luck with your trip

:mchappy:

I have settled on a higher top hiking style boot for all my riding.. I pick the ones that are built on a mountaineering platform so they are very high in lateral support to prevent twisting and rocking injuries.. I change out the boots every couple years once they start to soften up and breakdown.. I picked up a set of Kentrek's last summer for an Arctic ride when I couldn't find Miendls locally and the Kentreks proved to be better.. I bought the ones with the thicker insulation as they added more padding to protect from rock hits.. The best part of having a trekking boot is you have your riding and walking footwear in one, maybe a set of sandles around camp.. I like to get off the bike at times and will scale up several thousand of mountain, could never picture my self doing this with a clunky riding boot.. Ask yourself what do you need to get out of your boot, for me it is protection and mobility with out carrying 2 pairs of footwear..


https://kenetrek.com/collections/mountain-boots
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/00...g?v=1539707319

This is the correct answer. You also didn't mention whether you're using hard or soft luggage. If you're going hard you really really should have proper motorcycle boots.

Do you really have to have only one pair of shoes? It's great to travel light, but how much will you want to go for a walk in either of those boots? Why not choose the boots that offer the most protection and take along a pair of lightweight breathable sneakers. Your feet will breathe a sigh of relief when you put them on at the end of the day.

Good choice, you’ll be fine.

My bmw trousers have very good shin protection built in so that I can then get away with a shorter boot. I even use these pants off road and now prefer not to wear mx boots as I find them so restrictive and uncomfortable.

I used to ride in high tec magnum boots and wear mx shin protectors.

I do think you can have too much protection, wearing heavy boots for work weakened my ankle and then I ended up breaking my ankle from a simple slip as I was in trainers without all the support!

Each to their own, enjoy your ride

I have been doing a lot of research on boots lately- the market has really improved. I have used a few boots over the years too - all year round rider.

I won’t get into the protection or not debate, that is up to you.
Altberg Hogg are a motorcycle/hiking boot cross and exceptional at both.
Altberg bike boots are IMHO the best all round road riding boots for the money.
Forma adventure and low are very comfortable and easy on and off - not brilliant for protection.
The new Rev’it boots are described as being protective as MX boots but waterproof. I have tried a pair on and not too bad for comfort but they are really expensive and cannot be resoled.
Sidi Adventure boots are fine for an hour to walk round in but the soles wear quickly and expensive to resole, the waterproofing failed after 3 years.
I’m going to look at Alpinestars corrosal next they look the best compromise - for comfort walking in they do a low version- Belize.
Hope this helps