I personally have quite wide feet. Usually, I wear a size 10,5 EEEE. Trying on boots has been a struggle for me, since many were too narrow. So this forced me to do loads of research finding the right pair of boots for someone with wide feet. This article is a summary of all that research in order to save you time finding the perfect motorcycle boot for wide feet.
The best motorcycle boot for wide feet is the Alpinestars Toucan (Amazon). It’s wide enough to fit my wide feet. The best cross boot for dirtbikes or adventure motorcycles is the Gaerne SG10 (Amazon).
These are the best boots for wide feet
These boots are not the cheapest, but they are absolutely worth it! Don’t try to save some money on boots, especially when you have wide feet like me. I’ll tell you everything about buying motorcycle boots with wide feet in the rest of this article.
This is the best boot for riders with wide feet
For me and many others, these Alpinestars boots are the best option for wide feet (check them out on Amazon). In fact, I’ve opened up a forum post at Adventure Rider to see what boot people would suggest. I just asked what boot would be best to buy with wide 4E feet. I’ve had 14 replies in total, 8 of them suggested buying the Alpinestars Toucan Gore-Tex boot as well.
I had problems finding the right boot because most of them would be too narrow. I’ve tried dozens of them in order to find the perfect fit. I started off trying the best looking boots.
I really liked the Sidi boots for example. They seemed a bit narrow in the shop, but I assumed they would stretch over time. Guess what? It was a complete waste of money! Wearing them for 5 minutes in a shop is different than wearing boots on a 2-hour tour.
I suggest you buy your boots online (make sure you have no restocking fee), and just wear them in-house for over an hour. After this hour, you can say if they fit well or not.
Why this boot is the best boot for wide feet
The Alpinestars Toucan boots are super comfortable and very lightweight. We put the boot on the scale and guess what? It only weighs 2 pounds 12 ounces. That’s super lightweight for a full armor boot like this. Most competitors are between 3 and 4 1/2 pounds in weight.
Another big plus is the full Gore-Tex. This means they use the full Gore-Tex membrane, which is the best breathing waterproof material. Your sweaty feet will be able to breathe, whiles staying protected from the rain.
The best dirtbike boot for riders with wide feet
The Alpinestars are great for all sorts of bikes, but they are not specially designed for dirt biking. I know that some of you readers are active in dirt biking so I also did some research on the best dirtbike boot for wide feet.
The best option for the dirtbike owners out there is BY FAR the Gaerne SG10 (link to Amazon). This boot is absolutely amazing for people with wide feet. A lot of people recommend the SG12 for Gaerne, which is a good boot. However, it’s not as wide as the SG10, so that’s the one you want when your feet are wide like mine.
This boot isn’t the cheapest option, but the same goes here as for the Alpinestars boot. Better invest in the right pair of boots once, instead of ending up with narrow boots that never get worn!
I have to be honest; I only tried these boots on for about 15 minutes whiles walking around in the store. I only put them on the try them for my readers. So I don’t own them and I didn’t try them on for over an hour like I said you should. The reason being that I don’t own a dirtbike myself. I don’t need a pair of dirtbike boots, but I just wanted to test them for my readers.
Why a good pair of boots are important
We can all agree that a helmet is the most important safety gear for anyone who drives a motorcycle. In fact, in most countries it is mandatory to wear a certified helmet.
Just don’t skip the fact that boots can make the difference between walking away or sitting in a wheelchair after you had a crash. Boots have protective zones for different parts of the foot and ankle.
The foot is an extremely complex piece of nature. In fact, your foot consists of 26 different bones. And you have two of them! So better keep them well-protected at all times. Your boots have protection for;
The shin-bone
The shin-bone is one of the bones that break most often during a motorcycle crash. Many boots (but not all of them) have shin-bone protection. The same goes for the Alpinestars, they have a hard plastic part in the shin-bone area to protect it in case you are going down. You can check it in the image below.
The ankle
I don’t have to explain why the ankle is an important part of the leg. The ankle allows us to walk and you don’t want it damaged! Motorcycle boots have special ankle protection. High boots also keep your ankle from twisting, which adds some extra protection.
The toes
Have you ever dropped something on your toes? Chances are you screamed out some dirty words. Well, that’s cause it really hurts! Many motorcycle boots are hardened to protect your toes. You’ll thank them when someone rides over your feet or when you put your stand on your toes.
The heel
The heel is a piece of the foot that gets exposed a lot. That’s why most motorcycle boots have strengthened elements to protect the heel from being hit.
The importance of comfortable feet
Having comfortable feet is super important to me. As I said, I spent nearly 300 dollars on a pair of Sidi boots, which were just extremely uncomfortable for me.
I liked the design of the Sidi boots, and I still think they are one of the most beautiful boots out there. But it just did-not-work-for-me!
I would be ok wearing the Sidi for the first 15 minutes of my tour. But as time ticked by, they were getting more and more uncomfortable. I literally had to stop riding after 45 minutes or so, to take off my boots. My feet were just so sore that they were killing me.
The worst point is that, at this point, I would be 40 miles away from home. This happened 3 times to me till I decided to just put them aside and go for the Alpinestars.
Can you save money on your boots?
Saving money on your motorcycle shoes is a really bad idea, e
However, there is one way to save money on boots. And that is by buying the boots secondhand. I personally don’t like it because of hygiene. It’s also the reason that I didn’t sell my Sidi’s yet. However, I know people who buy secondhand motorcycle gear all the time and that’s fine.
Just make sure you buy them in good condition. One of the best ways to check the condition of the boot is by checking the sole. The sole is the part that wears off the fastest. It’s also important to have a good sole since it gives you grip and keeps you from falling in case there is any oil or gasoline on the road.
Maintaining your motorcycle boots
- Clean your boots after every ride and make sure to dry them properly. Leaving them in your moist basement will weaken the boot and it will be a great environment for bacteria. I personally don’t leave my boots and helmet in the motorcycle storage, but I take them inside so that they stay away from the cold and humidity.
- Close the zipper, velcro, or buckles when you store your boots. This will make sure the boots stay in the right shape and in good condition. It also prevents the buckles from breaking in case you bump into your boots.
- Do not store your boots in the sun. This will dry out the leather and it reduces the lifetime of your boots.
- Don’t let anyone else use your boot. Your boot will get to know the shape of your foot over time, which makes it extremely comfortable for you.
Summary: Lessons learned
- Always wear motorcycle boots. Your feet are vulnerable and you don’t want them damaged in case of a crash.
- Don’t be like me and don’t buy boots that are too narrow for you. Make sure you try your new boots for at least one hour. Buying online? Make sure there is no restocking fee.
- Don’t try to save money on a pair of boots, you might end of with a pair that never gets used (and paying for the right boot in the end as well).
- Make sure you maintain your boots well. A good pair of boots can last for years. This also allows you to buy the pair that is a little bit more expensive since it will last longer.
Hopefully, this helped you out in making the