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I refuse to ride without wearing a good quality riding boot. The main reason is that a riding boot, by design, will protect the rider’s ankles and the soles of their feet. Foot pegs tend to be pretty sharp and without a sturdy boot, those pegs don’t take long to shred ordinary footwear.
I’ve run into two significant problems while wearing a full height riding boot. First, they make the task of walking even a menial distance frustrating at best. Second, pushing the gas and brake pedals on a SxS is nearly impossible. Over the last month, I’ve spent many hours in a pair of black size 13 Alpinestars Tech 2 boots. For me, the Tech 2’s have taken the place of two pairs of boots. In the past, I’ve always packed a pair of riding boots to ride ATV’s and a pair of hiking boots to drive a SxS. Those days are officially over.
The Tech 2 gives a guy like me the best of both worlds. They helped protect me from rolling an ankle or bruising the bottom of my feet while I was on an ATV, but they also allowed me the ability to get off my ATV and explore the forest comfortably on foot. Furthermore, the Tech 2 is the only riding boot that has given me enough comfort and flexibility to drive a SxS. Although shorter in stature than a typical riding boot, the Tech 2 definitely still helped protect my ankle and soles while allowing more flexibility.
The Tech 2 definitely helps fill a niche. If you need a boot that offers protection, but has the flexibility to adapt to SxS operation or provides more walking comfort, Alpinestars Tech 2 is worth a solid look.
Key Features:
• Supple Top Grain Leather – aids in greater flexibility and comfort.
• Breathable liner – helps wick sweat away to keep your feet dry.
• Outsole – A multi-colored outsole is compression molded around a contoured tempered steel support shank. This exclusive compound is designed for both high abrasion protection as well as high grip.
• Buckles – constructed from an impact-resistant injection molded polymer, they’re modeled after the high-end Tech 10 boot buckle design.
• Lowered Achilles Cutout – provides greater flexibility to make walking or driving a Side-by-Side (SxS) possible with a riding boot.
• High grip PVC and Velcro Closure – located at the top of the boot, they help keep mud and dirt out.
• Suede Inner Panel – helps resists both heat and wear from contacting hot engine parts.
• Anti-Bacterial Sole – aids in keeping your feet healthy and the boots from smelling like a dead body.
Hits:
• Provides ankle and sole protection
• Much more flexible than a full height riding boot, making it easier to drive a SxS or walk around during your trail ride.
• Legendary durability
• Alpinestars buckles work very smoothly and the Tech 2 is no different
Misses:
• A more aggressive sole pattern would provide more traction in sloppy conditions.