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[jjjiii]

Back on May 10, I was in a single-vehicle accident while riding my motorcycle. I lowsided at around 25 mph while turning a corner when I encountered a hubcap in my line, which caused me to panic and lose control as I tried to avoid hitting it

Comments

This may be one of those urban myths that turn into 'everybody knows that' advice...

[khaylock]

...but I was told when I started riding by people who knew a lot of London couriers that steel toe capped boots were a no-no; they are incredibly protective right up until the moment a bus rolls over your toes & then the trailing edge of the toecap inside your boot becomes a guillotine that amputates half your foot & makes the boot almost impossible to remove

[camper4lyfe]

I've ridden with steel toed shoes before, and I honestly don't like it. I couldn't feel the shift lever, and it left me feeling very disconnected.

[jjjiii]

I am a believer in steel toe protection. They're tested. Any incident that would cause the steel cap to fail would be catastrophic to non-protective footwear, too

[camper4lyfe]

I'm not doubting that the proper steel toe shoe/boot is good for riding, I'm simply stating my expernience with the shoes that I rode in.

[elizilla]

They say the most common motorcycling injury is to the feet and ankles. This is why stout boots are high on my list of important items of protective gear. I was once in a parking lot accident where someone else dropped their bike against mine just as I was starting to climb off. I ended up with my foot trapped between the curb and my own bike which had another bike on top of it. I was completely trapped, couldn't move until a couple guys came and lifted the bikes off me. My foot was uninjured because I was wearing good motorcycle boots.

I once owned a pair of the Daytona Roadstar GTX boots that khaylock mentions. I bought them at a high-zoot moto shop in MA that's not there anymore, during a two week trip where it rained every day and my Combat Tourers disintegrated from the continuous wet. The Daytonas were highly protective, comfortable as sneakers, and the waterproofing was unbeatable. But I don't know how he can make 3 pairs of them last 20 years. I walked right through the soles of mine in the third season, and the soles aren't

[elizilla]

I just did a little searching and found my Daytonas at Helimot. The soles on the current version look stouter than the nubbly things that were on my old pair. I guess I need to find $449 in the budget, somehow.

[khaylock]

Yeah, they made the soles of them originally out of this really soft grippy knobbly rubber that gave you brilliant feel and grip through the footpeg, but because they were so comfortable you could wear them all day, they wore out simply through walking around in them after a year or three. That was the pair I had to bin, the next pair had a sole that is far more robust, and did me about 14 years, only having to go back to Germany for repair once when one of the zipper tracks started to go at the point on the ankle where they are under most strain during being put on and off. 6 weeks wearing my Sidi track boots every day meant that when a few years later the other zip started to show signs of going the same way, I just bought a new pair of Daytonas; I still have the old ones, they are still structurally sound and usable, if a tad tatty, and I'm holding them in reserve so that I have some decent street boots to wear should my newer ones, which are a few years old themselves now, need to go back to the manufacturer for some fettling at

[vyus]

Only had one put down where my foot was involved... 25 mph maybe, got knocked into by a Jeep that decided to occupy my lane.

Luckily I was wearing Sidi racers -- I was at the beginning of a trip up PCH to go camping. I usually opt for full gear when I go long distances.

My foot was bruised slightly, but nothing major. Of course, Sidis aren't comfy off bike. But I'd have a hard time doubting their protection.

[shereth]

"My guy at the dealership said that for street riding, a good steel-toed work boot with a steel shank and good ankle support offers superior protection to most motorcycle boots. His opinion is that racing boots are not ideal for street riding as they have different concerns in mind, and that safety boots as used in construction and industry are better suited to street riding."

This statement baffles me. Work boots provide, at best, some protection against crushing and some minimal ankle support that's sufficient to keep you from twisting your ankle if you trip on a cord or something. That's about it. They're designed to protect people who are in an environment where you might step on something sharp or drop something heavy on your toe.

I do not know what "concerns" the guy at the dealership believes that race-oriented moto boots have, but these boots are designed for exactly the kinds of situations an unfortunate motorcyclist may find themselves in - bouncing and sliding against the pavement at significant speeds. A good moto