- What's up? I am Chase here at Rocky Mountain ATV MC.
Coming at you with our 2018 Off-Road Boot Buyer's Guide.
So second to a good, quality helmet,
your boots are gonna be your
most important piece of safety gear.
They're a big investment in rider safety,
and we have a huge selection that you can choose from
here at Rocky Mountain.
So today, we want to make your search a little bit easier.
So I have on the table in front of me
our top five off-road boots going into 2018.
Now I'm gonna tell you right now,
all these boots up here are premium boots
and honestly, in my opinion,
you couldn't go wrong with any one of these.
But we want to make your decision a little bit easier.
So I'm gonna go through,
I'm gonna talk about each boot briefly,
point out the key features and highlights that they have
to help you narrow down that search.
Now some of the best advice that I can give you
when it comes to boot shopping
is when you find a boot that you're interested in
make sure you watch the detailed product spotlight video.
I talk about all of these boots in full detail.
And then when you're done,
you want to make sure to read rider reviews.
And if you have questions,
you can comment below or ask your questions directly
on the product page and you will get answers
from customers who have bought these boots.
Now if you own one of these boots,
I would love to hear about it,
so make sure to comment below.
What are you rocking?
What do you like about it?
And also what you don't like about it.
That's really good to help your riding buddies out.
So without further ado, let's get to it.
So the first boot that I have up here,
this is the Instinct coming from Fox Racing.
This is the same boot that Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey,
Chad Reed have all worn.
And it was tested and developed by Ricky Carmichael.
Now with the Instinct, when it comes to fitment,
it's going to be a little bit on the small side.
So if you are right between sizes,
I'd recommend going up one size.
And it is going to fit a tad narrow.
Now keep in mind when it comes to fitment,
this is for the Instinct or any boot that we offer
here at Rocky Mountain, we have our fit guarantee.
If you're not happy with the sizing or the fitment,
just send it back to us in brand-new, unused condition,
and we will give you free shipping on your first exchange.
But with the Instinct boot, one thing it's known for,
it's very comfortable right out of the box.
Zero to little break-in time,
but still gives great flexibility to the ankle.
A couple of other cool features that I do want to highlight,
I really like the buckle design that they use.
It's more of a ball and socket.
The way it works is very simple.
You take your strap, put it in the buckle,
and it self aligns and it snaps down.
So I really like their buckle design.
But here in the rear is the big standout feature.
You're gonna have a dual-pivoting hinge,
but in the back, they use what they call their
dynamic core stabilizer.
And the way this boot really comes together allows the boot
to be flexible for the rider.
But you can see right down here at the bottom,
when this boot hyper-extends
it actually has a stopping point
to help protect your ankle in that situation.
That's a really cool safety feature.
I also like how much impact protection
they do have here on the back of the calf.
And when it comes to larger legs and calves,
if you do rock a knee brace, I have worn this boot.
I know it does have plenty of room in this shin plate area.
You shouldn't have any problems getting this buckled down.
But that is the Instinct boot from Fox Racing.
Again, very comfortable right out of the box.
And again, using that dynamic core stabilizer.
So the second boot that we have up here in the lineup,
this is the SG-12 coming from Gaerne.
Now a few facts that I really like about Gaerne
is they're an Italian company,
they've been making boots for over 40 years,
and they manufacture all their boots right out of Italy.
So when it comes to quality, these guys are second to none.
Now the SG-12, when it comes to fitment,
it's gonna be a little bit wider in the toe box.
So if you do have a wider foot,
this could be a really good option.
It is gonna be a little bit stiffer,
one of the stiffer boots in the lineup.
But what I like is they put memory foam around the ankle,
so although it is stiff, it's still a very comfortable boot.
Overall, rock solid.
Everything on this boot is just built really, really well.
This does have the reputation for being one of the
longer lasting boots that is out there.
But a couple features that I want to highlight
are gonna be in the ankle design as well as in the sole.
So what Gaerne uses is a razorback strut system,
and that goes along with the glide plates
that they have on their ankles.
So it allows the boot to be flexible,
give good range of motion.
But the glide plates here on the ankle,
rather than pivoting at one single point,
they glide back and forth to help keep your ankle
in that natural range of motion.
It's a really cool design that I like from Gaerne.
And the other feature I want to highlight,
if you are used to a traditional stitched on sole,
well the SG-12 is the only boot in the lineup
still using one of those, with that steel toe cap.
So that's why it's gonna be a little bit stiffer,
but, again, that is something that riders really like.
And because it is stitched on,
it is gonna be replaceable as well.
So if that's what you're looking for,
wider toe box along with that traditional stitched on sole,
SG-12 is a rock solid option.
