Are Steel Toes Good For Motorcycle Boots?

Since motorcycle boots have to provide some protection, is it a good idea to get steel toe boots for riding?

Obviously, you want to get motorcycle boots that protect your feet. They have to be sturdy enough to put up with road conditions and the vibration from the bike, and keep your feet safe in case of an accident.

Protection is important, but does that mean steel toes are good for motorcycle boots? Well, as it happens…

Steel Toes Are Only Needed If Your Feet Are Getting Run Over

What anyone who has worn steel toe boots for any length of time will tell you is that you don't want to wear them unless you have a really good reason to. Not that steel toe boots can't be comfortable to wear, but unless you have to...a soft toe or celastic toe is less hassle.

Get on eBay or some other classifieds site and look at barely-used work boots.

What you'll find a lot of is steel toe boots that were worn for a little while, then ditched. Once it dawned on the owner that they didn't have to wear them, they got different boots and put them up for sale.

So if you're looking to get a pair of high quality motorcycle boots...the question is how often you find your toes getting run over or something really heavy dropped on them. Chances are it isn't very often.

In other words, unless you know for a fact that you really, really need steel toes while you're riding there isn't going to be enough benefit to having a steel toe. If you feel you must have a safety toe, a celastic toe is going to be a lot more comfortable to wear.

Steel Toe Boots Are Great For Riding If You Already Wear Them For Work

If it's more that you're wondering if your steel toe work boots make good riding boots, the answer is yes!

High-quality work boots and high-quality motorcycle boots tend to be pretty much the same thing.

They're usually made of leather, they tend to be made with a welted or stitch-down construction, and have a solid footbed that provides shock protection. Sometimes motorcycle boots are made with a pull-on design rather than being a laced boot, but more or less it's the same thing.

If you ride to work, but still need to wear heavy-duty work boots with steel toes, you can absolutely wear your work boots on your bike and it will be no problem at all.

It can be a little different for people who drive a desk for a living, but if you're wearing steel toe boots on the job...you're good to go.

Get Steel Toes Only When You Need Them, But Always Get Quality Leather Motorcycle Boots

We're going to let you in on a bit of a dirty secret.

Most "motorcycle boots" are really just leather boots that are sold to people who ride. There's little difference between them and a pair of leather work boots.

In fact, a lot of motorcycle boots are made overseas in the same factories that make other lower-tier work boots, and just get an extra buckle or a side zip added. That means it's a motorcycle boot somehow and therefore you should pay more for them.

Really, what you need in a motorcycle boot is a footbed and outsole that stands up to the vibrations of riding, and heavy-duty leather that can keep your feet protected in case you have to lay the bike down, just like wearing a riding jacket and - if you wear them - chaps.

And just like a great pair of work boots, you want to invest in quality.

Cheap work boots and cheap motorcycle boots have something in common. They get less comfortable in a hurry, and they wear out in a hurry.

If you invest in a quality pair, not only are you getting a better product, your motorcycle boots will be more comfortable. More durable. They'll last longer. They'll almost certainly look cooler, and you'll get a lot more use out of them.

So just like investing in a great pair of work boots, invest in a quality pair of riding boots that are actually built right. Spend where it matters, and you get every penny's worth.