Tweet
I bought these boots last week and thought I should do a review to help anyone else who may be interested in a short motorcycle boot. My reason for chosing this style of boot is that I spend more time on my feet with them than I do on the bike so the boots need to be comfortable, look ok under trousers or jeans AND give me protection.
Claims
The Icon Accelerant boot is claimed as water proof but I haven't had the opportunity to test that yet. As you can see from the images the tongue is sealed at the sides to the boot so there is nowhere for the water to get in there.
Sizing
When researching these boots I read in a lot of places that they are a small fit. I normally take a 44 in Sidi boots and a 9 1/2 to 10 in New Balance sneakers. I order the size 10 and they are a perfect, though snug fit. I certainly wouldn't want to go any smaller. I wouldn't say they are a size smaller but if you are between sizes, go for the next larger, rather than smaller one.
Comfort
These boots look heavy. With the layered surface and the soles tapering out to give a wider footprint as well as the strap and buckle they look really bulky. But they are actually quite light to wear. The first time I slid them on they felt great. With a molded footbed and medium-wide forefoot they were immediately comfortable. The only part that wasn't comfortable right away was the buckle and strap. I have been wearing the boots with the buckle done up very loosely to begin with and as the boots are breaking in they are becoming more comfortable and the strap is also becoming better. The sole is very stiff which gives the feeling of your foot rolling up on to your toes when you walk but I have found this sort of feeling with all new heavy duty boots and even some stiffer soled shoes so it is not unusual.
These are a boot that I would be able to wear all day with no discomfort.
Looks
These are a great looking boot. I have had a few very positive comments from people who think that they are high-top sneakers or hiking boots. Personally I think they look great too. The way that the rubber rises up over the toe gives some protection against the shifter on your bike but does it subtly, not standing out like a bandaid on a nose.
Protection/Safety
This is the important part for a rider. The boots are thickly padded all round with extra layers around the bottom part of the boot. The rubber around the toe goes from mid-foot on the inside to mid-foot on the outside and with the Icon logo kind of looks a little like a toe slider to me but wouldn't be seen as such by a non rider.
The ankle strap is very firm in front and would offer great protection from any flying debris that might be thrown up from the road in front.
The ankle has an extra layer of (probably synthetic) rubber around the heel cup and circular padding high on the inside.
The toe box is very hard, though not steel capped, and would offer great protection to the toes.
Construction
These boots are made using leather, heavy nylon and (probably) synthetic rubber. All seams are neat with no loose threads or exposed glue.
Riding
These boots are taller across the instep than my old boots so I found some difficulty in getting my toes under the shifter at first. I could have raised the shifter up a notch but the bike isn't mine and also I was curious to see if I would adapt. I have been riding with them for a week now and I am getting my toes under the shifter much easier now.
A lot of people don' t like lace up boots because of the risk of the laces getting caught on the footpeg/shifter/brake lever with embarrasing and sometimes expensive consequences. With the buckle and strap on these boots the laces are tucked safely behind the "shin guard" and won't get caught on anything.
With the temps being around 4-5° the last few mornings it has also been a good test of the insulation in these boots and they have passed with flying colours. I hate the cold but have not had any numb toes on my 35 minute ride to work. I expect that they will be quite warm in summer but I don't normally feel the heat too much in my feet when I am riding. I do think that they will be cooler than a full leather calf-length boot though as a bit of air around the lower legs does seem to make it feel cooler anyway.
Buying
I looked around Perth for a couple of weeks and couldn't find a boot that really suited my needs so resorted to the internet. I liked the look of the Icon's straight away so did a bit of "window shopping" at various sites that I knew and trusted.
For the first time in a while, it was actually cheaper to buy the boots here in Australia than it was to order them from the US.
The suppliers that I normally choose for US purchases are Superbike Toystore and NewEnough (where the pictures are sourced from) but with the exchange rate being down now the price landed worked out to be about $225. Instead, I ordered from Motorcycle Accessories Supermarket www.mcas.com.au for under $208. In fact, I ordered them wednesday morning and the card was in the mailbox to pick them up from the post office when I got home thursday. Amazingly quick.
