Aerostich Combat Touring Boots

Great boot- I'm glad I gave them a chance to break in.Very stiff at first. Took about 2 weeks following Mr. Subjective's advice. Would buy again.

I bought these boots after waiting a long time because of the price and lack of free shipping. In the end I bought them for use on my Vstar Cruiser. Forgive me for not fully understanding the jargon, but I was under the impression they were for ON road riding. With forward controls, they are impossible since they don't flex at all to actually shift gears. I'd end up killing myself using these things. Clearly these boots, which are very high quality, are not intended for anything other than offroad/sport use. Too bad for me. Now ebay will get them for half what I paid.

I found there was little break in necessary and have ridden x-continent 5 times with them and through all kinds of weather; hot, cold, wet, very wet, dry, extremely hot, etc., and three Iron Butt runs.
Do a seasonal maintenance of cleaning and water proofing.
The general grouch I've heard is the cheezy laces get hung up and fuzzy on the hook and loop. This is true. Miserable laces. Easy fix: Leather boot laces. Get rid of the little plastic slide and tie the leather laces like you were taught.
Keep the rubber side down.

The boots arrived promptly. The leather is beautiful. Thick but supple. I typically wear a 14 tennis shoe and ordered a 13.5. They fit perfectly. As my feet are narrow I was worried the boot would be too wide but that wasn't a problem. Some have commented that the boots are too stiff, but I wore them to work right out of the box and spent ten hours stomping up and down stairs. I was comfortable all day. There are no rough spots inside the boot. Interior seams are super smooth and the stitching and workmanship are excellent. I don't regret spending $300.00 on these boots.

Although I don't rack up the mega-miles like the touring set, I have moto-commuted for 6 years and had these boots from the beginning. Break in is easy-peasy, just wear and ride a lot! As far as resoling, I have gone through 3 soles, I use a motocross resoler who has done a great job. The last time I sent them in, I asked if there was a limit to the number of resoles, he said nope, as long as the boot is intact otherwise. I prefer the cleated soles, they don't slip on surfaces and grip the pegs better on my supermotos.

This is my second pair of Combat Touring Boots, and I wish I had several more, in case there's ever a world Combat Touring Boot shortage. I gave my first pair to my Nephew after determining that I'd never be able to finish breaking them in. I thought it over better about a year or so later, and ordered another pair, in one size smaller. Bingo! Best boots I've ever had, along with my Lowa Trekkers. They were broken in almost immediately, and I found myself wearing them around, unaware that I was wearing my CBTs. I absolutely swear by them. It takes thought to get used to shifting with them on at first, but it could be that thinking about my bike while riding isn't really a negative.
Al in Oklahoma

The combat touring boots cleated soles have been my daily commuting and long distance touring boots for almost a year. The break-in period was only about a week. I did the recommend Aqua Seal applications x 2 as before wearing them. I had no problems with sores or blisters during the break-in. One year later, several rides in down poors and couple of refreshing Aqua Seals and some black shoe polish, the boots still look great, are water tight, and the soles are still going strong.

The boots are worn over shin/knee guards without a problem. I wear size 10-10.5 boots so I ordered the size 11 to allow room for heavy wool socks. Good move. No tightness with my knee length support hose & knee length heavy wool socks.

I motorcycle commute year round in the Panhandle of Texas, temps from 10-100F without a problem. I have done 250 mile trips in below freezing with the boots and my heavy wool socks & support hose combination without numb toes or tingling feet.

As an added bonus, the Combat Touring Boots Cleated Soles are stiff enough for me to treat a stress fracture in my foot I incurred from walking too far for too many days in a row in a pair of leather soled boots that definitely were not made for walking. I have been wearing the Combat Touring Boots every day from getting up to laying down for the last two weeks. Still no blisters, pressure sores and my stress fracture is mending nicely.

Well worth the full price I paid. Now I am going to get a pair on sale for my son who is following in the old man's tire tracks. Yeehaw!!!

Paul Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
Amarillo, TX

I'm getting ready to buy a second pair of CTBs. I bought my last pair in 1998, and they've been my primary footwear since around 2000, 2001. I've had them resoled twice - although I've never found a cobbler that knew how to resole them with the original soles. So yeah, the boots have lasted me 12 years. And frankly the leather is still good, and if I didn't mind that the gaiters have worn all away they'd probably be good for another 6.

After they were broken in, they were very, very comfortable and after several years they basically became heavy leather slippers that I wear everywhere. They're easier to get into and out of than most regular shoes, and are generally all-around awesome.

Yes, they're expensive at first. But amortize that $300 over the 12 year lifespan mine have had and they're one of the least expensive boots I've ever owned.

The only downside is that after 5 or 6 years the nice soft white leather lining started to fall away and it apparently can't be replaced, but that didn't really have any effect on anything other than that they weren't as pretty on the inside anymore.

I have put 20,000+ miles on these boots, many in the far northwest (Yukon. Alaska). If you expect the worst possible conditions, you need these boots because they will let you concentrate on the essentials and enjoy your trip. Wear warm socks. They're easy to walk in. Accept no substitutes! You'll have no regrets wherever you go.

At the time of this writing, I've had my Combat Touring Boots for 2 years. I use them on my KTM 950 Adventure and my KTM 640 Adventure bikes; the the boots are perfect for adventure touring; when you don't want to don a full-on Motocross boot, but you need/want more protection and support than a street boot. The stiffness of the soles gives you support for standing on the pegs for long stretches, but isn't so stiff that you can't walk in them. Same with the leather; I want stiffness for support but I want comfort as well. The heavier duty leather doesn't take that long to break in; and once the boot as conformed to your foot, you'll have the perfect combo of comfort and support/protection. Looking forward to many years from these great boots. They are made by Sidi for Aerostich - Sidi makes the best riding boots in the world. I Sidi for my sport/street boots as well as for my heavier duty motocross boots. The Aerostich pricetag on these boots is actually lower than what you'll pay for a Sidi branded high end boot (my Sidi Crossfires cost over $400). Highly recommended boot. Will last you a lifetime.