Motorcycle Boots and Safety

Although you think you might look cool riding in shorts, a tee shirt, and flip flops, any kind of a spill will teach you otherwise. You should wear boots, helmet, jacket, pants and gloves designed for motorcycles. Nothing will protect you in a massive accident, but these can protect you from a serious (as in non recoverable) head injury and road rash or at least make them less severe. You’ll probably spend $500 minimum on good safety gear and you are worth it. Don’t forget the helmet, even if not required by law.

My wife worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for a while. She has lots of horrible motorcycle stories, so many that she doesn’t ride. The worst are the accidents where there was no safety gear. In some cases it might have just been a minor accident otherwise, in some safety gear like a helmet may have saved lives. It can be your life that is saved so take safety gear seriously.

Good motorcycle boots really do a lot to protect your feet and ankles. I prefer full length boots, also sometimes called tour or tall biker boots, as they have better ankle and some leg protection as well. They will protect you not just from spills but also from flying road debris like loose gravel and burns from exhaust. You do not want hiking boots even though they might look somewhat similar. Hiking boots are relatively soft and will not protect adequately.

My father wanted me to respect motorcycles. He also wanted to interest me in becoming a surgeon like himself. So one day the phone rings and there has been a minor accident, a “fender bender” – nothing serious. He brings me along and although a minor accident, one of the vehicles was a motorcycle and the driver wasn’t wearing “safety gear.”

So, it was minor, no head injury, no road rash, not much of anything, except one fender and one right foot mangled. You couldn’t tell the toes apart. When my father was done, there was a metal rod coming out of where each toe should have been and some flesh shaped around it. My father’s comment was that, “all his toes might not make it but he doesn’t really need them all.” Excuse me, but I think I need all my toes, or at least I really want to keep them thank you. I'll never get on a bike without motorcycle boots!

This mangled foot, especially “repaired,” made quite an impression. I certainly respect motorcycles, and never want to see another operation and preferably never have one as well! As to becoming a surgeon or any kind of doctor, well I decided right them and there no way!

Make sure you buy your motorcycle boots for safety, not style. Style is fine, safety is essential!