Aerostich Combat Lite Boots

I finally pulled the trigger on the best pair of boots I have ever owned. After wasting my money on the Tourmaster Solutions which began to fall apart after less than one year, I purchased a pair of the Combat Lites. I expected the boots to require some break in time and it was shorter than I thought. I picked the size that was suggested...I usually wear 13 in tennis shoes and got the 12.5 in the CT. I am very pleased and highly recommend them. So far I am batting 1000 on Aerostich products.

Amazing how heavy the leather is that these boots are made of..Wow! As some of the other owners have said.. the laces are cheap.. replaced them right away... Break in will take awhile, after 2 weeks they are feeling great.. I expect these to be the last boots I will ever buy, they are that good!

Alright, hmm, where to start. I've waited 2 years before writing this review. I wanted to get ample time in them and I can't stand reading reviews where in the end the author states they've had the item for two weeks and love it.

I drooled over these boots for almost three years before finally buying them. And I'm not totally happy with my purchase.

The Good: These boots are very well built and very rugged, and if they fit you right you should have years and years of adventures in them. The grey soles are very grippy and look good as well. And the leather is the real deal..this is manly stuff here.

The Bad: My 11EE feet are pretty normal.. nothing odd about them. The width of the boot is perfect, but the box toe is so low that it's constantly pressing down on the toenail of my big toe. This does two things... makes the boots unbearable after an hour or two, and wears holes in the big toe area of my socks after a day's worth of riding. If the toe box just had even an extra 1/4 inch of height I would be able to wear these boots more. This is probably my biggest problem with these boots.

Also, the weird fit of the boot makes them tight on the top of my foot. Like I said the width is perfect, which makes it strange that the top of the boot is tight. Even when adjusted properly the boot presses down on the top of my foot and causes aches. I was able to remedy this with a boot stretcher and soaking the boots before stretching, but I still need to wear very thin socks and there's no way I can use a thicker, more cushioned insole which I greatly desire.

My last complaint is that the leather of both boots has creased just above my heal, and because I need to wear thin socks the creases rub my skin and cause blisters. Sure I'm tough and can take blisters but should I really have to for this price? I own boots of all kinds of Wolverines to Wesco riding and work boots and no other off the rack sizing fits me as poorly as these Combat Lites. I just don't get it.

Like I said.. the boots are constructed with very high quality and attention to detail, but after two years of wear and the boots definitely being fully broken in they just aren't my go to boots like I thought they would be. I have the same kind problems with my Falstaff jacket. It's good but not good enough. I like Aerostitch and maybe I just need to stick to buying non clothing related products from them.

I bought mine a size larger than the chart indicated to make room for electric socks in winter. They do that perfectly. In summer I use an extra thick insole which gives all day comfort fit and reduced vibration. That's all good.

The boots are nearly perfect, although an extended heavy rain will soak through. I use cheap rubber over boots now for all day rain and couldn't be happier.

I used Picard leather lotion and then AquaSeal Leather Treatment for breaking in and water proofing. Both products worked as advertised. Soaking in water and walking dry isn't necessary at all.

I've had these for about 6 years. I bought these because I liked the longer version of these boots and I ride everyday in them. This is the boot I wear if I'm going on a road trip, I also wear them through the rainy season on the road. In the dirt I wear the longer ones.

I had to wait nearly three months for these jewels. Seems the SIDI folks were on a holiday or some such nonsense. Fortunately it was worth the wait.

There is much discussion on the break in of these boots. First to all the non-believers, these are real leather boots not some fashion statement. As with any high quality leather boot the break in will take longer than a pair of basketball sneakers. TIP: wear a pair of heavy padded socks the first 10 miles of walking and 1000 miles of riding. Honestly, I wore then every day, all day for over a month before they were totally broken in to my specs. Wimpy dress socks will not work and you will have blisters galore.
I can and do wear these all day at work even if is not casual Friday. They look nice if you keep them polished up. I polished over the grey colored sole with black polish and like them even more.
These should last for many years.

