MCN Biking Britain survey: race boots over £150

1. Daytona Evo Sport, £459.99
Daytona boots are long established as top quality race boots, hence the price tag that comes with them. The Evo Sport has a hard inner boot shell with a solid hinged joint and a soft calf skin outer shoe with plastic reinforcements and elasticised areas for flex. The outer boot can be replaced as can the hard plastic toe sliders and plastic screws.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  88%
Fit  89%
Looks  87%
Quality  91%
Overall  91%

2. TCX Competitzione S, £179.99
The Competitzione S is the slightly lesser spec’d version of TCX’s flagship Competitzione RS race boot. The upper is made from micro fibre and the internal lining is breathable. The boot has protection in the form of a polyurethane shin plate with iron mesh air inserts and a polyurethane shift pad. The toe sliders are replaceable and the closure has elastic around the zip for better comfort.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  92%
Fit  91%
Looks  86%
Quality  91%
Overall  91%

3. Sidi Vortice, £289.95
The upper part of this new for ’09 boot is Lorica leather with a mesh internal liner and replaceable shin plate. Like the rest of the top of the range Sidi boots, the Vortice has both a calf and instep tensioner as well as ankle support braces. The Vortice also has an air ventilation system on the slider, the heel cup is shock absorbing and the nylon inner sole has a removable arch support.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  84%
Fit  87%
Looks  93%
Quality  93%
Overall  90%

4. Alpinestars Supertech R, £299.95
The Supertech R is Alpinestars top of the range boot, as worn by all their MotoGP representatives. It’s a fully CE approved race boot. It comes with Alpinestars well tested calf ratchet adjustment system and the shin protection has vented sections for improved airflow. The front flex panel is mesh, there is a plastic protective heel plate and replaceable toe sliders. It also has Alpinestars patented inner booty system, too.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  88%
Fit  89%
Looks  92%
Quality  90%
Overall  90%

5. Sidi Vertigo Corsa, £249.95
The Vertigo Corsa was Sidi’s long standing flagship boot until the Vortice came along this year. It has an anti-twist ankle support system, a shock absorbing heel cup, interchangeable carbon fibre shin protectors and ceramic inserts in the toe sliders to reduce wear. The outer is Lorica leather and the perforated lining is Teflon coated to prevent the water and sweat being absorbed.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  87%
Fit  88%
Looks  91%
Quality  87%
Overall  88%

6. Puma 1000, £199.99
Puma has recently just reduced the prices of their boot range, so the top of the range race boot, the 1000V2, is now under £200. The boot features Puma’s own Ghost Doctor protection system that stops your foot being bent into an unrecognisable shape, the inner boot has fastening has been improved, as has the ratchet system on the ankle adjustment and the replaceable toe sliders are now bigger.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  87%
Fit  88%
Looks  82%
Quality  86%
Overall  87%

7. Arlen Ness 1064 Magnesium, £169.99
The top of the range Arlen Ness race boot has titanium inserts on the toe guard and ankle and a large Velcro adjustment around the calf – ideal for anyone with big calves who struggles to get boots to fit. The boot features a stretch panel on the front for improved comfort and reinforced protectors at the toe, heel and the shin.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  83%
Fit  91%
Looks  93%
Quality  86%
Overall  86%

8. Gaerne G-RW, £199.99
Gaerne's G-RW Boot is made from Lorica uppers, they have front and rear hinges in elasticized material to ensure excellent flexibility and incorporate an innovative structure designed to counter ankle twisting without compromising flexibility. The wide shin plate is produced from a variable thickness plastic, the interior has a breathable antibacterial lining and the shinbone area has special padding for extra comfort
OWNER RATING
Comfort  90%
Fit  92%
Looks  86%
Quality  88%
Overall  86%

9. Alpinestars SMX Plus, £239.95
The SMX Plus has been around for a while now and is Alpinestars’ top selling sporting boot for the road. Nori Haga loves this boot so much that he still prefers it over the Supertech R! The upper section is made from Lorica leather, the boot features a U-shaped calf protector and the toe sliders can be swapped over.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  84%
Fit  84%
Looks  87%
Quality  85%
Overall  84%

10. Dainese Axial, £279.99
The upper part of the boot has been changed by introducing elastic fabric and leather to ensure optimum wearability and make putting the boot on quicker and easier with one zip instead of the old two-zip design. The D-Axial structure limits excessive inclination of the ankle and stops the twisting of the foot in the transversal axis. The titanium toe sliders are replaceable.
OWNER RATING
Comfort  81%
Fit  83%
Looks  87%
Quality  89%
Overall  84%