THE RIDE VERDICT

Alpinestars top the charts once again

GETTING THE RIGHT combination of protection, fit, comfort, breathability and of course, waterproofing in one pair of boots is no mean feat. As you can see here, it’s easy to excel in one or two of the areas that are crucial for touring boots but it’s harder to tick every box. However, as we found several months ago when we tested waterproof sports boots, one manufacturer seems to have hit the nail on the head; Alpinestars.

Just as it did back then, the brand has emerged from our testing process as the clear winner. It’s combination of all the elements that make up a touring boot means the Web GTX, with its supple yet protective design and its resistance to water entering but breathability in use give the rider everything they could want in a boot. We meant it when we said we could easily see ourselves doing 1000-mile days in these boots with no problems and the highest possible rating for safety is the icing on the cake. As a result, they are well deserving of a Best Buy Triangle.

Running it second are the Dane Esbys. These are a very modern and lightweight-looking design and they performed exceptionally well. They kept the feet cool and reasonably well secured and, though a little looseness did affect confidence slightly, they too had the highest CE rating for protection. They also did well on the spray test, with just a little water entering at the very end of the dunk test while flexing. On this basis, they are also very worthy of a Recommended triangle.

The third-placed Paragon 2s have a touch of RST’S racing and sports heritage too them, meaning that challenging roads can be enjoyed as well as longer tours to get there. They were let down by water ingress and a low CE rating though and as a result, they miss out on a Recommended award, even at such a low price.

‘The Dane Esby’s performed exceptionally well’