I've been commuting with my BiLT Trackstar Boots ($69 from Cycle Gear) for a few days now, and wanted to share my initial impressions.
Construction: Surprisingly, not bad at all. Double stiching, not a single thread out of place. YKK zippers. There was one spot on my boot where you can see the chalk mark where the leather was hand marked for hand stitching of the zipper assembly. (I can almost imagine the underpaid Pakistani woman hand sewing it.
) Not the thickest or best quality leather, and I'm not sure how tough the thread is on the double stitching, so we'll see how they hold up over time. Still, much better than I expected so far. Overall, I can see why they put a five year warranty on them.
Safety: They are leather boots with solid heel, ankle, shin and toe protection. The toe slider is replaceable and there is a reflective panel on the heel. The ankle is protected from abrasion by both a semi-rigid disc and a harder insert underneath. The heel, toe and shin also benefit from reinforcement under the exterior sliders. The unreinforced perforated leather portion is thinner leather and would offer some abrasion resistance, but not that offered by a track boot or upper range touring boot. I am frankly a bit surprised to say these would offer pretty good protection in a get off, and expected something flimsier for the cost. Overall protection is better than non-rigid motorcycle shoes and on par with a mid-range touring boot, but not to the level of a real track boot or upper range tourer. The element missing from a real track boot is the protection from high speed ankle bend offered by a fully rigid and hinged ankle. Otherwise, these are a solid safety option for commuting or touring.
Comfort: On the bike and standing still, they are as comfortable as any boot I've had. The liner is moisture wicking and breathes well. The perforated leather bits offer just enough airflow to work better than any boot I've had in hot weather, but that is hindered by (thankfully) quite a bit of reinforcement in the toe, ankle and heel areas. They are very easy to put on, with a long side zipper offering easy access. With longer walks off the bike they have some issues. No problem from the parking lot into work, or for short periods, but I wouldn't want to be caught on a long hike with only these boots. The issue is that the good safety reinforcement in the toe stops about 1/2 way up the foot, and the soft, breathable leather above that has quite a bit of give for comfort. So when you walk, the reinforced part hits the top of your foot as the boot flexes. The calf area is large, constructed to fit different sizes with room to lean or stand straight comfortably - however, this makes it a tough fit under tight pants and less than ideal for the commuter boot they really are. These aren't quite as comfortable walking as a good touring boot would be, but exceed that comfort on the bike in hot weather.
Special Features: The perforated leather is a great feature for warm weather, making the boot a very good value option for some climates. This would also make them bad in the rain. The side YKK zippers offer very easy entry, but covering the zipper pull in velcro is a nice touch. The zippers grab on the velcro that holds the zipper flap in place, keeping them from creeping down on a long ride.
Fit: They are close to true to size, but not quite. They are manufactured on the EU system so my size 11 are actually EU 44 - not quite a true US 11 (slightly smaller). Cycle Gear didn't tell me this. Funny thing is that even though they are manufactured on the EU sizing, they are sold only in full US sizes, so there are going to be some feet that don't have a perfect fit out of the box. I suspect with the leather construction after a decent breakin, they will end up with a nice fit for nearly everyone. Luckily for me, 44 is my perfect fit and I love the ways these feel even before breakin.
Price: Unbeatable at $69. You can't get decent quality boots for this price anywhere. The are actually better than my $169 A*s, my $79 Vegas and my $189 Tourmasters (though I confess to buying sh*t boots in the A*s and Vegas).
Conclusion: A decent boot worth buying for warm weather. They shoot themselves in the boot (
) by calling them Trackstars. They aren't boots for racing, so don't go in thinking you are buying Dianese or A* track boots or you will be disappointed. But if you consider them mid-range, warm weather commuters or touring boots, they are actually quite good. Considering the low-range price tag, the mid-range performance makes them an amazing value.