Work boots and riding

[cheesemethod]

Is there anything wrong with wearing work boots on a bike while commuting? They're good quality lace up leather steel toe boots. I'm commuting on my bike a lot more, but stumbling around work accdently kicking things in my bike boots isn't fun. When I commute it's 50km/h all the way.

[mowgli]

Depends how much you value your ankles. Leather work boots won't be anywhere near as stiff in the ankle as decent riding boots.

[merv]

You can imagine what us old guys used to wear before these new fancy boots came along, so yes they are fine. I can't say that my Sidi dirt boots I wear these days are really any stiffer or more protective of my ankles than my old steel caps were,they're about the same really.

[Drew658]

I have seen a bike crash where the rider was wearing work boots. Their foot came off at the level of the top of the boot. If they had been wearing riding boots the extra support would have made a difference as they would prevent the ankle from rotating to the point where it tears off. Guess it all comes down to how much you value yourself.

[cheesemethod]

If they had been wearing riding boots the extra support would have made a difference as they would prevent the ankle from rotating to the point where it tears off.

I didn't even know that was possible :crazy:

[AllanB]

They are better than sand-shoes or trainers or what ever the heck people call them now.

Or spiffy red high heels.

Or jandals.

Or bare-feet (seen in in town).

FMN boots can look good, though if you have the legs and arse for it .....(preferably female, but I'm sure some on here would not mind either :pinch:)


I'd watch the laces - any laced boot/shoe on a bike concerns me as I've seen laces caught in a gear shifter to the point where the rider could not put his foot down at a stop and the bike fell on him.

[aewilliam]

IMO Some of the budget (< $200) motorcycle boots ive tried offer less ankle support/protection than the $70 HIGH leg safety boots picked up from the Blundstone factory outlet (i.e. tried rolling ankle in m/cycle boot...succeeded...but semi-failed in Blunny)

Theregain, you can pick up end-of-line (see Waikato Yamaha's sales on TM!!!) m/cycle boots for $150, and these offer WAY more support (with external plastic bracing, ankle impact protectors etc, FAR higher leg height) than my Blunnies (ie I have of Diadora Eagles now...).
I shall certainly miss the Blundstone steel cap however =( Not that i have ever NEEDED to use it for cager doors/mirrors... :whistle:

If youre keen on the utilitarian nature of a workboot (as I certainly am, but could not affor the $300+ John Bull Kokoda or Oliver ATs), the higher the leg the better, and gusset boots are of less use to us motorbicyclists than Johnny Choo boots once them gusset boots come off our flailing feet as them boots are MADE to do...

[Laxi]

used to ride around in work boots all the time, now it feels naked. picked up some axo enduro boots! maybe they dont look as slick as a pair of sidis but they're so heavily armoured you could run em over with a tank

[Henk]

I've ridden in steel caps before and the only reason I don't now is that I find it bloody hard to change gear. If that isn't a problem for you and you're not going nuts go for it.

[p.dath]

I have seen a bike crash where the rider was wearing work boots. Their foot came off at the level of the top of the boot. If they had been wearing riding boots the extra support would have made a difference as they would prevent the ankle from rotating to the point where it tears off. Guess it all comes down to how much you value yourself.

Ow. I say Ow!

[Neon]

I keep my work boots under my desk, and wear my riding boots for riding. Swap when you get there. Also, riding boots aren't really designed for walking around in - some can disintegrate fairly quickly with a lot of flexion at the ankle.

[p.dath]

Is there anything wrong with wearing work boots on a bike while commuting? They're good quality lace up leather steel toe boots. I'm commuting on my bike a lot more, but stumbling around work accdently kicking things in my bike boots isn't fun. When I commute it's 50km/h all the way.

First, I don't think there is any wrong answer. It's a question of your personal risk that you are willing to accept. It also depends on what type of accident you want protection from - e,g a slide or a head on (23% of accidents are head ons).

Some things to consider.

If a steel cap slides for too long it may get very hot. Imagine your toes pressed firmly up against a blistering hot piece of metal.

Work books may have external stitching. If so, and you slide, the stitching may quickly wear through, causing the boot to fall apart.

Work boots may not offer much ankle protection. You probably want something that will take at least 3s before it wears through. Once it wears through you loose about 5mm of flesh for every second you slide. Ankles don'y have much flesh over them. You figure out what happens next.

[Sable]

I think you should be perfectly fine. I have a pair of lace up combat boots and I've come off once or twice. Scuffed down to the steel cap on one side but the foot was absolutely fine. Can't say the same about the knee though.

[Headbanger]

A quality pair of work boots are superiour then any bike boots I have seen. Far heavier construction and higher comfort levels, Plus they work perfectly fine off the bike.

if your worried about covering your ankle then you can get work boots that go up to your knee.....

[Headbanger]

First, I don't think there is any wrong answer.

