Motorcycle Riding Shoes

You don’t want to ride in your street shoes, but your regular riding boots make you look like a spaceman on trips around town. Riding shoes strike a compromise between the full protection of a dedicated riding boot and the comfort and style of an everyday shoe. Here’s a look at some of the current crop of riding shoes.

The Faster from Alpinestars has an upper made of lightweight, durable, and abrasion-resistant microfiber. The closure uses laces and an adjustable Velcro strap across the lower shin. The flexible rubber sole is textured for good grip, and the midsole on the heel has an integrated steel shank. An external toe slider and ankle guard provide extra protection. (6-14, five colors, $149.95, www.alpinestars.com)

Cortech's Vice WP riding shoe is made of water-resistant leather and heavy-duty canvas, lined with a waterproof and breathable membrane. The heel and toe cap are made of thermoplastic, and a reflective Cortech logo and heel trim add nighttime visibility. The anti-slip rubber sole has a reinforced shank. (7-14, two colors, $109.99, www.cortech.net)

Joe Rocket Atomic boots are 95 percent leather and 5 percent synthetic, with double stitching in all stress areas. The ankle is padded for comfort and the sole shape is peg friendly. There's a reinforced shifter zone, and a replaceable toe slider is sold separately. A rear pull loop is also included. (7-13, five colors, $119.99, www.joerocket.com)

The Truant from Icon is built on an exclusive Icon bottom unit, and has a reinforced toe box and an axialmetric steel shank. The full-grain leather chassis has semi-covered laces, an adjustable midfoot retention strap, and a slip-resistant rubber sole. (8-14, two colors, $200.00, www.rideicon.com)

The Fairfax from Rev'it has an outer shell made of waxed suede and 600 denier polyester with a thermoformed heel cup and toe cap. The footbed and ankle cup are anatomically shaped for comfort. Closure is by both laces and a closure strap. (Euro 39-46, three colors, $279.95, www.revitsport.com)

The Gas riding shoe from Sidi is made of black suede leather with hi-viz inserts over a breathable nylon mesh. The molded inner insole is removable, and the specially shaped collar area provides comfort and ankle protection. A rubber shift pad is standard. (Euro 39-46, three colors, $119.00, www.sidisport.com)