This little dilemma appears again and again. Personally, after clouting my foot on a rock 10 years ago in the middle of nowhere in Morocco and my heel slamming in to the swing arm, I would not deviate from my current choice. I always wear motocross/enduro boots (with long sealskinz socks if raining). Then a pair of approach shoes (think off road trainers) for off the bike, why would you want to traipse around in your dirty bike boots when you finally get of the beast for the day? A pair of trainers hardly takes much room,
You could go totally hardcore like some blokes I met in Morocco once, 7 guys on africa twins, no support van, one 15-20 litre drybag each, which apparently contained shared spares/tools, jeans-t shirt-pants, toothbrush and finally - bungied on top for easy access- a pair of flip flops.

sidi black rains
 

i had a pair of sidi black rains,bit knackered now after 2 yrs of abuse but they were really comfortable.i even wore them for 3 days straight when i went to see metallica play in london and use to wear them out clubbing, if you pull your jeans down over them they look like fancy black shoes :clap:

Another vote for flip-flops and MX boots. 'Comfortable to walk in' normally means some sort of compromise on the protection front.

thor 50/50?
Thor Motocross

I use a pair of Gortex combat Pro boots, very comfortable, very waterproof and very protective around the foot area, big thick Vibram tread, thick leather and a thick padded interior around ankle and foot. I would sooner have my foot stuck under my bike in these than some of the cheaper carpet slipper motorbike boots ive had in the past....Allas ankle protection isn't ideal but they are wonderfull to walk in so if thats your priority, also as others have mentioned take a look at Altberg stuff, they do a high leg version of there Hogg boots which i am quite tempted by, has anyone tried a pair of these ?

Yes, I use the high leg Altberg Hogg style boot, and they are brilliant. The lacing all the way up the shin, holds the boot to your foot and leg with zero shifting up or down. Not tight spots, no hard corners. I can wear them all day, and walking around in them feels good. But I still want something, like a pair of sandals for walking in in hot weather.

Thanks for the reply, could you tell me if there is padding in them where the leg goes up high or is it just leather, what are they like to get on and off, is it a fiddly process ? all the best, Rich

They have ankle padding, and the folds of the gusset up the front of the boot, do contribute some protection, the rest of the leg has some padding, not just leather, but nothing like a trial or MX boot.
The laces take a bit of getting used to. You don't have to undso them all. The top 4 or 5 lacings are on hooks and below those, the laces loosen and tighten easily enough for taking on & off.

Allll Bert
 

I have worn my Altberg Classic high leg boots for 6 yrs, no need for plastic sweat boxes for 99% of all terrain use. They remain waterproof, all day boots I have worn for biking and walking. Bonus Altberg will repair ANY part of the boot in the future. ANY PART no matter what is required. ONE issue, do not buy the buckle up versions, unless you can touch your toes with the rest of your gear on. GREAT boots, I love em. My up and coming @road2manchester (Twitter), 16k mile Tour I will be buying a new pair of velcro versions. (fat belly):nono:

Right, thanks for the info on the Altbergs, im currently in the market for a new pair of boots so will deffinately consider these :thumbup1:

I got away with Salomon Hiking boots for my trip to Argentina. Im size 15 so taking riding boots and hiking boots for the volcanos and the andes was just way too much room. I came off at 100kmh on asphalt in Peru and my boots did wonders. Each to their own...

I have been considering heading up to Darlington for an Altberg try-on for a while now. Theyre tough enough to protect your foot/shin caught underneath a bike?

I'm like a broken record on this subject but i'll say it again..

Your ankles are the most vulnerable and most likely to be broken/sprained body part while riding a motorbike.

They are also one of the most complicated to fix and cause you a great deal of immovability.

Travelling in the third world makes good ankle protection even MORE important with bad roads and sometimes shocking health care... Do you want a back street clinic setting your broken ankle up ? Potentially leaving it fused and badly set.

Get good, solid MX boots and suck it up !! You get used to walking with them and how often do you actually do a trek in your bike gear anyway ???

I'd rather struggle a little bit walking up a flight of hotel steps than have a crushed or twisted ankle in the middle of a trip .


The Alpine Star Tech 3 looks like a good option if you want to compromise a little without having "skiboots" like my Tech 10's ...

Altbergs make GREAT boots but they have very little protection. I'd use them for commuting only.

But like everything..... The risk is yours and "each to their own" when it comes to gear and safety.

http://www.binbin.net/photos/generic...oots-black.jpg

Totally agree. Last thing I'd do is walk a lot in riding great. Sidi cross fire for me. Double hinged makes them very easy to walk in but they start off stiff so just wear them a lot. They are a great fit straight out of the box though. No wearing in required for riding. Just for walking. I used to wear road boots but came off once and ended up on crutches for a few weeks. Wasn't even a big stack. Had heaps of stacks since but my ankles haven't been injured since.

Thanks, Ted. Something tells me I will be tapping your reservoir of knowledge a lot in the coming months. :-)