If a steel cap slides for too long it may get very hot. Imagine your toes pressed firmly up against a blistering hot piece of metal.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA....HA.

Actually, thats not funny, Have you ever considered the amount of people wearing work boots for up to 16 hours a day?, And many working in wickedly hot work areas. the extemes you get out in the real world make a mockery of your statement.....and many of the replies in this thread.

[HenryDorsetCase]

the only thing I can think of is that I have heard (or maybe read, maybe on KB?) stories about steelcaps folding back and cutting peoples toes off. The thing is that an impact like that is pretty major and would likely damage the hell out of your foot steel cap or not. I'm with the wear work boots camp I guess.

Also they are or might be subsidised by your employer: unlikely your motorbike boots would be. Money talks!

[sunhuntin]

ive come off while wearing steel toe cowboy boots that came half way up to my knees. one leg im fairly sure got pinned between my bike and the car somehow due to the amount of scar tissue just above where the boot came to. had i not been wearing those boots, im sure my ankle would have been dust. i cant wear those boots anymore. i think they got squashed as they just dont fit right. i replaced them with more steel caps.

in saying that, i do often ride in sneakers with no protection what so ever. hell, i even ride in shorts and a tshirt! :eek5: it all comes down to the risk you are prepared to take and what injuries you are happy to live with. in the above accident, my boots and open face helmet were the only protective gear i was wearing. i was in thin jeans and a singlet. my upper body i only got a small nick to my thumb. my lower body suffered the most with both knees that will only get worse with age, and the scar tissue. ive often thought that if i had been naked, i would have bounced and not got hurt at all. :wacko:

[hospitalfood]

i think work boots are ok, not quite as good as bike boots.

and as always it comes down to how much you spend, a really good pair of forestry boots ( high and tough as guts ) would be better than cheap bike boots.

i used to commute in dress shoes, it was not far but you can crash in a small distance.

[Subike]

I have only ever owned one pair of riding boots, a pair of Rossis,
they were OK whilst they lasted I guess, but usless in wet weather,
I now wear a pair of gumboots, yes gumboots, but not the type you normally see, these truley are water proof, 6mm thick rubber as opposed to 2 mm leather, insulated have better ankle protection than any riding boots I have seen, are very comfy, are a tight fit, and as hard to get off than zip ups or lace ups. Im not into speed riding, so an off would occur around the 100kph mark if it happened. I feel that these boots would be ok for me.
And thats the point,
I am happy and comfortable with them. others may not be.
Muck Boots endorsed by Swanndri, made in the UK.
Cost ? $168, cheap for boots I guess, but worth the money to me.
If I was into road racing, dirt biking, trials or trails then I would look at armoured boots, as thats a different ball game.
But for pootling around on tarseal at legal speeds, these suit me fine,
They also look OK, under my leather pants. My choice

[no_8wire]

the only thing I can think of is that I have heard (or maybe read, maybe on KB?) stories about steelcaps folding back and cutting peoples toes off. The thing is that an impact like that is pretty major and would likely damage the hell out of your foot steel cap or not. I'm with the wear work boots camp I guess.

Also they are or might be subsidised by your employer: unlikely your motorbike boots would be. Money talks!

Thinking back to an episode of Mythbusters where they compared the damage to your toes compared to a weight been dropped on a capped boot or normal.

For the amount of weight them needed to load on the drop blade to even bend the cap reduced the uncapped boot to mush. If you manage to deform your capped boots, imagine what it would have been without them.

Personally I have to wear high work boots (come up to mid calf), scarring from a broken leg mean I cant fit normal bike boots on. So far so good. (Steal at $70 from the bludstone outlet store on swanson rd too.)

[TygerTung]

They are not too bad, they have a couple of downsides though. If it's a cold day the steelcap transfers the cold through to your foot quite significantly.

Other downside is that the steelcap can fold foward and break your toes or other bones in your foot, happened to my motorcycle mechanic, he was riding his gn250 sidecar work bike and some lady pulled right out in front of him, she went through a stop sign, and he had a bit of a crash. His boots had pretty flexible soles though as he seems to work on the floor a lot.

[Fatt Max]

I keep my work boots under my desk, and wear my riding boots for riding. Swap when you get there. Also, riding boots aren't really designed for walking around in - some can disintegrate fairly quickly with a lot of flexion at the ankle.

Yep, thats my tactic as well

[Owl]

My Sidi Vertigo Mega Gore-Tex blah blah boots are possibly no stiffer than my steel cap workboots. They do however have ankle armour which I like and make me feel safer. All in my head of course!:rolleyes:

I've been unfortunate enough to have had my foot smashed in a bike accident and it ain't pleasant. Strange things can happen to a foot when you squash it enough.

Of course bones snap, but imagine sitting on the side of the road, removing your boot, sock and finding your heel up by your toes. That sucks!!!

Moral of the story: Don't crash!:msn-wink: