If an adventure rider is looking for new boots, they might consider Alpinestars’ Belize shorty boots, if they’re looking to save cash and plan to stick to easier surfaces. Or, maybe the Corozal boots, if they’re looking for something a bit more technical. Alpinestars’ top-tier adventure boots are the Toucans, which offer reasonably robust protection and all-weather comfort year after year after year. I’ve been running Toucans for some time now, and they might be the first riding boots that I have zero complaints about.
But what if you want something that offers even more protection, while staying waterproof? For the true Hardcore Henry types, Alpinestars now offers the Tech 7 Enduro Drystar boots. Most dirt bike boots offer protection against splashes, muck and even light rain, but they are not made to be all-day waterproof. The Tech 7 Enduro Drystar boots (retail price around $460) fill that niche for Alpinestars. They’re almost as comfy as a standard ADV boot, but they’re made for much more aggressive dirt riding.
Alpinestars asked if I wanted a set for testing this year, and I said I did. I’ve been running these boots this spring on dirt-and-gravel rides around the house. Here’s what I have to say so far:
Those buckles lock up tighter than a bank vault, keeping dirt and twigs out as you ride. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
These are solid, legit dirt-bike boots.
Most adventure motorcycle boots are not as stiff and rigid as proper dirt bike boots. Compare a set of boots made for enduro or motocross to your average sub-$500 ADV boots, and you’ll see the ADV boots are not as stiff or tight, and the buckles often appear weaker. There’s a simple reason for this: Most ADV boots don’t do hard-core off-roading.
Unlike those more road-oriented boots, the Tech 7 Enduros are built to handle a beating. The boots’ upper has stiff construction that limits the movement of your ankle/leg joint in all directions, while also providing crash protection should you have an off in the woods. There’s a metal shank, and the toebox is beefed-up to handle a bump in the woods. There’s hard plastic (TPU) all over the outside of the boots, warding off impacts along the trails.
As for the sole, Alpinestars says it’s specially-designed for enduro riders, to offer better grip, feel and structural rigidity. Well, the marketeers would say that, wouldn’t they? I will say, though that these boots felt very locked-in on my WR250R pegs, with much more grip than even my much-loved Toucans. They do feel a bit funny off the bike, as it feels like your heels are tipped a bit forward. But, these boots are made for ridin’, not walkin’. Sorry, Nancy Sinatra.
The built-for-hard-use theme continues with a four-buckle closure system (plastic buckles in an aluminum frame) combined with a hook-and-loop strip. If one buckle fails, you’ve got plenty of backup. The buckles are pretty robust, though, not like the chintzy stuff you see on so much of the lower-end gear on the market these days.
In other words, they feel like they have the toughness you’d want in an enduro boot.
See that plastic plate along the back, and the soft boot collar above it? These work together to make these boots very comfortable to walk in, or move back and forth on the pegs. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
For dirt bike boots, they’re very comfortable
Almost any manufacturer can piece together a beefy boot, but most of us wouldn’t want to wear them for long miles. In my opinion, this is the real advantage of these boots—they’re comfortable on the bike for long periods, and even off the bike—sort of.
The Tech 7 Enduro boots broke in fast. They have plenty of room inside, and fit true to size (I’m an 11 in North America, and the boots were almost too big).
These aren’t exactly cushy footwear, but the foam padding around the ankles and collar that’s meant to cushion impacts also offers considerable comfort, and so does the EVA insole. There’s quite a bit of support under the arches of your feet, noticeably more than some other boots, and I felt this kept me more planted on the pegs. Although the shaft of the boot is quite stiff, it has flex where you need it. Alpinestars also says “Top rear flexion of the boot is supported around the calf by an innovative TPU sliding blade system which dissipates friction.” Decoding the market-speak, what they’re saying is: The back of the boot has armor that moves with your leg’s motion, as opposed to staying rigid, causing blister-inducing friction. I will say that I particularly liked this feature, as it made it much easier to walk around in the boots, although it did make them more noisy.
Drystar keeping me nice and dry while out fishing a floating bog that was only realistically accessible on my WR250R. Sorry for the not-so-great photo of the brookie; I snapped it fast, trying to get him back into the beaver pond as healthy as possible. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
Because the boots are stiff in the right places, but with plenty of flex built in where you want it, I feel like these might actually reduce rider fatigue over a long haul enduro stretch, by offering support to your lower legs, same as a stiff hockey skate or ski boot. I’m not sure how to prove this scientifically, though.
The best feature is the Drystar liner. No boot is comfortable when it gets too soggy, and the breathable Drystar material keeps that from happening. How well does it work? I actually used these boots for “Ride to Fish, Fish to Ride” trips to some new trout angling spots this spring, and hiked quite a bit of creekside mileage with them. The Drystar boots kept the sogginess out, even when walking through floating bog or running streams.
In fact, these boots were surprisingly comfortable in some fairly rugged hiking up and down tree-strewn slopes to fishing spots. They do not have the all-round comfort of something like a pair of REV’IT! Pioneer GTX, but they aren’t aimed at the same market—I’m just saying the Tech 7s are OK for moving around off the bike, as long as you don’t mind the squeaky noises.
On early-production boots, these mega-traction soles were replaceable, but it looks like the current-production model is glued on. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
Some niggles
At least you don’t get the clickety-clack noise that steel toe protectors make, which are common on other off-road boots, but the Tech 7s are noisier than I like, for sure. They’re also heavy, like you’d expect a pair of beefed-up off-road dirt bike boots to be, and they’re hot to wear. Some people might blame this on the Drystar liner being less breathable than Gore-Tex (or so they say), but I think no matter what liner you put in, they’ll be hot to wear if you’re physically active in scorching or muggy weather. They’re big bulky boots, like any other dirt bike boots.
As the articulation of your shin-ankle joint is limited, you’ll end up learning to shift your bike’s gearbox by lifting your leg, not flexing your ankle. This isn’t news to anyone who’s spent time riding in proper off-road boots, but if you haven’t done so before, just be aware that you’ll have to change your technique a bit, and maybe relocate the shift lever a bit.
I ride in off-road ADV-style pants, not knee braces like a true enduro geek. Maybe knee braces would interfere with these boots, but I had no way of finding out. If you’re worried bout that sort of thing, I suggest you try before you buy—or buy from a place that offers easy returns. That’s also obviously important if you don’t get the fit dialed in right.
In closing: I think these are well worth the sub-$500 price for someone who’s serious about off-road boots, but also wants waterproofing. Probably not a necessity for desert riding out west, but very nice here in the east. If your focus is mostly on-road travel, though, you probably would be happier with a more street-oriented boot, as a more comfortable compromise.
