I've been looking for a long time for a pair of boots that give protection during riding (and crashing...), are waterproof, can be worn all day including at work, and are comfortable enough and not afraid of walking/hiking. Riding boots often aren't made for walking at all, I've learned through (bad) experience. So repairability or at least a resistant sole are high on my list of criteria...
The ubiquitous Timberland, Caterpillar (etc) booties would be fine but aren't high enough: my riding pants "ride up" high enough to allow water to enter from above, in case of serious rain. Not good.
I'm not convinced that most of the advanced protection shells in riding boots are that important in touring.
Some months ago, someone suggested I have a look at the sort of shoes the french pompiers (firefighters but also those who intervene with medical support during all kinds of accidents) wear — and to avoid all shoes that have an armored nose (easy to imagine what that will do to a foot in case of forced flexion...). Added bonus: this kind of boots is often less expensive than real riding boots.
So last weekend, I finally went to a "dump store" (and spent a lot of money ) I tried a pair of Magnum Stealth II, which would have been perfect at about 90€ a pair, but they were too wide/loose for my feet. Next was an Italian boot, worn by commandos of the Italian army: heavy duty leather, protection in front of the toes and of the heel, padding (no hard shell, I hate that) for the tibia, and a Vibram sole. (I've forgotten brand and model names, sadly):
I love the look, they're amazingly light given how solid they appear to be. I don't like the kind of fastening (waxed laces running through loops made of nylon ribbon), and wasn't too comfortable in them. Flexing my feet caused the leather to press/cut into my toes. Maybe it would have worn/broken in, but at 170€ a pair I wasn't too keen on taking the bet.
I ended up with an even more expensive pair, which until now have been great to wear (as long as I don't think whom they are apparently made for :evil: ): the Cripsy SWAT HTC Nero:
ce modèle
The leather is of a finer quality, so I'm not so sure how well the upper side of my feet is protected, but there's a shell in front of the toes, at the heel, and one protecting the outer ankle. I'd never heard of the brand, but looking at their website, it appears to sell high-end trekking and specialty shoes. I seem to have gotten a previous model, not with the ribs ("C.S.F.") giving extra protection to the sides, but for now I think I couldn't have scored much better.
The ubiquitous Timberland, Caterpillar (etc) booties would be fine but aren't high enough: my riding pants "ride up" high enough to allow water to enter from above, in case of serious rain. Not good.
I'm not convinced that most of the advanced protection shells in riding boots are that important in touring.
Some months ago, someone suggested I have a look at the sort of shoes the french pompiers (firefighters but also those who intervene with medical support during all kinds of accidents) wear — and to avoid all shoes that have an armored nose (easy to imagine what that will do to a foot in case of forced flexion...). Added bonus: this kind of boots is often less expensive than real riding boots.
So last weekend, I finally went to a "dump store" (and spent a lot of money ) I tried a pair of Magnum Stealth II, which would have been perfect at about 90€ a pair, but they were too wide/loose for my feet. Next was an Italian boot, worn by commandos of the Italian army: heavy duty leather, protection in front of the toes and of the heel, padding (no hard shell, I hate that) for the tibia, and a Vibram sole. (I've forgotten brand and model names, sadly):
I love the look, they're amazingly light given how solid they appear to be. I don't like the kind of fastening (waxed laces running through loops made of nylon ribbon), and wasn't too comfortable in them. Flexing my feet caused the leather to press/cut into my toes. Maybe it would have worn/broken in, but at 170€ a pair I wasn't too keen on taking the bet.
I ended up with an even more expensive pair, which until now have been great to wear (as long as I don't think whom they are apparently made for :evil: ): the Cripsy SWAT HTC Nero:
ce modèle
The leather is of a finer quality, so I'm not so sure how well the upper side of my feet is protected, but there's a shell in front of the toes, at the heel, and one protecting the outer ankle. I'd never heard of the brand, but looking at their website, it appears to sell high-end trekking and specialty shoes. I seem to have gotten a previous model, not with the ribs ("C.S.F.") giving extra protection to the sides, but for now I think I couldn't have scored much better.