Black boots, brown boots, heck even pink boots! Tall boots, short boots, heeled boots, the choice now is far, far better than it used to be.
Not so long ago there was limited choice for women with regard to bike gear but now manufacturers have woken up to the fact that we are a big part of the motorcycle community and there is now more choice when it comes to our protective clothing when riding
When I first started riding 6 ½ years ago I found it hard to find a pair of boots that filled four areas that I felt were important:
1) comfortable;
2) stylish;
3) affordable; and
4) able to give me the protection I need.
To me, I thought a lot of the boots were just smaller sizes of men’s boots and I ended up with a pair that I did class as just that because they were able to offer me three of the four things I needed and I had to forego the stylish element simply because I could not find any at that time.
After a couple of years, I needed new boots and here is where my journey started to find boots that I was adamant were going to fill all four areas of my criteria.
I try and get out on my bike most weekends, go to various events during the year and on holidays both in this country and in Europe so I do a fair bit of walking in my boots and can be in them all day so comfort is probably my number one priority.
I do not commute on my bike so it is probably fair to say that I do not consider that the boots have to be waterproof to be such an important factor. I may get caught out in the rain, but I would not necessarily go out if it was raining.
I popped along to Bike Stop who carry a good range of women’s motorcycle boots from Falco; Dainese; Tex; Daytona and Sidi. There are boots that are, what I would call, stylish version of men’s boots although a lot of thought has gone into the styling and shape of the boots and they have nice little details on them.
If we look at the Dainese Axial D1 boot, https://www.bikestop.co.uk/dainese-axial-d1-boots for example, these are at the higher end of the price range, and are designed to be used on the track. They have a new velcro construction which improves the suit-to-boot fastening system and the shiftguard is redesigned for better ergonomics on the front of the foot. As well as all black, they come in loads of other colour schemes too all shown on Bike Stop's website, which I think cater to all tastes. They are not waterproof however, but a little bird tells me that this could be changed soon…..
Alpinestars https://www.bikestop.co.uk/alpinestars-stella-smx-6-v2-boots offer a cheaper non waterproof boot that comes in two colours: black & white and black, pink & white and have been specifically designed for an optimum fit for women with an instep and achilles flex zone for added comfort and support
If I were looking for a waterproof boot then Sidi make a rather nice pair of high performance race boots, https://www.bikestop.co.uk/sidi-performer-gore-tex-boots giving you the protection you need in the right places with air intakes in the side and shin to keep you comfortable with a breathable gore-tex lining to keep you dry and can be used all year round.
At the other end of the price range are the Richa Zenith boot. https://www.bikestop.co.uk/richa-zenith-leather-waterproof-boots These leather boots are designed to be used all year round, with a waterproof membrane. They have a long zip with a velcro fastening and have a bit of stretch to them making getting them on and off easier
I personally like my boots to have a bit of a heel on them (I wear heeled shoes to work and just feel more comfortable with a heel). TXC make a stylish waterproof boot with a 6cm heel, it has a crush resistant sole and a reinforced toe and are designed to be used all year round. They are very reasonably priced too. https://www.bikestop.co.uk/txc-lady-classic-waterproof-boots
Just slightly more expensive are the Falco Ayda leather boots which are what I went for. https://www.bikestop.co.uk/falco-ladies-ayda-leather-waterproof-boots They have a moulded heel protector with a high-tex waterproof membrane with ankle and shin reinforcements. They also came with a removable gear pad to protect the boot from any damage from the gear lever but I never use this. They come in black or brown.
I have found these boots to be soooo comfortable and I could literally wear them all day, I forget that I even have a pair of boots on. I have worn these for touring in this country and abroad and have done a lot of walking in them, I mean a lot of walking!!! I have had these boots for three years now and they are still going strong.
I tried on a lot of boots before I found ‘the ones’ and it really is worth trying a few pairs on to make sure you are comfortable in them and they offer you all the things you crave in a boot. There are now a lot of boots out there for us women which is fantastic news.
