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Motorcycle Tour & CruiserMotorcycle Tour & Cruiser: Dry, Comfortable, Good Protection - March 29, 2005 When I was asked by MT&C Editor Laura Brengelman to review a set of Cruiserworks'® waterproof Cruiserboots®, I said, "Sure. No problem." I was looking for a good set of waterproof riding boots anyway. My rain suit and full helmet take good care of the rest of me, but my feet always get soaked. As it turns out, it was going to be wet out for the next couple of days. I would just wear the boots on my daily commute to work and give them some around town and highway time. The sample boots even came in my size! (It must be fate.) The boots passed the ride-in test easily. My feet were dry every day, and the boots were comfortable to ride and walk in. Okay, that took care of the short term, light rain test, but what about when you get caught in a real hard rain on the highway? Would my feet still stay dry? Well, I wasn't about to go cruising the highways looking for a thunderstorm to ride in, so I did the next best thing. I armed my seven-year-old with a power nozzle-equipped garden hose and told her to blast my feet as much as she could. (Not being a total idiot, I had on a full rain suit at the time.) After about 10 minutes of blasting and giggling, she stopped hosing me down. (Of course, I first had to scream "Stop!" eight or nine times, but what else is new?) I then took a walk around the front yard. Nope, no water squishing around in these boots. I was impressed. So what did the folks at Cruiserworks® make these 11-inch-high engineer boots out of? Starting at the top, the boot is made of premium full grain leather that has the waterproofing beat into it, not sprayed. This process ensures that the waterproofing will last longer. To keep the water out, the uppers and outsoles also are bonded with polyurethane. In the comfort department, a two-zone Dri-lex liner is used to wick moisture away from your feet, while a Poliyou air-injected cushion insole keeps things comfortable and odor free. As for protection, there's a tough nylon ballistic cloth around the ankle area to protect against punctures and skid-through. The toe guard is a Styrene toe box design developed for the Canadian military, which won't conduct cold or get bent out of shape after repeated shifting. Working our way down to the sole, a shock-resistant footboard is used instead of a steel shank to reduce fatigue-causing vibration. The folks at Cruiserworks® say this footboard has a tensile strength of 4,300 pounds per square inch. The sole itself has a V-grip outsole for better traction on gravel To round out the package, the crew at Cruiserworks® states that if you don't like your boots for any reason, you can just send them back for a refund. No questions asked -- even if you just don't like the way they fit or look. Sounds like a deal to me. MT&C SOURCES: Cruiserboots® Sizes 7 to 11-1/2 in half sizes, plus 12 and 13, all in medium or wide widths Available in black $209, plus shipping & handling Made in Canada Cruiserworks, LLC 5015-F West W.T. Harris Blvd Charlotte, NC 28269 800-955-1187 www.cruiserworks.com Reprinted with permission. For subscription information to Motorcycle Tour & Cruiser call: 800-875-2997 |
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