Trials,enduro,touring boots

[Timber020]

Had a good seach around on the site but couldnt find what I was after so thus, this thread

I need some new boots. I would be wearing them alot and doing alot of walking in them, sometime off the beaten path. Normal road boots cause me to fall on my ass to much and are often not very tough, mx boots are to hard to operate the bike in. So im after some boots that are softer than mx boots with tread on the base. I heard guys mention trials boots might work, or perhaps off road touring boots. I have seen stylemartin quads on the net but dont know if they are as hard as ski boots. Can anyone offer any ideas????

[Motu]

I wear trials boots,they are great - but then I ride trials too.Just the one pair of boots,they do it all for me.They still have much more ankle protection than a street boot,and you might find them restrictive,but less than an MX boot.The sole has tread,and it's grippy stuff too,so you can put your foot down on a slippery rock and have it stay there.You have to walk your trials sections,so they are pretty easy to move around in,but dunno if I'd want to do too much walking.They are not waterproof,you dress them before a trial so they keep a bit out.I wouldn't wear anything else.

[Timber020]

what brand/model are they? I thought that adventure riders would have simular kind of boots. What about them makes them tough to walk in?

[Motu]

I have Gaerne Balance trials boots,they seem to be the most popular with the trials riders...but that's mainly because the Gaerne importer is a trials rider,we all get them from him.Nothing too hard about walking in them,but they aren't carpet slippers y'know.

[Mr Skid]

There are heaps of boot threads at advrider.com that cover the merits of different dual sport boots out there.

I'm using Alpinestar Tech 4's at the moment, they're light enough for road use, and protective enough for what I do on a bike. They do have the MX style saw tooth tread, so not much grip - still better in mud than Sidi road race boots.

Other dual sport boots to look at are the Gaerne Explorer and Sidi Discovery.

If you want to walk in them it'll always be a trade off. Stiff soles and toe caps provide protection, but are a nuisance to walk in.

[Timber020]

Thanks guys! that gives me sometime to go on guys. Most of the time im wearing steelcaps which are okay but Id like to get some more appropiate bike boots aside from my thin soled race boots.

[clint640]

Those Stylmartin Quads are quite flexible, definitely not an MX boot. The Sidi Discoverys are a bit more solid but are still good for walking in, a lot like a trials boot, I think I'll get a set one day but they are $$$.

Cheers
Clint

[F5 Dave]

I have some GayErnie Trials boots, they are pretty good, tougher than most road boots, but feel way flimsier than my Sidi MX boots, but then again I'm not foot down sliding on the trials bike.

The suede ones are cheaper than the red ones for some reason.

[Motu]

I have red ones,and as I use them on my other bikes they don't look too hot - the colour has come off my left toe,and the colour off the inside as I move them against the engine cases.The Gaerne's have abrasive inner calves (it damages the plastic side covers) because trials riders grip the bike like that.I am also old school and heel shift with a vertical lever,and the stiching on the left heel has been damaged.

[Mr Skid]

heel shift with a vertical lever

I'm trying to picture this, and not having much joy..

[Motu]

Gear lever drongo! I have the gearlever vertical and upshift by pulling my heel back,downshift by pushing forward.I don't change gear in section,just on the tracks to the next section.You've only seen me rolling around with the bike on it's side in the mud...the gear lever was that thing hooked in my belt as I tried to stand up.