ADV boot or MX boot?

[Bushyar15]

I wear Alpinestars Toucans and last week I went down and sprained my ankle. I'm wondering since I do mostly off-road if I should switch to an MX boot?

I see pics of lots of guys who ride ADV bikes wearing them. My "concerns" if you will;

Are they so stiff that there is no real movement at the ankle for shifting. Does shifting become an entire leg movement as opposed to ankle movement?
Is the toe area so large that its hard to get under the shifter?
How are they off the bike for walking. I don't mean like I'm going to take a 10 mile hike, but like maybe what you'd do if you stop at some point of interest?
Lastly would an MX boot that keeps the lower leg/ankle more "stable" move the "twist point" higher? Meaning If my ankle didn't move and I still had that twisting motion when I went down would an MX boot transfer that twisting motion to my knee ala a ski boot? Moving the "sprain" to the knee instead?

Thanks for any help!

 

[AVGeek]

I have worn MX boots on my ST (I had a set of O'Neils I wore during the Colorado rally, since replaced because of that trip by Alpinestars Tech 3s). The shifting action is still at my ankle, and I haven't noticed any issues getting under the shifter because of the toe box. MX boots are much stiffer, which makes walking around less comfortable. I couldn't tell you about the "twist" transfer, as I haven't had that kind of experience!

I have a pair of street boots I wear for around town use, and a pair of the G Adventure boots for longer/dirt road trips. Been pretty good so far.

 

[nwrider]

I'm sure that this is a very individual thing. For myself, I recently bought a pair of SIDI Crossfire boots -- I missed so many shifts, even after adjusting the shift lever, it wasn't fun. Not only couldn't I feel the lever, but the hard plastic of the toe box would allow the boot to slip off the shifter. Also, I couldn't feel the brake pedal well enough to modulate the brake. I ended up opting for a bit less protection at replaced the Crossfires with the SIDI Discovery Rain boot --- no more missed shifts, comfortable to walk in as well.

Now for full disclosure, I wasn't using them on my Tenere' but on my FE450 Husaberg. I would use a pair of Garne Midland boots over the Sidi Discovery's for the Tenere'.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I'm shocked that you sprained an ankle in the Toucans, as I have them too. With them tight on my calf, there is no way I can rotate my ankle in them, and the up/down toe motion is limited by the range of the hinge.
I really like the Toucans for a number of reasons, a big one being that the toe box is not as thick as a MX boot and the tread is not smooth like my MX boots.

 

[Bushyar15]

Believe me, me too!

What I "think" happened; my bike was in a rut. When it went over it more or less trapped my leg by the foot/ankle between the bike and the edge of the rut. I went off the bike. I "think" my foot/ankle stayed facing forward while I rotated back and over, causing my foot to be 90 degrees of my body... The thing is in addition to the usual spot where you can feel a sprained ankle, the back of my leg on my Achilles and up a ways was also very painful...

I really like the Toucans. They've done everything well. Comfortable to ride in, walk, and seem to offer a lot of protection... I don't tend to put the cuff tight on my calf, Closed with no gap around the top. And like my ski boots I tend to re-adjust them after I've moved around in them. Maybe I just need to snug it down at the calf...

So maybe it was just one of those odd falls that nothing would have made a difference....

I'm shocked that you sprained an ankle in the Toucans, as I have them too. With them tight on my calf, there is no way I can rotate my ankle in them, and the up/down toe motion is limited by the range of the hinge.
I really like the Toucans for a number of reasons, a big one being that the toe box is not as thick as a MX boot and the tread is not smooth like my MX boots.

