Best Motorcycle Riding Shoes of 2017
In this video/article :
- TCX X-Wave Waterproof Shoes
- Alpinestars Parlor Boots
- Alpinestars Faster 2 Shoes
- Alpinestars S-MX 2
- Firstgear Kathmandu Lo Boots
TCX X-Wave Waterproof Shoe
Let’s put our best foot forward with a TCX X-Wave Waterproof Shoe. Those of us who play in the moto industry know this as the “other” shoe from TCX.
By that I mean that the X-Wave walks in shadow. A shadow cast by the legendary TCX X-Street and its recent replacement, the Street Ace. Collectively they make the go-to riding shoes for pretty much every street motorcyclist, everywhere, ever.
But I prefer the underdog X-Wave because it’s softer. Softer leather and more importantly, a more flexible sole.
I’ve spent 12 hour days walking in both the X-Wave and the X-Street. In either shoe I was comfortable but only in the X-Wave did I forget that I was wearing motorcycle footwear at all.
So it’s cloud-level comfortable and it’s also kinda protective – CE-rated with excellent ankle protection on each side, but a more mediocre heel counter and toe cup.
You’re sacrificing some safety here versus the X-Street. But to be honest riding shoes aren’t all that protective to begin with, so I think it’s worth it.
The X-Wave’s waterproof membrane is extremely soft and doesn’t suffocate my foot. I wore this shoe for the XSR900 review, which involved 10 hours on a blacktop runway in 35-degree heat. By the end of the day I had stripped off every piece of motorcycle clothing I brought, except these shoes, which were still cool enough to wear.
The X-Wave comes with a removable shifter strap that goes around here, but the thing was useless because it kept migrating up the toe and it was annoying to walk on. I actually lost mine because I never wanted to use it. With distressed full grain leather, I don’t really care if my shifter leaves a mark.
Fitment-wise, the X-Wave runs slim. Some people call that a European cut, but feet are the same everywhere so I’ll just call it stylish. Closure is done with the very typical shoe laces you learned to tie in Kindergarten. Yes, it’s theoretically possible that you’ll catch one on a footpeg and topple over at the next stoplight, but fashion is pain.
Alpinestars Parlor Boots
My next choice is the Alpinestars Parlor. This is a first class, caviar and Chateau Lafite kind of shoe.
Basically what we have is a motorcycle boot designed to go under dress pants. Italian leather, classic cut, slightly-pointed toe, and none of the shifter panels, logos or other telltale signs of motorcycle footwear.
For all your coworkers will know, this is just a dress shoe. Perhaps slightly chunky, since the toe is padded up to withstand shifter abuse. And these round ankle plates are best covered up. But yeah – it’s a chameleon.
Protection is identical to that X-Wave we just saw. Stellar armor on the pointy bits of your ankle – dual density for progressive impact absorption. Then the heel counter and toe box are more average, and the sole is flexible and walkable, if not that protective.
Had Alpinestars ended it there, the Parlor still would have made this list. The usefulness of a dress motorcycle shoe is undeniable for commuters who wear a suit to work.
But A-stars earned their place among the best riding shoes twice over, by working in some hidden features. There’s a Drystar membrane, which gets a passing grade for waterproofing and breathability. And the sole has Laser Ablated Grip, which is just a fancy way of saying there are tiny ridges so you won’t slip on oily asphalt.
My only beef with this shoe has to do with putting it on. For one, there’s a side zipper which is totally unnecessary. If you’re doing a lace-up design, just let me tie the laces and leave the rest of the leather slick and seamless. The other thing I hate is that there’s a weird seam on the insole, so every time I wear the Parlor it feels like there’s something stuck under my foot for the first 5 minutes.
Alpinestars Faster 2 Shoes
Now we’re going to move towards a sport style with the Alpinestars Faster 2.
Don’t let the technical design fool you – this is still a very casual riding shoe in terms of protection and comfort.
Yes, there’s a toe box, heel counter and ankle armour but it’s all quite soft. Same goes for the sole. And this toe slider is better than nothing, but it certainly isn’t a proper replaceable brick. In fact if you ride like a real boss, you’ll grind through the pliable plastic in no time.
