Suggestions for discreet urban riding boots?

[Just_Jack]

Does anyone have any suggestions for motorcycle boots that look like “normal” shoes or work boots? I’m looking for something that I can wear straight from the street into a “business casual” work environment. It’s an office job but I work with a lot of engineers and construction crews so I’m able to wear Wolverine work boots (what I currently wear on the bike) without seeming out of place.

I tried looking around at Revzilla and CycleGear and the reviews are all over the place. If anyone here has any suggestions for shoes or motorcycle pants that could work in an office like that I’d definitely appreciate it!

 

[dmonkey]

For boots, I haven't found a comfortable casual urban looking motorcycle boot. Let me know if you do because I'd like to give anything reasonable a try! I used to ride in Doc Martens and Red Wing Iron Rangers but luckily smartened up and switched to proper motorcycle boots before having needed to. Many of my friends wear the TCX Hero boots and love those, they just weren't comfortable footwear when I tried them on. I have an "Eagle Creek" brand travel bag meant for carrying shoes in, and I just bring a pair of shoes with if regular motorcycle boots aren't going to be appropriate for the off-bike setting. I tend to shy away from motorcycle shoes due to their lack of coverage in the lower leg, which is a common crush point in accidents and a personal concern for me.

As for motorcycle pants, my first "casual" motorcycle pants were Tobacco Motorwear denim jeans with Kevlar lining. They were a good option at the time, but they were still too hot and there's much better options on the market now. Most recently I have been wearing Pando Moto Boss Dyn 01 as a casual option. The Pandos are class AAA pants so they don't have gaps in abrasion resistance like the pants that only have abrasion resistant lining in the common contact areas, and they breathe better though they're still heavy jeans. The SAS-TEC armor that came with them is flexible and not bothersome or too noticeable at the knees and hips. If I could change them at all, there's a small logo embroidered at a pocket corner and I'd ditch that, and I'd make them slightly higher rise at the waist.

That's just what's been working for me, and I'm often on the lookout for options that will work better. Everyone's going to have their own style, fit, comfort, budget, convenience, and risk management to consider. In my opinion, best thing you can do is get your own hands on some gear and try it on to find what suits YOU. Head on over to a moto gear shop if you can. If you think you'll be spending your money at CycleGear or RevZilla, check out their rewards program and consider if it might be worth the membership cost to you.

 

[TrailBoss]

Does anyone have any suggestions for motorcycle boots that look like “normal” shoes or work boots? I’m looking for something that I can wear straight from the street into a “business casual” work environment. It’s an office job but I work with a lot of engineers and construction crews so I’m able to wear Wolverine work boots (what I currently wear on the bike) without seeming out of place.

I tried looking around at Revzilla and CycleGear and the reviews are all over the place. If anyone here has any suggestions for shoes or motorcycle pants that could work in an office like that I’d definitely appreciate it!

If you're not aware Wolverine makes most of the Harley Davidson boots, so if you're after something more motorcycle specific based on that style/manufacturer they may have something that works.

 

[chan2565]

Here's my setup for going into the office:

Boots: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-street-rocker-d-wp-shoes
Jeans: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/street-steel-oakland-jeans
Knee armor: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-nucleon-flex-plus-knee-armor

The boots are nice, a little stiff still as I haven't broken them all the way in yet, but pretty comfortable considering the protection.
The jeans are really nice, as they allow you to run knee armor. I got them on sale for ~$120 but that's definitely the most I've spent on jeans haha. They have a lot more protection than Levi's though.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I change when I get to the office. I have a rolling cabinet that I keep my shoes and clothes in but occasionally I'll stash several changes of clothes under my desk inside a zippered shopping tote. On Mondays I bring in several changes of clothes in one of those HDPE shopping totes that I wear throughout the week and either put it in my rolling cabinet or leave the zipped up bag under my desk. Even as a fairly large guy, I get at least 4 changes of clothes in there no problems. The only clothes I can't pack are jeans, they're too bulky. The biggest upside is this is a relatively low cost option - the bags cost me something like $8 ea and I already have the clothes. The rolling cabinet was standard issue at work.

