Posts
292
Joined
9/23/2019
Location
Loxley, AL, USA
I just picked up a new pair of Gaerne SG-22's. These are my first pair of boots in 20 years. I went by there size guide and the toe box feels slightly narrow, the length is good, just narrow. The rest of the boot feels good. Can I anticipate any break in after wearing the boots for a while or is how they are now they way they will be. I'm thinking of ordering a size bigger and trying them out.
No comment on the SG22's, someone will fill you in 👍
Buf just a note if you're buying gear again after a long time, a lot of sizing charts from a lot of manufacturers seem like vague suggestions or straight-up incorrect numbers nowadays. Everything from helmets, knee pads, jerseys, gloves... I know it's a lot harder in the big ol' USA but trying stuff on is a god send.
I hear ya. It was hard to find my size online let alone in stores.
SG-10 longtime user and have new SG-12 waiting for old 10's to die (ain't happening anytime soon). Gaerne size 44.5, bigger rider, used to be A/B hare scramble/enduro rider, trail ride only, average foot width, left foot a little wider. There was a small amount of break in on my 10's and my left foot felt a little narrowness on my little toe with Moose Racing riding socks. Switched to "Pro Compression" knee high compression socks (I got old) that are much thinner material and narrow feeling went away. I have learned I really like the ultra thin compression sock. Not SG-22 feedback but Gaerne specific. I hope this helps!
I have found that Gaerne's size chart is inaccurate, and prefer not to use it. I would return those. FWIW I have a pair of 22s and wear same size as my other Gaerne boots.
Some info on fit and sizing in here:
Hope that helps.
BP
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Have the 22s even been tested yet? I’m sticking with the SG12s … great boot!
I bought a size 7 and they were a little narrow in the toebox. Bought a size 8 and they fit well.
Gaernes sizing is accurate, it’s just poorly translated. It’s an Italian company and builds on euro sized lasts. For example, a euro 46 is about an American 11.7 and a 47 is about a 12.4. Gaerne would just call those 11 and 12, respectively. Find out your euro size and buy based on that. The boots are true to euro size but translated to American sizing poorly.
Secondly, the new boot uses different construction than their past boots. SG12s and earlier use stitchdown construction which curls the lip of the upper outward and stitches it to the midsole. The new boot uses a Goodyear welt, which folds the upper under the foot and uses a gasket stitched to the upper and the midsole. The point is that Goodyear welts built on the same last as a stitchdown will be narrower because the upper wraps underneath the foot. This boot may be narrower than the SG12 and I wouldn’t anticipate a break in widening the boot.
Lastly, Gaernes have been considered wide in the past. I don’t think that’s ever been accurate. The boots have been ‘high volume’ but not wide. Width is pretty obvious—it’s the left to right dimension of the boot. High volume isn’t a single dimension, however, it relates to the overall space in the boot. Gaernes have always seemed to be spacious inside but the footbed is a pretty standard dimension in terms of length and width, but they’ve had some room to swim. This new boot has a redesigned vamp and toe to reduce the volume in the boot.
I would advise friends to use the Gaerne size guide and potentially go up a size. My feet are on the wider side of normal. As in, wide for normal but not enough to justify a wide size. If my feet were on the narrow side of normal I probably could have made the 7's work and the Gaerne size guide would have been spot on.
My SG12s fit accurately by the printed size. They did take some time to break in...some missed shifts for a while...lol.
They are super comfortable. I ride ADV offroad and wanted the best ankle protection available. These boots saved my ass last year.
Are there any MX gear stores that stock and sell Gaerne where you can try some boots on? I know that's a foreign concept now days but it really nice to be able to try the really expensive gear on before buying it. I'm wearing 12's right now which is the same as most shoes I wear. My feet do feel like there is a good amount of movement in them - not big, but just lots of volume. Would love to try on a set of 11's.
Post a reply to: Gaerne boot fit/break in