[RideApart] - Best Road Racing Boot Ever? Alpinestars Supertech R

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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We’ve heard all about the*baddest boot on the market: top build quality, unsurpassed protection levels and a proven track record. But does the*Alpinestars*Supertech R*really live up to all the hype?



The Alpinestars Supertech R has to be one of the most popular boots in motorcycle road racing and can be seen crowding the paddocks from*AMA events to MotoGP to your local club racing. *The Supertech R*has been heavily adopted in the market and Alpinestars has collected tons of real world field data for years.

So, when*Alpinestars’ dropped the latest version of the Supertech R, they made sure it was*a refined piece of racing gear with enough safety and technology features that were bound to impress.

Offered in standard or perforated leather, the Supertech R is suitable for all dry riding environments. The removable sole is constructed from lightweight rubber that elicits easy movement without the need to break the boot in much prior to the first ride. *Put them on the first time, and you are ready to go.

Comfort*

Comfort was not abandoned in the design process of the Supertech R boot. The removable inner booty is one of our favorite features of all*Alpinestars*boots. The inner bracing system that comprises the exterior of the booty alone is an impressive design that could rival the entire systems of other “protective” footwear offered by competitors. Heel and tongue loops offer simple ingress while the quick booty lacing system and zipper and single-strap ratchet buckle on the exterior allow for painless and speedy mounting.

However, the eyeholes that the lacing passes through on the inner booty could use reinforcement as a few of the upper eye-holes tore on us rather quickly. This reduced the ability to lace the booty up snug enough causing slight comfort issues. Another drawback in the comfort department is the bulbous toe box and frontal foot area of the boot. Quick shifting and precise movement on the foot peg took some acclimation due to this larger lower boot volume.

There are fine touches in the boot that add protection without sacrificing agility. For instance, the accordion leather section along the back of the foot, just above the heel and running up the outboard ankle area along the zipper in addition to the soft TPU mesh panel on the front side of the ankle. The TPU mesh front panel also provides excellent ventilation which is very noticeable at speed.







The flagship safety feature on the Supertech R is its proprietary ankle brace design. A fiberglass polyamide brace and heel cup both on the interior and exterior of the boot hedge against high-energy impacts and unnatural ankle movement. Additionally, the signature Alpinestars TPU shin guard protects against mid-shin blunt forces. Replaceable safety features include the gimmicky rear heel plates and the toe sliders which, as on all Alpinestars road racing boots, are notoriously difficult to install.

Fit and Price

In true Alpinestars fashion, sizing on the Supertech R runs on the odd side of things. The Alpinestars sizing chart had my US 10.5 street shoe size pegged at a Euro 45 but after proper fitment it seemed that a Euro 43 was much more appropriate. At a retail price of $449.95, finding the ideal boot size is essential. The boots are also available vented for the same price.*The wrong size will cause you to miss out on some of the advantages this boot has to offer.

Click Here: for the sizing conversion chart*







Verdict*

Overall, we found the Alpinestars Supertech R*to be an excellent road racing boot wit tons of safety technology. *You could tell that Alpinestars spent a lot of time over the years to develop the technology and to battle prove it in real world situations around the globe.

The level of protection offered by this boot is unmatched. While we had a few minor critiques to build quality (ie. inner booty lacing holes) and mobility (large toe box aspects), what we seem to have is a perfect road racing boot on our hands. *Which, for close to 500 dollars, we feel it should be. Alpinestars has developed an outstanding product and we are anxious to see what the next round of inevitable improvements holds.



The post Best Road Racing Boot Ever? Alpinestars Supertech R appeared first on RideApart.

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