Besides having an awesome reliable motorcycle, you also need reliable riding gear. All to often we over look footwear. A sturdy motorcycle boot is probably going to be one of the first things that is gonna hit the ground when you wipe out, and I don’t think your trendy K-Swiss tennis shoes are gonna save the day.

Now when it comes to motorcycle gear other than helmets, Alpinestars leads the charge in safety and quality. They’ve been in the business since 1963, and it’s expertise is in boots. So when I went down to my local motorcycle dealer/ accessories retailer, Bert’s Mega Mall, I expected myself to leave with a pair of Alpinestars.

I knew I was looking for a pair of boots that had plenty of protection, but I also wanted a boot that was comfortable enough that I could still wear once I dismounted my motorcycle. With that in mind, I was apprehensive of a full size boot. Sure, they offer plenty of protection and riding comfort, but I wanted something a lil more low key, something a bit more flexible in the urban environment. That’s when I came across the SIDI Streetburner.

The SIDI Streerburner is a 3/4 boot designed with a full size boot in mind. The boot actually isn’t made of leather but Lorica, a leather imitator but stronger and lighter that the real deal. Aside from the Lorica, the Streetburner is also made with ballistic nylon.  The Streetburner incorporates an exterior ankle brace system to keep the foot from contorting in all those unpleasant ways.

Like Alpinestars, SIDI is Italian quality

The boot keeps the foot in a fixed and snug position with a adjustable buckle system that keeps the foot from sliding forward in those “Uh oh” moments. With the buckle system and a composite inner sole, the Streetburner offers excellent feedback and feel on foot-pegs. The toe box is reinforced for safety and ease of shifting, and also has an attachable toe slider. A shock absorbing heel cup uses multi-density plastics with an impact resistant thousand-air memory foam to minimize the force of a fall on the rear of the foot.

One bit I found to be a nice luxury is the ability to open and close the air vent. You can easily tell if the the vent is open, and there is no issues of operating the vents with a gloved hand. I was slightly apprehensive of quality air flow, but the vent does what it was designed to do. If the vents are closed, the cold air stays out, and if open, there is excellent circulation.

Most of all, the boot is urban friendly. Sure it stands out more than the usual Nikes or Vans, but they are comfy enough and practical enough that I could ride to a local store, restaurant, or bar and walk around with out incident. Like any new boots, they need to be broken in to. So I’ve been taking time to break them in and walk around the house with them on.

If you have a reasonable idea on motorcycle boot prices, the SIDI Streetburner price sits somewhere in the middle of dirt cheap to off the wall, insane expensive. It might break some banks for certain riders, but you definitely get what you pay for: quality.

This is Sven saying: Keep the paint up and the rubber down. Ride safe.