Gear Review: SIDI Vertigo Air

muffinman · July 9th, 2009, 02:26 AM

Went shopping with a sub-$200 budget and mindset of getting something along the lines of A* SMX 4 or 5 or S-MX R's on clearance... ended up with $300 pair of SIDI Vertigo Airs

I could've bought the Vertigo Corsa for about the same price but opted for the Vertigo Airs instead for the lower-key look and easier entry/exit. These are my everyday boots and I wanted to make sure I wore them every single time I throw a leg over my bike so the Corsa's more complex entry/exit killed the deal for me.

First the good:

Looks sexy as hell... superb initial quality and worksmanship. I like the "race" look without it going overboard like I feel it does in the Corsas and Vortices. I like how the heel shock absorber has silver/white strips underneath and not bright red like the flagship SIDI models.

Super comfortable and the Lorica upper feels soft and broken in from the start. The boot overall is very compact and looks pretty good under jeans.

Armor is beefy and with the vent open + preforations on the Lorica upper, these boots breathes extremely well. The armor pieces are beefy and replaceable.. armor coverage is very good with stiff toe box, giant heel shock absorber, "vertebrae" pieces on the achilles, ankle sliders on the inside and outside, and the adjustable calf protector.

Pretty comfortable to walk in.. was a concern for me prior to purchase - not anymore.

Oh, and NO SQUEAKS thus far =) Some SIDI boots and alot of A* boots are notorious for squeaking

The not-so-good:

Ankle coverage / lateral flex protection is not as good as those of higher-end race boots. Better than the S-MX4/5 and TCX Performance SS boots, though.. the ankle is wrapped with an extra layer of stiffened Lorica for lateral support and the ankle bone has armored sliders on either side... decent ankle protection compared to tennis shoes or shorter boots for sure and a big improvement over my ICON Chukkas but I was hoping for more from $300 kicks.

Sole is very, very stiff.. surprisingly so considering there is no metal shank in there.. it's all composite stuff. Will def. need some breaking in time.

The velcro strap that covers the zippers on the side tends to stick a little above the top edge of the boot and digs/rubs into the side of my lower-calves. This is not a problem unless you have the calf adjuster tightened down to the smallest position (which I do, because I have chicken legs =)

This is a negative for me but could be a plus for others... the soles are very thin, especially compared to the ICON Chukkas I used to wear.. I can't flat-foot the bike as easily anymore

ShishkaBOMB · July 9th, 2009, 08:32 PM

Beautiful set of boots. A few of the cons you mentioned are addressed in the Corsa and the higher end Vortice's.

Vertigo's don't have the strap for the ankle unlike the Corsa and Vortice. In my Vertigo's my ankle is able to move around a bit inside the boot because of this. There is no velcro strap on the Vortice's, and i don't think it would bother you if you tucked riding pants into the boot.

And walking in these boots wears the sole very quickly. Unfortunately the Vertigo's do not have replaceable soles. But for a slip on type boot these are it, unlike the Vortice which takes forever to get on.

They are very nice boots! Hope you enjoy them..

July 9th, 2009, 02:26 AM	#1
muffinman ninjette.org guru Name: Arthur Location: USA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 250R (sold), '05 ZX6R / 636 Posts: 355	Gear Review: SIDI Vertigo Air Went shopping with a sub-$200 budget and mindset of getting something along the lines of A* SMX 4 or 5 or S-MX R's on clearance... ended up with $300 pair of SIDI Vertigo Airs I could've bought the Vertigo Corsa for about the same price but opted for the Vertigo Airs instead for the lower-key look and easier entry/exit. These are my everyday boots and I wanted to make sure I wore them every single time I throw a leg over my bike so the Corsa's more complex entry/exit killed the deal for me. First the good: Looks sexy as hell... superb initial quality and worksmanship. I like the "race" look without it going overboard like I feel it does in the Corsas and Vortices. I like how the heel shock absorber has silver/white strips underneath and not bright red like the flagship SIDI models. Super comfortable and the Lorica upper feels soft and broken in from the start. The boot overall is very compact and looks pretty good under jeans. Armor is beefy and with the vent open + preforations on the Lorica upper, these boots breathes extremely well. The armor pieces are beefy and replaceable.. armor coverage is very good with stiff toe box, giant heel shock absorber, "vertebrae" pieces on the achilles, ankle sliders on the inside and outside, and the adjustable calf protector. Pretty comfortable to walk in.. was a concern for me prior to purchase - not anymore. Oh, and NO SQUEAKS thus far =) Some SIDI boots and alot of A* boots are notorious for squeaking The not-so-good: Ankle coverage / lateral flex protection is not as good as those of higher-end race boots. Better than the S-MX4/5 and TCX Performance SS boots, though.. the ankle is wrapped with an extra layer of stiffened Lorica for lateral support and the ankle bone has armored sliders on either side... decent ankle protection compared to tennis shoes or shorter boots for sure and a big improvement over my ICON Chukkas but I was hoping for more from $300 kicks. Sole is very, very stiff.. surprisingly so considering there is no metal shank in there.. it's all composite stuff. Will def. need some breaking in time. The velcro strap that covers the zippers on the side tends to stick a little above the top edge of the boot and digs/rubs into the side of my lower-calves. This is not a problem unless you have the calf adjuster tightened down to the smallest position (which I do, because I have chicken legs =) This is a negative for me but could be a plus for others... the soles are very thin, especially compared to the ICON Chukkas I used to wear.. I can't flat-foot the bike as easily anymore

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July 9th, 2009, 08:32 PM	#2
ShishkaBOMB ninjette.org member Name: Shish Location: SGV, CA Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 35	Beautiful set of boots. A few of the cons you mentioned are addressed in the Corsa and the higher end Vortice's. Vertigo's don't have the strap for the ankle unlike the Corsa and Vortice. In my Vertigo's my ankle is able to move around a bit inside the boot because of this. There is no velcro strap on the Vortice's, and i don't think it would bother you if you tucked riding pants into the boot. And walking in these boots wears the sole very quickly. Unfortunately the Vertigo's do not have replaceable soles. But for a slip on type boot these are it, unlike the Vortice which takes forever to get on. They are very nice boots! Hope you enjoy them..