Another option is the armored shirts/pants with padding inserts, as @chan2565 says. Things have gotten much better in the last 8 years for offerings, now they come in really nice options. I'd use this option if I was leaving the site for lunch and going for a midday spin, but I think I've done that maybe once this year.

Cable lock + aerostitch is another way of solving things - leave the gear with the bike sort of situation. Relies heavily on your motorcycle storage being covered. You can wear regular clothing under a 'stitch which is nice, only have to solve your boots and hands at that point.

 

[m in sc]

Vicious 4.5" Black/Blue NMT

By incorporating top of the line materials like GORE-TEX and Vibram with a weight-saving platform, we made our tough, versatile work boot feel like the kind of boot you want to put on at the end of a long day.

www.danner.com

wore these in every situation except where full formal suit was needed at many jobs, and even then id get away with it most of the time except for business board meetings. I've had 2 crashes in danners, saved the toes both times.

 

[SneakyDingo]

My first moto boots were something like those Danners. I sprained both my ankles but had no other complaints testing the gear.

 

[George]

A lot like this.

Revit Arrow Shoes

The cord-laced Arrow shoes combine the look and feel of your everyday sneaker with the protection that is constant across Rev'it's extensive lineup of motorcycle-ready urban footwear. Thermoformed heel and toe cups are combined with an injected ankle cup

fortnine.ca

 

[dmonkey]

Danner have a new line of motorcycle specific boots that have D30 ankle armor. Haven't tried them, but they look like a decent pair of casual riding boots if you're not looking for more protection.

Danner Moto Brown GTX

When the Open Road Calls More than 50 years ago Danner launched its first motorcycle boot. In the spirit of honoring our heritage while incorporating modern technology, we are proud to introduce the all-new Danner Moto. Carefully designed with input from our friends at See See Motor Coffee Co...

www.danner.com

 

[m in sc]

i wear an e to double e width (depending on brand) , those aren't (unfortunately) availably in extra wide. The fact i can get them to last 3-4 years as they are is a miracle, nothing else has ever lasted that long for me. Heck, i used to blow the sides out of legit combat boots when i was a kid.

 

[TrailSnot]

Depending on the season I'll ride in some Bates boots that I got for cheap, (USMC contract boots that didn't make the cut, for the life of me I can't find a single flaw) and then wear them all day. In the Summer I'll switch to some Alpinestars ankle height boots (https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-smx-1-r-vented-v2-boots)
and change into shoes I keep in a draw at my desk.
Neither of those options offer the full Astar Supertech protection I have on a weekend ride but it's a compromise I'll accept. I could wear a full boot and change those at work too but they'd be more of a PITA to stow away somewhere for the day.

 

[dxdiag.exe]

i using these, alpinestars crx drystar
they have colorful option also

 

[Just_Jack]

I ended up just buying some 8" steel toe wedge boots for the time being. I’d been wearing a pair of 6" Wolverine wedge boots but they don’t have a shank or safety toe and despite being tall-ish they don’t provide a lot of ankle support.

American Heritage - 8" Tobacco Safety Toe - Moc Toc MAXWear Wedge™

Like the person who wears them, these best-selling boots are up to the task and built to last. These iconic boots are Made in the USA by union workers who know a thing or two about what it's like to be in your shoes.

thorogoodusa.com

I thought about getting a logger style boot with a heel, but I’ve found that a flat sole makes it easier to use the heel-toe shifter the way it’s intended. If I was more used to shifting with just my toe and did the heel shifter removal mod then I probably would have gone with one of the "logger" style boots with a heel.

Still searching for business casual riding pants that I can wear in a construction-adjacent office environment, havent found anything that seems quite right yet but I’m starting to consider double-front Carhartts with knee armor.

