MOTORCYCLE BOOTS (AND YOU?)
Once upon a time, a somewhat eccentric rider wanted to determine which is the ONE piece of motorcycle gear that is the most important. And he figured that riding naked would expose his greatest vulnerability….
OK, stated another way (albeit somewhat absurdly) if YOU were going to hop on a motorcycle to take a ride without any clothes, except for only ONE selection of motorbike protective gear, what would you choose? How about Motorcycle Boots?
WHY MOTORCYCLE BOOTS?
Why not a leather jacket? Or a motorcycle helmet?
Of course motorcycle jackets cover the largest portion of a biker’s body. And, helmets, arguably, protect the most vital part of a rider’s anatomy.
Let’s not forget that good motorcycle gloves have an important role in protecting a rider’s hands, which manage the primary motorcycle controls.
Leg protection is quite important, as well. Protective motorcycle pants, or chaps, are vital towards reducing leg injuries, which are VERY common in motorbike mishaps. Of course, for hardy and adventurous riders, good rain gear is almost as important as one’s motorcycle choice.
So, the importance of motorcycle boots is not intended to reduce the necessity of any other form of protective motorcycle gear.
But if we were to isolate only ONE piece of protective motorbike gear (particularly if that’s all you were wearing), good boots are the most fundamental.
And here’s why:
THE NAKED MOTORCYCLE RIDER AND BIKER BOOTS
We’ll presume that this naked motorcycle ride was traversed without incident (no crashing) and was conducted on a pleasantly warm day (but not too long to get sunburned).
Every time you stop, you will need to put at least one foot down, particularly if a Peace Officer pulls you over to question why you only chose to wear boots.
You could tell the Police Officer that you were conducting an experiment on the minimum motorcycle gear required to operate a motorcycle at all, and that, if you were to ride completely naked without mishap, the only part of your body that would be in contact with something potentially unfriendly for a naked body, would be the pavement.
Alas, unless the Police Officer has quite a sense of humor, you will likely be cited for more than one type of violation (hopefully you weren’t ALSO speeding).
PROTECTIVE MOTORCYCLE BOOTS
Anyway, although this naked riding example is a bit absurd, the fact is, your feet and ankles are the most exposed parts of your body when it comes to routine risks, such as rocks, curbs, other debris, or even the necessity to quickly re-establish your footing if you slip on some oil, gravel or loose sand in the road.
Of course if you are a spirited rider who may occasionally brush your boot against the pavement in a high-lean-angle turn, that would be very unfriendly with a naked foot.
And speaking of protecting you ankles, good shoes are NOT a substitute for quality motorbike boots. Those critical little ankle bones are prone to getting twisted, mangled or otherwise broken, even in a minor motorcycle mishap. Whereby, if you were wearing motorcycle boots, you may have suffered only minor or no injuries. (NOTE: “minor” or “no” injuries would not be the result of ANY naked-riding motorcycle mishap).
MOTORCYCLE BOOTS AND LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER
There’s certainly more to know about good motorcycle boots, but the point of this silly naked riding story is to emphasize the importance of good motorcycle boots and their role in protecting your feet and ankles EVERY time you go for a ride.
Wear ALL your protective gear, so that after every storied motorbike ride you’ll end up living happily ever after.
