I'd like to get my dad some boots for Christmas. He rides a 919 and R100RT and tends not to wear moto-specific boots. I left him a pair of my vented track boots, but I think they are a bit too aggressive for his tastes. Any recommendations for something that's fairly understated, cool, protective and would be comfortable enough for him to walk around just a bit?
I found the Alpinestars Net Air and Sidi Clever Air and these are about what I'm looking for - any opinion on one vs the other? The Alpinestars are full grain leather while the Sidi's are lorica (sp? - that fake-leather stuff), but the Sidi's look like they may have a bit more armor. My dad has high-end sidi MX boots that he wears for MX, off road and dual sport and has had Alpinestars in the past so figuring out sizing for either shouldn't be a problem.
Also, my mom wants some mesh riding pants. Any experience with the various options for women's mesh pants?
Pants sorted, still after boots:)
http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-combat-touring-boots.html (http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-combat-touring-boots.html)
http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-combat-lite-boots.html (http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-combat-lite-boots.html)
Yeah, I know, not very protective and pretty expensive.
cant say anything about either boot, but i have to say that the sidi lorica is pretty impressive now. it's pretty much a wash for me when choosing btwn that and leather. breathes well, breaks in fast, and supposed to be more durable than cowhide. i wouldnt let that aspect of the construction sway your decision.
i know it's a xmas gift... but you may want to think about possibly finding a way for him to try it on. boot fit/comfort is pretty subjective... both those boots look to be pretty even in terms of features. also keep in mind that sidi soles tend to run narrower than others so if he has wide feet the a*'s might be the way to go.
i was going to suggest maybe the rev'it apache h2o, but it's not vented and the revzilla reviews say that it scuffs pretty easy but it's pretty comfortable. if that's not an issue for you and venting isnt a huge deal in return for waterproof boots... might be an option?
http://www.revzilla.com/product/revit-apache-h2o-boot (http://www.revzilla.com/product/revit-apache-h2o-boot)
Thanks, [thumbsup] very good to hear about Sidi's lorica - I've only had leather sidis and didn't know how well they'd done with the fake stuff - sounds solid. I want to stick with non-waterproof as they'll be cooler and he pretty much never rides in the rain. I'm not a fan of the bulky soles on the 'stitch boots for street riding and he's got MX boots. Trying on would be nice, but there's no where near his house that carries much in the way of riding gear (other than pirate costumes [cheeky])
I really like these. Very cool on those hot days.
http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/last_chance_bargains/oxtar/air_tech_xcr_motorcycle_touring_boots.html (http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/last_chance_bargains/oxtar/air_tech_xcr_motorcycle_touring_boots.html)
A bit late but for future reference, in my discussions with Revzilla the Sidi Clever sounds like a good boot. Sidi has also come out with the new line of street boots, I have purchased the Sidi Traffic Waterproof for the winter http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-traffic-rain-boots (http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-traffic-rain-boots) but they also make an Air version. I'm happy with the boot and one of the reasons I bought it is the sole will last longer than the 1 - 1 1/2 years of the typical race boots Sidi sells. I have other Sidi Boots for agressive/track riding, both Vertigo and Strada. FWIW a riding buddy just bought a pair of the Dainese Nighthawk and is happy with them. - Gene