I have been doing the old man transition after riding nothing but tracks my whole life, to either hanging up the helmet, or doing something different and hitting the trails which is what I have been doing the past few months. Not the same joy of a track, but I am learning to appreciate it. You would think with the amount of years I have been riding, that trail riding would not be foreign to me, but single track is no joke, very different and a lot to learn (especially for short guys like me). Even some of the all-vehicle trails here (Windrock for the locals) have some rocky hill sections that have kicked my ass.
Anyway, I have been wearing Tech10s for a while, and the past few years I have switched to SG12s - I like the build better, and IMO they feel to offer more protection. They have been fine on the tracks, but what I am finding off-road especially in technical sections, I don't 'feel' the pegs as much as I would like, and it is probably because I am not standing as much, but the feel (or lack of) I have especially for the rear brake, is driving me nuts. I know racing boots are stiff, and for a good reason and was fine on tracks, but I am finding the stiffness to be an annoyance offroad. I want more up and down movement at my toes, to feel the brake better, more vertical movement for shifting.
That said, what is your favorite offroad boot? Looking at designs, and where it looks like I will have less restricted vertical movement, I was thinking the Sidi X Power Enduro?
Thanks for any input 🍻
A Stars no question about it!!
SG22 Enduro.
I have looking at getting a set of Tech 7 enduro Drystars. Anyone here have any experience with them? Likes? Dislikes?
Tech 7's are hands down the most popular offroad boots.
They are about 5lbs per leg lighter than SG12's.
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I ride 1 or 2x a week track and/or off/road and have run 2 pair of Crossfire 3 SRS for 3 years or so. They've done well imo, I replace the soles myself every 6 months or so. Feel, support & flex are "muy bueno."
This^^^
Gaerne are bomb proof but imo are boat anchors compared to Tech 7.
People complain about Astar not lasting so after wearing out the soles I bought enduro soles for $35 and using youtube , heat gun, wire wheel and adhesive made my boots keep going.
More flex, more feel and way cheaper.
Good enough for woods thrashing
I wear tech 10's for off road and I think they have pretty damn good feel for the brake etc. They are also nearly waterproof which is a nice perk depending on the conditions you ride in. The support they have makes standing easier too (which I need all the help I can get with).
Another vote here for the Alpinestars Tech 7.
I’m old enough to be from that Hi-Point boot era.. lol. I’ve definitely had boots that didn’t have buckles on them. I wish modern boots had the same feel as these, but with modern safety.
Not the most protective by any means, but I used my rmatv cash and bought a pair of the MSR adventure boots. Super comfortable right out of the box. Waterproof. They are excellent for slower technical stuff especially if you have to hop off and do some hike a bike to get past an obstacle. I can't say anything to their longevity because I've only rode in them a handful of times, but they're holding up great so far
I made the same transition a few years ago and wish I made it sooner. I love single track!
My boot of choice is Tech 7's.
I’m thinking about trying the fox instinct because they’re on closeout. Or if I should go with the tech 7. I’ve had tech 10’s, Sidi SRS 3’s and 2’s and Leatt 5.5’s. I’m not sure what I’m going to go with next.
tech 7 or leatt 5.5 got the leatts really cheap 2 years ago on bto sports.
Astars has the enduro tech 10 which allows more ankle flex than the standard boots. The enduro soles look thicker to me so I don’t know how that affects peg feel. Pretty much all sidis have an ankle pivot. They all have more ankle movement than the tech 10 and 7. The Crossair has an ankle limit strap that is removable if you need more flex.
Had the instincts- strictly ride off road/enduro- they were hands down the worst boots I ever owned. Uncomfortable, no feel for brake/shifter and fell apart quickly. Here’s my .02 with the current boots I own:
Sidi Crossfire 3 SRS- Best looking, hold up well, not most comfortable, good protection
Gaerne SG12- Wide toe box, durable, comfortable, great protection, good feel
A stars tech 7- most comfortable, feel less protective, good feel, not as durable.
Fox Instincts- for me, hated them
Alpinestars Tech7 are a solid pick.
If you choose that, just make sure you go with the Enduro drystar version, extra grippy sole is nice but waterproofing is even more valuable when you spend your day in puddles of mud.
No better boot for "feel" than the instinct. Plenty of protection too. The instinct off-road is awesome.
Pit Row
A few have mentioned the Sidi Crossfire 3, I have a couple hundred engine hours of time in them and they were fantastic. I literally couldn't kill them. I indulged in a new pair of Sidi's Crossair Xs. They have a little more toe box width and an entirely new sole design. Best peg feel I've ever had. They have plenty of protection around the shin for protruding limbs and rocks.
Any of the stitched on sole Sidis are really good for peg feel and durability, also the Tech 7s are really good as well I have both along with a SRS pair of Sidis I switch between and they are all great options.
Dont get any of the waterproof versions of the tech 7s, living in TN your feet will burn alive in the summer.
I have been wearing Tech10s for track, trail, and dualsport since 2009. I just bought Tech7s for everything but the track! A big improvement on feel and especially walking around. Still wearing Tech10s on the track and Moab (where it is very rocky).
Thanks for the advice about waterproof versions in the southern heat. I am a fair weather rider, if my feet end up wet, it means I made a judgement error in a large puddle and it is likely the rest of me is wet too.
I ride through puddles all the time in the winter and most of the boots I mentioned stay fairly dry. Granted I'm usually going slow or on the edges of the puddles unless its a race and I have to blast them but most of the racing is during the summer when my feet are already soaked with sweat lol.
Leatt 5.5 is the best boot I've worn.
Yeah when I mentioned waterproofing I wasn't exactly thinking of "riding" through puddles.
I guess it depends on your riding and how often you would find yourself unmounting to get out (or help a buddy get out) of an endless quagmire with sticky mud almost at knee height, then waterproofing makes sense 😆
I have a pair of Fox Instincts and tech 10’s. I love the instincts when I’m on my 300 in technical stuff, a lot of ankle movement and I can feel my shifter/brake. I like my tech 10’s when I’m on my 450 for ankle protection. I saw someone else bagging on instincts but he must have been running an old pair. Any instincts newer than 2014 and you’ll be happy.
I’ve wondered how these are. What are you comparing them against?
If you like Gaerne I just got my kid the Dakar and they are really comfortable with seemingly decent lateral support and protection. I have the gaerne balance pro (which I really like) but probably not protective enough.
Tech 10, SG10, and some mid level TCX and Sidi. I go through a set of boots a season no matter how expensive they are so I generally hover around in mid-range/low high end boot.
I like mine. However they are by far the hottest boot I've owned .
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