Urban Racer Boot
Five years and 20,000 miles in, how are these very cool looking, but expensive motorcycle boots fairing? The answer is; pretty good actually. Which they should be considering they cost about £350 a pair. But does that premium price equate to a premium boot? In the hands (and feet) the Rokker Urban Racer boots feel extremely well made, I haven't really looked after my pair and besides needing a good clean, they're showing no signs of coming apart or wearing thin anywhere.
Similar to a lot of high-end footwear, these boots come equipped with a replaceable Vibram, Goodyear welted sole. That means that as long as I keep the upper leather in good nick with a yearly clean and oil coating, I can keep replacing the soles of the boots until the end of time. For me that makes the initial cost of buying the boots more reasonable as I won't be needing to replace them for quite some time.
From a protection point of view, the Urban Racers don't come with any official safety rating. However, if you get a chance to hold a pair in your hands, there’s a reassuring weight and ruggedness to them.
In contrast to claims from some online retailers, I found my pair of Rokker boots will never be comfortable enough to wear as an everyday boot. They're heavy and incredibly stiff out of the box and they haven't yet broken in enough to wear them all day, everyday. The boots are actually very comfortable when on a bike to be fair, but the stiffness means you'll definitely feel it after a long day of walking in them.
Despite that small issue, I actually love these boots, so much in fact that I bought a second pair in a darker colour. For me, there's no better everyday motorcycle boot. There are some that are better in specific conditions, such as my Merlin Legacy long boots, but generally it's my Urban Racer's that I'm reaching for when setting off out on a ride.
