Aerostich Combat Lite Boots

I've had mine for about 18 months and have worn them mostly off-road. They are great while riding on or off-road: great protection, great comfort, great quality. But, why would the maker put a sewn seam up the center of the heel cup? The first time I walked around for an hour, my heel developed a deep blister that's still a tender spot. I tried moleskin pads, athletic tape, and a large bandage, but nothing can cover up the ridge that makes walking torturous. I love the boots for riding, but have to take them off when off the bike.

I'll start this off by saying as a motorcycle courier I practically live in my gear. I demand a lot out of it - it's gotta be easy to put on and comfortable on the bike so I'll actually use it, it's gotta be comfortable enough off the bike that I don't feel the need to take it off every stop, it's got to have quality construction so I don't need new stuff every couple months, and it's got to keep all my favorite body parts where they belong. Sounds easy enough - but it seems only Aerostich can get it all right.

Alright, so Sidi makes these boots, but they make them the way Aerostich wants them. The opening comments all apply.These boots are at least as well put together as a solid pair of old-school Redwings, like my Iron Rangers, except that they're probably even more well-made. The leather is VERY thick. The stitching is heavy-duty. These boots just ooze quality craftsmanship.

There is most certainly a break-in period, however after reading the reviews I was expecting way worse. Right out of the box, after making reasonably sure I had a proper fit, I wore them to work. Stiff, sure. Too much to deal with? Not by half. I had around 12 start and stops, on and off, pounding a little pavement in between. Day after, and my feet are no worse for the wear. I missed a couple shifts due to the stiffness. I can already feel them becoming more flexible, so I'm sure that'll be gone within a few days of work. I have the wedge sole. The grip is excellent, but living in California means it'll be a while before I get to test them in any "real" weather.

I was most impressed with the feeling of these babies on the pegs. The most on-the-bike comfort I've ever had out of a boot. I didn't even know what I was missing.

The stock laces do kinda stink. I will attempt to clip them to a more manageable length but will probably have to replace them with something more substantial within a few months. Does this hurt my experience? None at all. Laces are cheap and now I get to be picky about things like length and quality once I get it sorted out.

I'm looking forward to many miles in my new favorite boots. Thanks again, Aerostich!

Well...overall pretty happy with these boots....BUT...not happy with the longevity of the lining. It lasted just long enough for me to resole the boots. Trying to glue it back in to place, but not holding out much hope. Somewhat disappointing.....

I love my Lights, but it may be worthwhile looking at a 45 degree cut on the lower corner of the flaps. Mine are curling a bit.

Combat Lites with wedge sole-simply the BEST(no contest ~real leather, quality drips from these boots just like water). Ya' Get What Ya' Pay For!

I received my Combat Lites a few days ago.im usually a size 10 to 10 1/2,I ordered size 10 ,and they were too small,so I exchanged for size 11.Perfect ,and the first thing I did was take out the yellow laces,to replace with leather ones.Ive been wearing these boots for two days,and they are still stiff,but not uncomfortable. They appear to be very well made ,so should last me for years.I ordered mine with Amber wedge soles,and while out for a ride on my CB900F they feel great,and grip the road surface well.i rubbed some 'Sno Seal' on my new boots today,and I'm glad I took advantage of the sale on 12/13/14,saved a bunch

I waited to review these until I had broken them in and wore them for a while. As with any good boot it took some time to break in. Since then they just seem to get better every time that I wear them. I love them and plan on having them for a very long time. They are very well built. The fit is perfect. I emailed customer service to assist in fitting me. Very helpful.

Overall product quality seemed exemplary. Two issues. The first is the laces provided: they snag on the Velcro every opportunity, which gets old in a hurry. The second is that the height of the toe box is just too low when wearing thick boot socks (e.g., SmartWool). It pressed down on the top of my big toe badly. But for the toe box issue, I would definitely have kept them.

I have a hard to fit shaped foot. No only are my feet "low-volume", but my forefoot is at least medium width while my heel is very narrow. In addition, my legs are rather skinny. From much of what I had read about these boots, I figured that they just would not work for me. Fortunately, Aerostich held a Pop-Up event in my city a while back and I got the opportunity to try the Combat Lites on for myself. I discovered that between the drawstring, the buckle and the velcro closure system, these boots fit my feet amazingly well. I was very surprised. So I ended up buying a pair. I later fitted some of the sizing footbeds that look just like the ones sold by Aerostich (mine are by DownUnders). While I could have gotten by with the stock insoles, the footbeds truly make for the perfect fit. No other motorcycle boot that I've tried on could match the fit that I get out of these, and I've tried quite a few.

As many have already stated, the leather and the build quality on these is top notch. I went with the "wedge" soles (the tan colored sole) and have been very happy with them. It's been raining around here lately and traction on wet street surfaces has been good for me. Sizing wise, I normally wear street shoes in the 8 - 9 range (my foot measure at a size 8.5) and the Euro size 42 worked perfectly for me.

As far as break-in goes, I've had these for six weeks or so now and find them to be very comfortable. The more you wear them, the better they get. Like many others, I wore them around the house for a few days before using them for riding. While somewhat awkward due to the stiffness of the leather, I experienced no pain. After that, I've simply just worn them every day on my commute and they've adapted to my feet nicely with a decent amount of flexibility. I did mss a few shifts the first couple of days of riding with them (again due to the initial stiffness) but I've had no problems since then — I no longer give them any thought at all while I'm riding. Much of the weight and stiffness of footwear is relative. I also have a pretty heavy duty pair of thick leather hiking boots that I had to break in years ago. These boots were no worse to work in than those were. Like the hiking boots, I expect the Combat Lites to last me for many, many years to come.

Like any good leather boot the break in process will be arduous and painful but at the end of it all these boots will last a very long time, they're rebuildable and they're extremely comfortable.

Don't give up on them during the break in.