I found two manufacturers who make several styles of motorcycle boots at reasonable prices ($150 or less) in EEE widths at Boot Barn (
Boots at bootbarn.com: Cowboy Boots, Western Boots, Motorcycle Boots & Much More!). Does anyone know about Boot Barn? I don't want to give them my credit card if they are a fraud, and I don't want to buy from someone who is for real but has poor service, and I know nothing about them. At least, even if I don't buy from Boot Barn, I know I may be able to find something that fits in a motorcycle boot- just look for Double H or Boulet brand names.
Well all it takes is money........Westco Shoes custom makes boots to fit anyone, they're hand made of the highest quality and of course cost a fortune, for a little cheaper option try UnionBootPro.com, they make a variety of different style work boots and carry larger sizes, there's probably something there that will work for you.
Hmm, Westco looks interesting, but even the stocked boots (go to EE in size) are near $500 and for custom boots that would fit me it came out to over $600. Yeah, that will have to wait.
pushrod said:
I'm a Bates hater myself. I spent WAY too much money on their crappy shoes because they were the Navy's selected vendor.
To me, "corfam" is a four-letter word.
Jeff, I think you'd have better luck with work boots. Non-steel toe, but with Vibram soles and enough height to protect your ankles.
Last I looked, Harley boots (at least some of them) are made by Wolverine.
Combat boots have no ankle (crush) protection to speak of. And you really don't want boonie stompers, 'cause the tread lugs will snag, like on the footpegs.
The Bates I bought (and I'm considering returning) is a 6" boot with a Vibram sole. The sole is more of an indoor sole (Navy approved I guess v. Army or Marine tromping through the swamps type boots) so it shouldn't catch on anything. Also, the shorter boot is a style that I could easily get away with wearing at work on days I decide to ride to work. It does just barely cover my ankle though.
Why don't you like Bates? The one pair of shoes from them I had lasted a long time (had I polished them and conditioned them once in a while the last 5 years I had them they may have lasted forever). They also fit a wide foot decently. They can be expensive though ($180 before shipping for my boots).
Here is the boot:
Footwear | 6" US Navy DuraShocks® Steel Toe Boot
Why no steel toe? It may provide a tiny bit of protection from road hazards and I don't see a big disadvantage. Is it just that there is no advantage and it isn't needed, or is there some reason you would actively avoid a steel toe?
seruzawa said:
Yeah well the people who make motorcycle boots will go on and on about how superior they are but IMHO it's mostly hot air.
There's no real reason to worry about whether your boots say "motorcycle" on them or not. I've been using jump boots forever. They last a long time and cost a lot less. Just have new soles put on your combat boots and you'll be just fine. The combat boots I was issued in Nam in 1968 I used for riding until 1985. I had them resoled twice. Put a couple hundred thousand miles and one serious crash on them. Engineer boots work just fine also. No need to be fancy.
I've thought about buying jump boots (regular, or with a zipper) but I probably won't. I joined the Reserves while in high school (in 1989) so I was able to go to drills for about 8 or 9 months before basic. It was an Airborne unit so I had drilled into me that jump boots were only for those who had graduated from Airborne school. I had them out there as one of the rewards for when I finished. Well, I had a bad ankle and never made it to Airborne school. Sure, I'm a civilian now so it really doesn't matter, I could wear them if I wanted. However, because of that prior experience, I'd feel odd wearing jump boots since I didn't earn the right to wear them (and it was really drilled into me that jump boots were a privilege that you had to earn).
As for my combat boots I already have, they don't fit very well. They are EE (when I was younger I'd squeeze in sometimes, and they didn't have wider in stock, and you don't tell your Reserve unit's angry E6 supply sergeant no a second time when he says to take them they are the best he can do when you are an E1 who hasn't even been to training yet). So, even if the sole was better, I don't think I'd want to use them as more than a stop-gap (I haven't worn them for several years since my feet started giving me trouble from sometimes wearing footwear that is too narrow).