 

[racer1735]

I went thru the same dilemma just over a year ago....ADV boot or full-on MX boot. I wanted protection, especially with the prospect of my leg/foot being wedged between a bike as stout as the Super Tenere and something hard! After weeks of online research, I had narrowed my decision down to a handful of boots. 3 MX boots, and a pair of ADV-style boots. I then contacted Brian at Atomic Moto to discuss the options. What it boils down to is, do you want the most protection you can find in a boot, while sacrificing a bit of mobility? Or do you want full-on comfort walking the streets of your destination while giving up some of that protective ability?
I went with a full-on MX boot (Gaerne SG-10) and what sets it and the upper-level boots apart from the lower range MX boots (such as your O'Neal) is that it has a two=sided mechanical hinge. Simply, this boot flexes more in the ankle area than lesser MX boots (and ADV boots flex in that area because of the 'softer' construction). Not saying ADV boots won't protect, but they won't protect as well. And a hinged MX boot will allow you to walk around without feeling like a robot. Not quite like wearing sneakers, but they still walkable. Plus, when you get to that range of a boot, they are incredibly comfortable. Hefty, yes, but the fit and interior finish is beyond anything you might find in a lesser boot. Gaerne, Sidi and Forma would be my recommendations, but give Brian and shout....he'll spend plenty of time with you to walk you thru your decision-making process (and, yes, I have a testimony on their website).

 

[~TABASCO~]

Like others have said, its totally personal... After trying one or two different style ADV boots I blew those off and went full Moto-X... Ended up with Gaerne SG-12 and have never looked back... There have been at least two times I would have broken my foot or ankle if I had one of my old pair of "ADV" boots on.... I do admit that if I was a rider that just road 'normal' off road most of the modern day ADV boots would work fantastic, and would have more mobility than the full Moto-X boot has. In my case, riding this beast like a Moto 450 and doing 80-100 off road is probably not 'normal' and the moto-x boot has saved me a few times..... choose the tool that best fits your needs

 

[yz454]

When I,am ride off road all day or a way from home off road , I wear my mx boots . Adventurer boots for all other riding . When flat tracking the other night on the s10 I,am glad I had the mx boots on .

 

[Checkswrecks]

I hear what racer and Tabasco are saying, and I looked at the Gaernes hard before picking the Toucans. I don't remember which boot allowed more or less up/down foot rotation, but the decision was close. The Toucans have the MX style ankle and upper portions, with ADV-style traction soles for mud, and felt slightly better to ME when walking around the dealer for a half hour.

The Alpinestars and Gaernes are nearly identical in protective features for lower legs and ankles. Both offer solid protection against footpeg impalement, both have the hinged ankle to limit both rotation and up/down travel, and neither ankle rotates. I didn't see any other ADV boots with ALL of this. In protection, it was an apples versus peaches comparison. Both are incredibly good protection for the lower leg and just like ski boots, an injury will go to next weakest link.

What follows is educated guess and I'll defer to any ortho docs we have on the group, but here goes. The knee has more connective tissue than the ankle, so the knee would be stronger in tension. It sounds like the upper part of your calf and lower leg bones were twisting and pulling in tension from inside of the ankle up, while your foot was caught where it was, similar to twisting while pulling the cork up out of a wine bottle. The ankle of the boot sure can't rotate, so it had to be your tissue inside the boot. It's the only motion I see which fits the angle you describe, ankle damage, and the achilles tendon, yet without violating the mechanical limits of the boot. Again, just a guess.

Because the protection is so similar in the Gaernes and Alpinestars, my current belief form the little bit that you wrote is that you would have had the same injury in either boot. And a worse injury in softer or looser boots which would have let the smaller bones in the lower ankle be displaced or break.


Regardless - heal fast!

 

[Bushyar15]

Thanks so much for your advice and observations!

When I got home last night, I took a hard look at them, put some socks on, put the boots on. On my good ankle I tried to rotate it around to test the limits… I couldn't rotate it enough to even come close to putting any stress on my ankle. I'm thinking what you describe is what most likely happened and no boot would have changed the outcome…

I hear what racer and Tabasco are saying, and I looked at the Gaernes hard before picking the Toucans. I don't remember which boot allowed more or less up/down foot rotation, but the decision was close. The Toucans have the MX style ankle and upper portions, with ADV-style traction soles for mud, and felt slightly better to ME when walking around the dealer for a half hour.

The Alpinestars and Gaernes are nearly identical in protective features for lower legs and ankles. Both offer solid protection against footpeg impalement, both have the hinged ankle to limit both rotation and up/down travel, and neither ankle rotates. I didn't see any other ADV boots with ALL of this. In protection, it was an apples versus peaches comparison. Both are incredibly good protection for the lower leg and just like ski boots, an injury will go to next weakest link.

