I purchased these boots last winter, replacing a pair of well-worn Gaerne’s that had finally sprung a leak. For Trials riders in Western Washington, leaky boots are a real downer, since we spend substantial time walking through muddy/wet sections. I’ve now ridden 5 or 6 events with these boots, so I figured it was time to share my impressions and thoughts about them.
Fit: I have aize 10.5 feet, I ordered the size 11 boot, and they fit fine. I can wear a thin sock under them for summer events, or by loosening the latches a notch or two, wear a heavier sock for cooler rides. These boots are pretty easy to get snug over the entire foot, leading to a very supportive and secure feeling while wearing them.
Waterproofness: So far, no water intake. This includes the bitter cold and wet April trials. It also includes slogging through a small creek at the last Walker Valley Trials.
Traction: traction from the soles seems good. Everything was really slick at Walker Valley last fall and at Gold Bar last weekend, so it was hard to tell, but I have had no problems previous and no problems with them coming off of the footpegs or anything like that.
Buckles/Straps: some cool features here: the attachment clips are on the opposite ends from the adjusters, so once they are adjusted for you feet, the just snap on and snap off. Heavier or lighter socks might take one or two notches of adjustment, but it’s pretty easy to make.
The only downside I’ve discovered so far is that due to the way the boots tighten up on my feet (your feet may vary 🙂 ), there is a rather conspicous fold of leather on the inside of each ankle. So far I don’t notice it while riding, but I have noticed that it rubs on the frame of the bike, and has already taken the smooth finish off of the leather on that area of the boot. A pretty minor thing, and it might be that someone with differently shaped feet and ankles may not run into any of this.
Conclusions: This is a high quality boot with good protection and good comfort. Not cheap, but good quality.
