Motocross boots are widely considered to be the second most important part of the kit in motocross (MX), right behind helmets on the scale of importance. While a helmet protects your head in the event of a crash, your feet are at risk without you even coming off the bike.
However, some riders can find it difficult to choose the right boots to ride in. It’s important to get a good combination between comfort and protection for your feet.
So why are motocross boots so important?
On the MX track there are plenty of dangers. You can’t avoid all of them, but you can do a lot to protect yourself from them. Motocross boots are there to protect your feet in all kinds of scenarios.
Getting your foot stuck in the mud could twist your foot in all kinds of horrible ways. Getting it trapped under your motorcycle in a fall could cause nasty damages. Having it run over by another motorbike would be even worse. Motocross boots are there to try to minimalize the effects of all these potential injuries. It’ll hurt even with boots if your foot is run over by another bikes MX tyre, so imagine what it’d be like without.
Some riders will choose to ride without boots. With all the potential damages that could occur, it’s worth asking yourself if you can really risk riding without a decent set of motocross boots.
Different types of boot
When looking at motocross boots you might notice a difference between two similar boots protection and comfort, with one having more protection and less comfort while the other is the opposite. It’s likely that one type of boot is designed specifically for motocross and the other is a general off road boot.
Specific motocross boots offer better protection over comfort. They’re designed to be used on the track, where protection is far more important. They’re not built for walking in and restrict foot movement but this helps stop the foot from twisting in a crash.
General off road boots have slightly less protection and more comfort. They’re used in all sorts of off road motorcycling and even some dual sport riding. These are the kind of boots you should go for if you need a bit more comfort than motocross boots provide, although sacrificing that protection is a difficult choice.
Finding the right boot for you initially comes down to which of these two you should get.
What to look out for when buying boots
When selecting new motocross boots you need to check certain parts to make sure they’re suitable. You can’t do this online, so make sure you visit a shop in order to try them on too.
You’ll need to make sure that the boot has good strong toe protection to stop them getting crushed. It’ll need a good level of ankle protection and it’ll have to be quite strong and stiff all over to protect your foot too. Strong fasteners to keep the boot together around your foot are important, as you don’t want the boot flying off in a crash.
In the end, you’ll need to decide on a boot that offers enough protection for your feet in order to protect yourself as much as possible.
This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of Ride Direct, retailers of motocross boots and MX tyres. Take a look at their site for their full range of both motocross boots and MX tyres.
Photo: Bob Jagendorf