What follows is educated guess and I'll defer to any ortho docs we have on the group, but here goes. The knee has more connective tissue than the ankle, so the knee would be stronger in tension. It sounds like the upper part of your calf and lower leg bones were twisting and pulling in tension from inside of the ankle up, while your foot was caught where it was, similar to twisting while pulling the cork up out of a wine bottle. The ankle of the boot sure can't rotate, so it had to be your tissue inside the boot. It's the only motion I see which fits the angle you describe, ankle damage, and the achilles tendon, yet without violating the mechanical limits of the boot. Again, just a guess.

Because the protection is so similar in the Gaernes and Alpinestars, my current belief form the little bit that you wrote is that you would have had the same injury in either boot. And a worse injury in softer or looser boots which would have let the smaller bones in the lower ankle be displaced or break.


Regardless - heal fast!

 

[Cberg]

I went thru the same dilemma just over a year ago....ADV boot or full-on MX boot. I wanted protection, especially with the prospect of my leg/foot being wedged between a bike as stout as the Super Tenere and something hard! After weeks of online research, I had narrowed my decision down to a handful of boots. 3 MX boots, and a pair of ADV-style boots. I then contacted Brian at Atomic Moto to discuss the options. What it boils down to is, do you want the most protection you can find in a boot, while sacrificing a bit of mobility? Or do you want full-on comfort walking the streets of your destination while giving up some of that protective ability?
I went with a full-on MX boot (Gaerne SG-10) and what sets it and the upper-level boots apart from the lower range MX boots (such as your O'Neal) is that it has a two=sided mechanical hinge. Simply, this boot flexes more in the ankle area than lesser MX boots (and ADV boots flex in that area because of the 'softer' construction). Not saying ADV boots won't protect, but they won't protect as well. And a hinged MX boot will allow you to walk around without feeling like a robot. Not quite like wearing sneakers, but they still walkable. Plus, when you get to that range of a boot, they are incredibly comfortable. Hefty, yes, but the fit and interior finish is beyond anything you might find in a lesser boot. Gaerne, Sidi and Forma would be my recommendations, but give Brian and shout....he'll spend plenty of time with you to walk you thru your decision-making process (and, yes, I have a testimony on their website).

I agree about the differance between a high end moto boot to a lower end one, there is no comparison. I ride/ race a lot of single track on a Ktm 350 XC and I have been using high end moto boots for many years. I have used lower end boots when I first started riding and did not find them comfortable at all and if they got wet and I took them off and let dry they were impossible to get on. After I started spending a few $$ on boots I find all day comfort, protection and much better feel on the brake and shifter. Last year I used Forma Adventure boots while riding my Super T and find them way to soft in the sole for me. The bottoms of my feet get very fatigued quickly especially off road when standing a lot. I just purchased some Fox Instincts and am going to try them on the Super T and will most likely use them instead of the Forma's.

 

[craigd]

I have Alpinestars Scouts and Alpinestars Tech 7 Enduros. I rode the Scouts for one trip to Moab with the KLX300 and decided to buy the Tech 7's because it seemed like full-on offroad would quickly tear up the Scouts. The first trip with the Tech 7's, I immediately knew I would be using them for all harder offroad activity. Both boots are very comfortable and did not require much breaking-in. The Tech 7's have vastly more protection and I am pretty sure they saved my ankle and my toes a couple different times. The Scouts have much better feel on the shifter and brake, so the Tech 7's take some getting used to and shifting is appreciably less of a finesse experience. The enduro soles on the Tech 7's are surprisingly grippy and I was happily able to do some climbing/scrambling without feeling like I was going to slip. Walking in the Tech 7's does have a little bit of an alpine ski boot quality about it, but not so much that I hesitated to walk to overlooks or photo opportunities. To sum up, I wear the Scouts for street and easy dirt roads and am very happy with them in those situations. The Tech 7's are for off road and give much better durability and peace of mind from injuries. I hope this helps. Also, Bushy (or anyone else) since you are in Colorado, you are welcome to swing by and check out the boots in person if you think it would be helpful.