I pondered getting the combat lights for a couple of years. I ride my Street Glide to work almost year around and in Seattle, that means riding in rain. I was tired of getting a new pair of engineer style riding boots every two years and even more tired of wet socks! I picked up the CLs last month and even though I had read all the reviews, I was surprised at how stiff they were. It was like walking in ski boots at first. I pondered "casing" them but thought I would try conventional methods first. Short walks for a few days and then one just under two miles. Then I greased the hinge lines that had formed and let that soak in before doing it again. They are still stiff but are no problem walking in and are a joy to ride in. I have yet put them to the test of spead out on the highwaypegs while riding in a downpour but that is coming. The one complaint I do have is the laces. As many have said, the laces suck and constantly stick to the velcro. Problem solved with some parachute cord though and now they are the right length and no velcro stick. I do think that I will be adding the custom insoles once the boots get a little more broken in as I have a little too much room in the heal. Other than that, the sizing seemed accurate. All in all, a great product, seems bullet proof and I'm glad I made the purchase.

Great boots true to size and very durable!

From SoCal i rode up to the Bay area to do some camping. I had only a few days to break-in these boots. All i had to do was to flex the toe box by holding each boot vertically and kind of applying pressure on the heel.
Temperature ranged on this trip from 109* down to 40*. Athletic wicking socks work really well with these boots as well. I love how easy it is to put on and take especially with riding suit. The only thing that was irritating was the laces get stuck in the velcro but not a big deal.
Overall very stisfied with these boots.

I agree with other reviews that said, "I wanted to like these boots." and I may still get to like them. The pair I received last month is very stiff, and I walked around the house in them for several days to try to loosen them up before going for a ride.

Even with a break-in period, it was difficult to move the boot around enough to shift when I took my first ride on my '92 R100 GS. It is also very hard (so far) to nudge the trans into neutral at stop lights - the boots are so heavy that there's no feel in the toe. Of course, heavy boots are a good thing for crash protection, so I'm going to live with that.

I also agree that the laces are awkward and get snagged in the velcro closure flap, so I cut the laces off shorter and I don't use the plastic "speed lace" fastener. The large velcro flap seems to hold the boots on tight, so the laces seem redundant.

And I agree with the review that said the boot's rubber "tongue" material has no structure and so you have to hold it out of the way with one hand, and use the other hand to put the boot on. Annoying.

The edges and stitching of the Aerostich labels inside each boot were really irritating to my calves unless I wore tall socks. I used some 120 grit sandpaper to smooth down the edges of the labels.

I like the protective height of the boot and the grip of the sole. The reflective patch on the back is a nice touch, and so far I don't have problems with the buckles.

I may try the overnight soak-and-walk technique and see if that speeds up the break-in period, and then update this review.

I waited to write this, because I wanted to like these boots. I REALLY wanted to like them. I wanted to own them for several years before I could afford to spend this much on a pair of boots.
They're very thick, stiff leather. I'm sure this is great in Minnesota winters or for riding off road. However, I live in Texas and if I go off road, it's because I made an error in a curve.
The description says: "More ideal for general touring, everyday urban riding and all day street and general purpose wear." I disagree. They are *awful* for general use. They're too heavy and too stiff. Like I said, I waited before I wrote this review. I wanted to make sure I gave them a fair shot and made sure to break them in well. I've owned them a year and a half now. Most of the time, I've only worn them back and forth to work and home - I left a pair of sneakers at work because these hurt my feet, my legs and my back.
I'm sure they're great for adventure-touring and off road riding, but sadly, they kind of suck for walking/standing in an urban/suburban environment.
Another positive note: they do seem to be pretty much waterproof.

Overall, this has been the most disappointing purchase I've made, second only to the H-D Sportster that spent more time in the shop than on the street. I think my pair is going on Craig's List soon.