What is the most protective boot?

Why don’t you send them to alpinestars for new soles?

I went from Tech 10s to SG-12s, and in my 30+ years of racing, I’ve never felt better protected than I am now and they wear like iron.  The Tech-10s were more “sneaker-feeling”, and between motos I take my boots off and put my shoes back on for added comfort, but if you’re looking for support and protection, the SG-12s are the hot ticket.

I think Gaerne offer the best ankle protection, I used to get middle of road quality boots and had ankle problems… I started wearing Gaerne due to my wide feet…and my ankle problems went away…they are stiff in the ankle area and take a while to break in but that same stiffness provides the ankle support. I rotate 2-3 pairs of boots, I use Anthonys shoe repair in Corona DelMar for sole replacements, he does excellent work and uses genuine Gaerne soles… , I ride on my arches more than I should so I  go through soles quickly..

Another vote for the Gaerne SG12.  My current pair has over well over 150 hours and still feel and look nearly new.  The soles are barely worn (I use stock pegs) and the hinge on the ankle is still tight.  They fit my foot perfectly and are super comfortable due to the gel inserts in the ankle area.  The only thing I notice is there is not as much feel when shifting compared to my old Alpinestars.  I will take that though as they last forever and to my experience seem to have the best ankle protection.  

Not sure if they still exist new but I have a set of the high end tcx boots, Pro 2?  They're very protective, but heavy.  Not my regular boot anymore but I'll keep em forever.

Another vote for SG-12. Ankle support is incredible. They are a little heavier than others, I'm ok with that.

I like tech 10s. But that god damn new front side ankle lock out pinches my shins. The last gen before that was perfect..

- the bootie, rear ankle lockout and stiff sole work well for me

I would wear vans before I would ever wear Tech 10s

Another vote for the SG12s. They are great for the feet and ankles. The counter-argument for them is weight. Some people say they are too heavy and can potentially cause knee problems/injuries because of the added weight that far away from the joint. I have not experienced that but I’ve heard the argument many times.  

Love the tech10, but the current ones are not as durable as the previous gen of tech10. I'm sure the next ones will try gaerne.

Sidi atojo and crossair have the best ankle protection against hyper flexion and hyper extension and you can still flex your ankle enough to drop your heels. The boot protects your toes against impact a lot better than a tech 10 too.  

I went from OG tech 10s, to Gearne SG12, then back to Tech 10s the last few years. I feel the tech 10s have overall better support but don’t last near as long as the SG12’s. 

I remove boots in between motos … 

I have owned the Tech 10, Sidi Atojo, and Crossfire 3. There is a reason the pros cut out those 3 plastic strips out on the tech 10 tongue. It is so they can get their heels to drop enough to load the rear tire properly. The Sidi lets you flex more before the ankle hyper flexion stops kick in. That limit strap on the tongue works pretty well for hyper extension and hyper flexion. The Crossair keeps that from the Atojo but loses the user replaceable soles. Peg feel on the Atojo SRS sole is not great though. From reviews I have read the Crossair seems to fix that.

I would not trust the Crossfire 3 for ankle protection. Impact protection they are really good but not enough support to me in any direction on the ankle.

Tech 10 probably has the weakest toe protection. That probably isn't a big deal on an MX track but if you ride trails at all where your foot can hit rocks or logs it can be an issue.

Lack of toe protection on the Tech-10 is one of my major critiques.  It's a double edge sword.  Guys like them because that soft forefoot gives great shifter/control feel.  But it comes at the price of protection.  It definitely matters on an MX track.   Ever gotten your foot smushed between your bike and another in the first turn or your foot jammed in a bike in a pileup?   I've had quite a few times where I've had my foot come off the peg and get rolled between the peg/frame and the ground on a jump landing or in a corner and immediately had that "my foot is F'd" thought and then was relieved that the stiff Gaerne toe box saved it.   Anderson and JCoop have both had their foot totaled and seasons ruined when wearing Tech-10's.    Don't click if you don't want to see a mangled foot.

https://motocrossactionmag.com/graphic-warning-jason-anderson-out-with-…

SG 12

My son switched from Tech 10's to SG12's and would not switch back.  Now we have the SG22's.  Another great boot!

Most protective boot is the SG12. 

Anybody made the switch to SG22's? They look so similar to the SG12 that I'm wondering if there's actually any big, noticeable differences or if they just felt like they needed to give the boot an aesthetic (no pun intended) reboot. I'm going to buy a pair of one or the other soon and I've loved my SG12's so much that I'm kinda wondering how you make them much better.

It's long. but hopefully you find it helpful:

BP