Riding a bike as a short person may sound frightening. Bikes can be pretty heavy and the seats can be high off the ground. This makes it harder to ride a motorcycle when you are shorter than average.
The good news is that it’s possible to ride (almost any) motorcycle when you are small. Even if you are under 5’5, you will still be able to ride a bike, as long as you use the proper techniques. Be sure to get your license with a school that gives you tips and tricks for short riders.
A great way to make riding a motorcycle easier for short people is by wearing height increasing motorcycle boots. These are boots that have extra thick soles to give you a little bit more height, enabling you to reach the ground easily.
In a Hurry? What is the best height increasing motorcycle boot?
The best height increasing motorcycle boot is the M-Star GTX boot from Daytona (Check current price on Revzilla). It gives you an inch of extra length, making it easier to reach the ground on a tall and heavy bike.
Why do you need height increasing boots?
Riding a motorcycle is all about stability and balance. You only have two wheels, so it’s your job to keep the right side up.
This is easiest when your bike is moving, because of the gyroscopic stability of the turning wheels. This means the motorcycle will stay up whiles the wheels are turning. That’s a good thing, since you don’t have to reach for the ground whiles riding your bike.
Standing still is a whole different kind of cookie. You’ll have to use your feet to find stability when standing stationary. This is where being short starts to be a disadvantage.
Height increasing boots or motorcycle boots with thick soles give you some extra height, enabling you to reach the ground.
Make sure you move your body to the right side of the seat and you lean a little bit to the right when coming to a stop. This will make the bike incline to the right.
You should always lean on your right foot since you’ll need your left foot to shift gears when stopping or taking off.
Keep this in mind when searching for height increasing boots
One very important fact to keep in mind whiles looking for this kind of boot is the fact that the boot will make it harder to shift gears on your motorcycle.
The thick sole will not only add extra length to your foot when reaching for the ground, but it will also increase the height of your foot when you put it on the foot peg.
This moves your whole foot up, making it harder to do an upshift with your left foot. You’ll have to squeeze your toes under the shifter when you want to shift up.
That’s why you are best of buying a motorcycle with a thick sole that still has some space for the foot peg. This will minimize the height difference when shifting gears.
Best height increasing motorcycle boot options
There are three ways you could increase your length whiles riding your bike. The first option is a hight increasing motorcycle boot by Daytona. The second option is a logger boot with a thick sole, that is not specially made to ride a bike. The third option is to just insert insoles into your current boots. I’ll tell you more about these options next.
Option 1: Height increasing motorcycle boot
This first option is by far the best option to choose from. It’s a height increasing motorcycle boot, produced by Daytona. They are the Daytona M-Star GTX boots (link to Revzilla). It has all the safety features you expect from a motorcycle boot, which is a big plus. The negative on this one is the price. The boot doesn’t come cheap.
If you know the Daytona products, then you know why they are so good. These boots are the best there is. They are hand made, waterproof and breathable due to their Gore-Tex membrane.
The Daytona M-Star GTX boots come with a cork insole that adds 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of height in the heels, and 0.8 centimeters (0.3
These boots are made for multi-season use and are hand made. It comes with a
Option 2: Waterproof logger boots
Your second option is a pair of waterproof logger boots. These boots aren’t specially made for motorcycling, but they offer a fair amount of protection anyway.
The pro of a boot like this is that you can ride your bike with it and wear it when going to work. Nobody will notice that you wear these boots for safety on your motorcycle.
Other motorcyclists have good experience with the Chippewa Men’s logger boots (Amazon link). They are waterproof and add loads of extra length.
These boots are made of 100% genuine leather, making them safe on a crash. The used materials and the fact that they are waterproof
Option 3: Height increasing insoles
Another option is to work with height increasing insoles. Height increasing insoles can be bought online and you can put them in your current boot. Just keep in mind that your foot will come up and your boot might become too narrow for you. Make sure you only use them when you have enough space in your boot.
I would suggest adding no more than 1 to 1.5 inches. Adding more height will make it hard to ride your bike properly and it will be odd to shift gears.
You can find the most common height increasing insoles on Amazon.
To summarize; Which option is best for you?
Which of the options above is best for you, depends on your situation. Are you new to riding a bike or looking for new motorcycle boots anyway? Then you should seriously consider the Daytona boots.
Are you more of an Urban or Old school rider and do you want to wear shoes instead of boots? In that case, the Chippewa’s are probably
Did you already buy a pair of motorcycle boots and did you find out that you are unable to reach the round after that? Try to return them if that’s an option. If that is no option, the height increasing soles can be an option for you. Just keep in mind that tight boots won’t fit after adding the insoles.