 

[BaldRider]

I wear Nicks Boots. I currently have two pairs, 8" Builder Pro with honey VIbrams and 8" side-zip station boots in weathershield leather with Vibram Sierra soles (no longer available). There are no motorcycle-specific boots out there I have found that don't hurt my feet. My size in Nicks is 11.5F. Aside from the price, the long lead time and the fact that they aren't motorcycle boots, I recommend them.

Edit: Forgot to mention the break-in is horrible and my last pair sat in their box for a few months before I got up the nerve to put them on to start breaking them in.

 

[Farmer Mike]

I ended up just buying some 8" steel toe wedge boots for the time being. I’d been wearing a pair of 6" Wolverine wedge boots but they don’t have a shank or safety toe and despite being tall-ish they don’t provide a lot of ankle support.

American Heritage - 8" Tobacco Safety Toe - Moc Toc MAXWear Wedge™

Like the person who wears them, these best-selling boots are up to the task and built to last. These iconic boots are Made in the USA by union workers who know a thing or two about what it's like to be in your shoes.

thorogoodusa.com

I thought about getting a logger style boot with a heel, but I’ve found that a flat sole makes it easier to use the heel-toe shifter the way it’s intended. If I was more used to shifting with just my toe and did the heel shifter removal mod then I probably would have gone with one of the "logger" style boots with a heel.

Still searching for business casual riding pants that I can wear in a construction-adjacent office environment, havent found anything that seems quite right yet but I’m starting to consider double-front Carhartts with knee armor.

I don't think you find a more comfortable boot, and they are well built. I wear mine on rides almost daily. But I'm on the hunt for something that's rated, and doesn't make me look like a fool at my age... not sure that's available, but I'm looking. I already had to somewhat give up on that to get rated gloves and a jacket... although I stand by what I said about that Jacket (Gryphon mesh), I like that thing, it's just not age appropriate for me (or at least how I see myself). But I wear it anyway. I was roaming around in the grocery store with it on earlier... and I did get some looks... but at the end of the day who cares, if I crash, I want the best odds I can stand.

 

[BaldRider]

My normal motogear is a hiviz aerostich. Not sure people give me looks but I haven’t noticed

 

[Just_Jack]

I don't think you find a more comfortable boot, and they are well built. I wear mine on rides almost daily. But I'm on the hunt for something that's rated, and doesn't make me look like a fool at my age... not sure that's available, but I'm looking. I already had to somewhat give up on that to get rated gloves and a jacket... although I stand by what I said about that Jacket (Gryphon mesh), I like that thing, it's just not age appropriate for me (or at least how I see myself). But I wear it anyway. I was roaming around in the grocery store with it on earlier... and I did get some looks... but at the end of the day who cares, if I crash, I want the best odds I can stand.

I ended up buying a Merlin waxed canvas jacket that came with D-30 armor on the elbows, shoulders, and back, and wear it every time I ride. It’s got a nice vintage look that fits the bike well and the armor pockets are well positioned and keep everything in place.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that because it’s a British manufacturer the ID card pocket on the forearm is on the right side, which means I have to lean way over and bend kind of weird to tap it against the card scanner when I’m entering the parking garage at work.

 

[ssaigol]

Has anybody considered the Blundstone safety boots? They look like regular Blundstones but have steel toes.

 

[George]

Has anybody considered the Blundstone safety boots? They look like regular Blundstones but have steel toes.

It's a solid boots, well made, with protection on the toes and bottom (synthetic armor material, lighter than steel).
But no ankle protection like motorcycle boots.

 

[George]

Alpinestars Ridge V2 Boot

Sidi Denver Boots

falco

TCX Hero 2 WP Boots

Gaerne Stone Gore-Tex Boots

These were on my list and I ended up buying Gaerne Stone Gore-Tex Boots because I find that old stiff leather boots last for years because they are more comfortable after the break-in,Over time, the soles will wear out.
Boots with this stitched sole construction allow for future replacement soles. And the ones with adhesive soles are difficult to replace.