But the Faster 2 looks great under jeans – it has that Euro, F1-inspired look. And it’s extremely lightweight to walk in. Plus pricing is aggressive around the 200-dollar mark and they’re making it in men’s and women’s regular and waterproof versions.
Alpinestars is gearing up to sell a lot of these boots.
And I think they will, because casual sporties are rare. Normally sportbike footwear is smacked with enough hard parts to choke a rhino, but I like that Alpinestars resisted the temptation.
Sure this microfibre chassis will withstand the heat of an engine. This faux carbon fibre makes a decent surface for a shifting, the Velcro strap holds my laces away and I get a smidgeon of reflectivity at the back.
But despite all the motorcycle benefits, this is more of a comfortable shoe than a protective one. And if you’ve ever heard the term “squid”, you know there’s a market for that.
A couple things I don’t like. For one, Alpinestars nixed the reflective eyelets from the first generation in favour of this “speed lacing system derived from technology developed in MotoGP.” Woooow. For all I can tell, these are just basic shoelaces only they aren’t shiny anymore. Lame.
Also the shoe runs really narrow at the ball of the foot. So wider feet should beware.
Alpinestars S-MX 2 Boots
Now, let’s screw the comfy shoes. If I want bulletproof safety from a shorty boot, what can I get?
For a sport rider it has always been the S-MX 2. Yes, this is the same recommendation I made last year. And yes, this is the third Alpinestars in a row.
Sorry Sidi Speedride and Burner – I choose the boots I like best whether they make a nice variety video or not.
So our S-MX 2 is the archetypical aggressive sport shoe. I get a proper replaceable toe slider, rigid steel-shanked sole for quick foot controls, shifter grip panel, hardshell heel cockpit, rock-solid toe box, no ankle armour, which is a bummer, but at least the contoured upper is meant to interface with an Alpinestars shin protector. And the chassis itself is full-grain leather, so abrasion resistance is not an issue.
The S-MX 2 is a full-on racing boot … for seven inches.
And that height is important! See Alpinestars knows a rock-hard racer is only going to be walkable if it’s low enough. That’s why they gave me a dropped achilles cutout to facilitate ankle movement.
The result is no moccasin, but it’s a far cry better than a proper full-height. And indeed, the S-MX 2 is also easier to walk in than the newer SMX-3, which Alpinestars made a smidge taller for no apparent reason.
Firstgear Kathmandu Lo Boots
Finally, a protective ADV and dual-sport option would be the Firstgear Kathmandu Lo.
Most ADV riders don’t use shorties, because they have a nasty habit of dropping motorcycles on their feet.
But there are some ADV riders, myself included, who prefer a short boot. When the adventure goes beyond two-wheel territory, it’s nice to have something I can hike in.
The great thing about this Kathmandu Lo is that it works on and off the bike. The toe, heel and ankle protection makes a tank out of my foot. And there’s a grippy heat shield on the inner foot, which is great for when I’m standing up and pinching the engine case for stability.
Speaking of which, this sole makes a rigid and stable platform for the standing position. It’s also durable enough to survive serrated metal footpegs.
The shifter panel is durable too – a proper semi-rigid plastic to withstand sharp shifts.
But despite all that adventure spec, the Kathmandu Lo is still walkable. At 8-inches, ankle movement is blissfully free. And unlike every other boot on this list, the sole is within spitting distance of a proper hiker.
Now before you start thinking I’m on Firstgear’s payroll, let me rage at a few screw-ups. For one, the waterproof and breathable membrane in here will keep you dry for two seasons at best. The stuff doesn’t last. Also “breathable” is a misnomer because this Kathmandu Lo is stuffy. Firstgear stitched a mesh comfort liner overtop for better airflow, which does help a bit.
Also, these are the worst buckles I’ve seen in recent memory. Doing them up means threading this lever through the loop, and that’s not an easy thing to do.
But the Kathmandu Lo is still my favourite ADV shorty, and one of the only ones to hit our market since my beloved Icon Patrols got the boot. I do wish Firstgear gave me an inner bootie to make a tight seal, because this shoe gapes at the top a bit. But beggars can’t be choosers. I should finally mention that this is genuine leather mixed with not-so-genuine synthetics, and that keeps the cost to a low-low 175 dollars.