I thought my Alpinestars Tech-Ts might do, and they’re close to what I need, but they’re still a competition motorcycle boot and walking into someone’s house or office they’ll still raise an eyebrow or two.
Then along came TCX with this great boot from their Vintage Series. Sure, it’s still more of a boot than a shoe, but it’s super-stylish in that, yes, vintage way, and so they’re definitely casual. I also very much like that this is a waterproof boot, that’s a level of functionality that should come standard in a road boot. Also it’s just so simple: full grain (oiled) leather, replaceable commando-type sole and a zip up the calf (protected by a flap on the inside to maintain the waterproofing).
The simplicity means you can walk around in all-day comfort. Obviously this means less crash protection – but, given the layering of the leather and the ankle-protecting soft inserts there’s a lot more than if you rode in shoes or non-motorcycling boots. They look the part, but aren’t ostentatious, especially work under jeans. So far I rate the comfort (almost zero break-in required), the feel (your foot isn’t isolated from the controls) and the look (msart-casual?!); and after an hour in rain my feet were still dry. I’ll check back in with a further used and abused report later.
JB