I hope that these comments are useful to anyone who is looking for a combination riding/everyday boot.
Claims
The Icon Accelerant boot is claimed as water proof but I haven't had the opportunity to test that yet. As you can see from the images the tongue is sealed at the sides to the boot so there is nowhere for the water to get in there.
Sizing
When researching these boots I read in a lot of places that they are a small fit. I normally take a 44 in Sidi boots and a 9 1/2 to 10 in New Balance sneakers. I order the size 10 and they are a perfect, though snug fit. I certainly wouldn't want to go any smaller. I wouldn't say they are a size smaller but if you are between sizes, go for the next larger, rather than smaller one.
Comfort
These boots look heavy. With the layered surface and the soles tapering out to give a wider footprint as well as the strap and buckle they look really bulky. But they are actually quite light to wear. The first time I slid them on they felt great. With a molded footbed and medium-wide forefoot they were immediately comfortable. The only part that wasn't comfortable right away was the buckle and strap. I have been wearing the boots with the buckle done up very loosely to begin with and as the boots are breaking in they are becoming more comfortable and the strap is also becoming better. The sole is very stiff which gives the feeling of your foot rolling up on to your toes when you walk but I have found this sort of feeling with all new heavy duty boots and even some stiffer soled shoes so it is not unusual.
These are a boot that I would be able to wear all day with no discomfort.
Looks
These are a great looking boot. I have had a few very positive comments from people who think that they are high-top sneakers or hiking boots. Personally I think they look great too. The way that the rubber rises up over the toe gives some protection against the shifter on your bike but does it subtly, not standing out like a bandaid on a nose.
Protection/Safety
This is the important part for a rider. The boots are thickly padded all round with extra layers around the bottom part of the boot. The rubber around the toe goes from mid-foot on the inside to mid-foot on the outside and with the Icon logo kind of looks a little like a toe slider to me but wouldn't be seen as such by a non rider.
The ankle strap is very firm in front and would offer great protection from any flying debris that might be thrown up from the road in front.
The ankle has an extra layer of (probably synthetic) rubber around the heel cup and circular padding high on the inside.
The toe box is very hard, though not steel capped, and would offer great protection to the toes.
Construction
These boots are made using leather, heavy nylon and (probably) synthetic rubber. All seams are neat with no loose threads or exposed glue.
Riding
These boots are taller across the instep than my old boots so I found some difficulty in getting my toes under the shifter at first. I could have raised the shifter up a notch but the bike isn't mine and also I was curious to see if I would adapt. I have been riding with them for a week now and I am getting my toes under the shifter much easier now.
A lot of people don' t like lace up boots because of the risk of the laces getting caught on the footpeg/shifter/brake lever with embarrasing and sometimes expensive consequences. With the buckle and strap on these boots the laces are tucked safely behind the "shin guard" and won't get caught on anything.
With the temps being around 4-5° the last few mornings it has also been a good test of the insulation in these boots and they have passed with flying colours. I hate the cold but have not had any numb toes on my 35 minute ride to work. I expect that they will be quite warm in summer but I don't normally feel the heat too much in my feet when I am riding. I do think that they will be cooler than a full leather calf-length boot though as a bit of air around the lower legs does seem to make it feel cooler anyway.
Buying
I looked around Perth for a couple of weeks and couldn't find a boot that really suited my needs so resorted to the internet. I liked the look of the Icon's straight away so did a bit of "window shopping" at various sites that I knew and trusted.
For the first time in a while, it was actually cheaper to buy the boots here in Australia than it was to order them from the US.
The suppliers that I normally choose for US purchases are Superbike Toystore and NewEnough (where the pictures are sourced from) but with the exchange rate being down now the price landed worked out to be about $225. Instead, I ordered from Motorcycle Accessories Supermarket www.mcas.com.au for under $208. In fact, I ordered them wednesday morning and the card was in the mailbox to pick them up from the post office when I got home thursday. Amazingly quick.
I hope that these comments are useful to anyone who is looking for a combination riding/everyday boot.
Comment