Cheers,
Craig

 

[Tyke]

Boots are such a personal thing where consideration must be given to the type of riding you are taking on, MX boots like the Alpinestar Tech 8 are great with individual lining they provide high levels of protection, but maybe aren't just as comfortable in a non competitive environment.

I've had MX boots and Trials boots in the past, but find that my current (now non squeeky) Sidi Adventures offer great protection and are comfortable for me...my riding these days is all road based

You should always try on a different style /pair of boots before purchase , if you are largely riding off road then maybe a MX based boot will be better, the trade off may be that they aren't as comfortable as an adventure style boot , good luck ::008::

 

[shrekonwheels]

Usually I just wear Alpinestar Stage leather boots, if I am planning on an extended ride or lots of twisties and dirt I will wear My Sidi Vertigo Corsas, they provide ample protection and have some flexibility. I would look to track boots

 

[Bushyar15]

After our buddy breaking his lower leg a few weeks ago, I decided to go with full on MX boots. Picked up a pair of Sidi Crossfire 2s.

We'll today they got their first test. My pant leg got caught and couldn't get my left foot down in time. Bike listed on to its left side with my foot under it. When I sat up my leg was pinned at the ankle between the case and the pavement. I couldn't pull my leg from under the bike. So I had to use my right leg and do a "leg press" against the right grab rail to lift the bike off my leg…

This time no pain, no injury, nothing! I think they paid for themselves...

 

[spam16v]

I'm laid up with a broken Tibia and fibula right now. 7 screws, plate, 16 staples and a 5" incision. Was riding my '09 KTM 250 XCW 2T in Alpinestars Tech 3's. Bike landed on its side and crushed my leg. Nothing is going to cure all breaks. I have a set of Toucans too. They're a real boot. When I think of ADV boots I think of my TCX Goretex infinity's I wear on the street on the S10 or the limp dick Forma boots everyone is losing their minds over, both of which will barely stand up on their own without a foot in them. Nothing is going to protect you from everything, but the Toucans are a decent compromise. Mine are getting replaced by Goretex right now since I'm laid up.

 

[Bushyar15]

Wow, sorry to see that. I guess lower leg injuries are not uncommon doing off road regardless of motorcycle. OnesandOs had the exact same looking break on his left leg…

I'm new to "off road" and didn't realize this is not uncommon to have happen…

I'm laid up with a broken Tibia and fibula right now. 7 screws, plate, 16 staples and a 5" incision. Was riding my '09 KTM 250 XCW 2T in Alpinestars Tech 3's. Bike landed on its side and crushed my leg. Nothing is going to cure all breaks. I have a set of Toucans too. They're a real boot. When I think of ADV boots I think of my TCX Goretex infinity's I wear on the street on the S10 or the limp dick Forma boots everyone is losing their minds over, both of which will barely stand up on their own without a foot in them. Nothing is going to protect you from everything, but the Toucans are a decent compromise. Mine are getting replaced by Goretex right now since I'm laid up.

 

[cosmic]

When I do hobby racing, Sidi Xfire it is. Otherwise I use my trustworthy TCX Desert X GTX most of the time. Just the weight difference is about 1kg each, not to mention the water resistance, feel, comfort...

 

[bendrichard]

While I enjoy the comfort and "walkability" of the Toucan's, I'm not impressed with their ankle protection on the inner (medial) side of the boots.
The outside ankle support is strong and protective but if you press on the ankle area of the inner side it flexes easily.

Six weeks ago I dropped my KTM990 while coming to a stop on a dirt road. The 990 fell on my right ankle trapping it. The boot didn't provide the protection that I needed in that situation.
I'm still in healing mode.
Richard

 

[iClint]

Wow, sorry to see that. I guess lower leg injuries are not uncommon doing off road regardless of motorcycle. OnesandOs had the exact same looking break on his left leg…

I'm new to "off road" and didn't realize this is not uncommon to have happen…

The only real solution is "don't fall off" motorcycling is inherently dangerous. The only thing you can really protect yourself from is abrasion/road rash.

I laughed at a comment back up the thread about cinching up a boot and trying to twist it with your hands and not being able to move it.... Add 70kg or more of body weight and just a little inertia and you have the potential to twist your leg off regardless the boot.