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Old April 19th, 2011, 09:21 AM   #3
reaubideux
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Name: Jason
Location: Imperial, MO
Join Date: Mar 2011

Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R

Posts: 782
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LOL.. I was actually in the middle of uploading the photos I took of my BILT Trackstars to post my own review. If you don't mind, gfloyd2002 I'm going to just post my thoughts in your thread and use yours to post my photos. If you object, just let me know and I'll pull out my reply and post a new thread.

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*Disclaimer* - I'm a riding newb, these are my first boots so I have no previous experience with riding boots from which to draw any comparisons. Take my info with a grain of salt I guess.

I bought these this past Saturday and I've worn these for about 160 miles - all from one ride this past Sunday.

My impressions, to be perfectly honest, are pretty much an echo of what gfloyd2002 said with exception to fit. I wear US 8.5 to 9.5 - depending on the shoe - Nike, Adidas, etc. and the smallest they make in this boot is a US 8 (no half sizes) which actually felt the slightest bit big. Luckily the large velcro closure panels allow me to overlap a bit to keep the boot snug. I honestly believe if they had a US 7.5 it'd be perfect for me. In regard to fit, if you consider these, I'd definitely make sure to try a pair on prior to buying as opposed to blindly ordering over the internet.

Safety - what gfloyd2002 said.... but also, for me, it has a nice hard shell on the top front of the boot which actually perfectly meets up to the bottom of the knee pads in my Joe Rocket Atomic pants so I've got some padding/protection all the way up from my toes to my knees against rocks or other debris that may get kicked up. Additionally, prior to these boots I'd just been wearing sneakers - all I had to wear really - so I was very accustomed to the sensitivity I had in feeling the shift lever. With these boots and the hard molded toe I had a heck of a time getting use to the loss of touch when sliding my toe under the the lever for upshifts. I got used to it after awhile but I think if I go for a week or so between rides I'll have to get used to it all over again until I've been wearing them for quite awhile. I'm sure this is common with most riding boots of this style, just offering my newb observation for any other newb riders who may be reading this and considering this boot.

Comfort - what gfloyd2002 said.. I don't think I'd be able to walk around all day in these things but for quick runs to the store they'd do nicely. I'm leaving my dress shoes in my office at work and will be wearing these boots to and from home/office and just change into my shoes when I get there. On weekends I'll probably carry some sneakers in my back pack to change into if I'm going to be out off my bike for a considerable amount of time.

For all other points, gfloyd2002 covered it more eloquently than I. For the price I feel like I got the best bang for the buck in terms of protection. As a new rider at the end of my budget for riding gear, I didn't really have the cash to drop on a name brand boot and while we really can't have too much protection when riding, I don't know if I exactly NEEDED a true racing boot or anything for my daily commuting and fun-runs on the weekend. To be honest, I feel a bit like a twit being a new rider with these track-style "racing" boots but luckily my pants cover them nicely so the only hint that these are anything more than a touring boot is the toe-slider.

And now for some photos....












Last futzed with by reaubideux; April 25th, 2011 at 07:06 AM.
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