I’ve been browsing for some footwear to ride in and was wondering to what extent which was better than the other. For example, I just happened to be looking at these Alpinestars Octane Riding shoes. Are boots more protective and are they recommended over shoes? To me, shoes seem like they would be more practical for the every day ride. But after looking through some pairs, some look more like a fashion statement than actually offering protection. So what do you guys think?
I prefer the extra shin protection of the boots, and the bonus is the wind doesn’t blow up your pant legs as much with taller boots… no need to show off the tube socks if you can help it 
For the money I would just buy a full boot. You’ll probably end up getting them anyway.
I wouldn’t recommend wearing shoes/sneakers at all when riding, but the squid in you will do it anyways. Get a good pair of boots if you want to save your ankles if anything should happen.
most of the good shoes are fairly expensive, so i’ve decided to just spend the extra and get the full boot.
i plan to wear my full boots all the time, i feel so stupid wearing just my sneakers.
all day
Sneakers for commuting and full boots for spirited or long rides.
I might pick some up. Pumas don’t offer too much protection.
I’ll be picking up some alpinestar’s with my tax refund.:tup: You might as well get the boots, you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Boots for sure. Even if they arent full blown riding boots its a hell of a lot better than sneakers. Though a full riding boot would be my choice.
smx+
^ that’s what I have for track days. I love those boots. :tup:
barefoot is your best bet you could feel every shift perfect
Any idea on how sizing runs on these? Probably a stupid question but I just want to make sure it’d be the same as your sneaker size.
It usually depends on the manufacturer. Most sites will have comments from people stating how well they fit based on the sizing.
I wear an 11.5 sneaker and got the SMX+ in a size 46. (euro)
Yeah depending on the make I wear either a 11.5 or 12 sneaker. But I have a wider foot, so that’s usually why I end up going with a 12, but I’ll read up on the feedback. Thanks!
Best bet is to just go to the nearest dealer, and just try them on.
it’s winter time. reputable companies have return/exchange policies. try newenough.com or kneedraggers.com you’ve got time before you’re going to ride anyway.
FWIW, from the reviews it looks like the smx’s run about one size larger.
Just picked up a pair of these 