Sidi Vertigo Race Boots - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

**87gsxrnut** · 05-27-2006, 04:40 AM

Sidi Vertigo Race Boots

Purchase Price: $275
Purchase Location: New Enough http://www.newenough.com/
Color: Black/Black
Delivery time: 2 days - free shipping

Reason for purchase: I was looking to replace my old Sidi Vertigo Race boots. They were extremely comfortable, lasting through two full seasons of racing and three and a half years of total street riding use. Not bad. I had originally purchased my old Sidis from New Enough, so I figured "why not" and went ahead and ordered from them again.

First impressions - Construction was similar to my old Sidis:

1. Replaceable frontal shin plate.

2. Replaceable toe sliders.

3. Replaceable ankle slider.

4. Hidden zipper with velcro fastened leather keeper at the top of the boot to prevent damage of the zipper during a crash, and to also prevent the zipper from retracting during a crash.

5. Non-skid rubber soles w/heel.

6. Soft and supple leather.

These boots also have a few nice upgrades:

1. The "quick cinch" rotator knob on the back of the calf, which allows the rider to adjust the backplate of the boot snug agains the leathers/jeans etc. at a twist of the knob. To release, there is a small lever that you pull. It then sets the adjustment knob back to neutral. Known as the "Tecno VR System".

2. My old SIDIs had to have a special allen key to remove the sliders. The new boots use phillips screw heads making it much easier and less of a hassle to adjust or replace boot components.

3. Heel anti-impact shock absorber. Interesting looking. I hope I won't find out if it works well.

4. Ventilation sytem. Located on the outer, lower side of the foot. Easy to access and open/close with gloves on.

Fit: I have big feet - size 13 not quite a wide, but close. I ordered the same size as I did before, a size 49 Euro (14 US). The fit is quite nice. Not a lot of slip room. Many boot sizes run small I have found. These fit me just right.

Riding impressions: The first thing I noticed was the ventilation sytem. It was almost 100-degrees today in south Texas. The breeze rolling across the sides of my feet was WELCOME to say the least. I consider that a much needed upgrade. Boots were extremely comfortable like my old Vertigos, and did not interfere or impede any controls on the bike. Rubber soles gripped the pegs solid.

Walking impressions: Again, very comfortable. Good solid grip on the pavement. I did not feel any binding, poking, grabbing etc. on my feet. I wore them for about nine-hours straight. It felt darn near like wearing a good stout set of hiking shoes with a cushioned sole.

Final Ratings on a 5-scale where 5 is the highest:

Cost: 4
Value: 5
Fit: 5
Construction: 5
Upgrades: 5

I have to say, these boots absolutely ROCK. I would recommend them from anyone from racers to the avid street rider. The boot makes the switch from riding to walking remarkeably well. Considering that these boots are more of a mid-line product from SIDI, they excel in every aspect. A great value. Hey, they also include a NICE SET OF STICKERS with the boots. How cool is that?

- Nut