Okay, so third up on the list
is the Tech 10 coming from Alpinestars.
It's probably one of the most recognizable boots
in the off-road industry.
And the Tech 10 has been the flagship for Alpinestars
for a lot of years.
A lot of cool features here,
but first let's talk about fitment.
So, length-wise, it's gonna fit true to size.
When it comes to the width,
it's gonna be a little on the narrow side.
And you're also gonna want to keep in mind that the Tech 10
is the only boot in the lineup
that is gonna come with an inner bootie.
And they are meant to go together.
You cannot wear the boot without the bootie.
So just keep that in mind.
Well with the Tech 10, we'll talk about it.
First, I'm gonna get to the bootie in a second,
three buckle design.
I will say right now, personal opinion,
favorite buckle design of any off-road boot.
Very easy to use.
You take your strap, slide it through the buckle.
They are self-aligning.
Snaps down to stay in place.
And I like that the bottom buckle is actually on top.
They do that to help prevent
if we're getting pulled up or popping lose,
if you were to catch it on something while you are riding.
So three buckle design.
On the front and the rear,
they use what they call their flex blade system.
So you can see it's more like a tongue and groove system,
you have it here in the front.
You also have it here in the rear.
That is gonna give the boot good flexibility,
but it's also going to help protect against
hyperextension and also hyperflexion.
Now one thing you will notice
with the Tech 10 that's interesting,
is no hinges on the lateral or medial side of this boot.
Instead, the way they give really good ankle support
and protection is gonna be with their inner bootie.
So with this, you can see, they have what they call
their "C" torsion bars on the medial and the lateral side.
And these actually will give good hyperextension
and lateral support to the ankle when it's inside the boot.
So Alpinestars uses that,
and that's really been a staple in the Tech 10,
and what makes it such a great boot,
and why it's so popular.
But keep in mind, it's gonna fit a little bit snug,
but if you like a boot that has an inner bootie,
the Tech 10 is gonna be it for you.
So fourth up on the list,
this is the Tech 7 coming from Alpinestars.
Now the Tech 7 is gonna be the baby brother to the Tech 10.
And this is gonna be the most affordable boot
that is in our lineup.
But what I really like is at a really good price point,
it takes a lot of its DNA from the Tech 10.
So if you look at it here,
one big difference that I do want to point out,
no inner bootie with this.
But it is gonna fit true to size,
a little bit wider in the toe box.
So if you do have wider feet,
this would be a rock solid option.
And as I said earlier, it takes a lot of its DNA
from the Tech 10.
If we look at the buckle design, same there.
You're gonna have four buckles instead of three.
And if we look at the back, they're gonna incorporate
that flex blade up here at the top of the calf as well.
But what I really like with this boot,
coming in at a really good price point,
is you're gonna have their biomechanical link
here at the ankle.
So it gives good flexibility to the boot,
but it's also very comfortable, good stepping comfort.
But really what stands out the most to me,
is this is the most affordable boot in the lineup
but it's still a boot that a lot of pro-lever riders
are wearing today.
That is the Tech 7 from Alpinestars.
So the fifth and final boot that is in our lineup,
this is the Crossfire 3 SRS coming from Sidi.
Now Sidi is another Italian company
known for making very high-quality boots.
And the Crossfire 3 replaced the Crossfire 2,
which was very popular for a lot of years.
Now as you look at it you can tell,
definitely one of the more unique looking boots
that is in the lineup.
And the reason being, a lot of screws on here.
And they actually designed this boot
to where almost everything on this is replaceable.
So as the parts wear out or if you were to break something,
it's very easy to replace.
Now the fitment's going to be true to size.
You do want to keep in mind,
a little bit narrow in the top box.
And they are gonna have European sizes
with this boot as well.
And it also is going to be a stiffer boot.
Sidi designed it to be that way,
so if you are a rider looking for a stiff boot,
definitely one that you would want to put
at the top of the list.
A couple of other features that I do want to highlight.
So you can see all those screws
over virtually the entire upper portion of this boot,
again is replaceable.
The shift plate and the calf plate are adjustable
for larger legs.
But with the ankle, this is one of the big updates
they have from the Crossfire 2,
they now have hyperextension stopping points,
for hyperextension as well as hyperflexion.
And if we look at the sole, this is what SRS stands for.
It stands for Sole Replacement System.
If you're a rider and you're hard on soles,
this is gonna really help you out.
Because they actually designed this to be replaceable
right here where the arch section of the sole is.
You can actually just take this out with a few screws,
and replace it from your own home.
Very easy to do.
So that is the Crossfire 3 SRS from Sidi.
Again, virtually everything is replaceable.
Very good durability.
One of the stiffer boots out there,
but if that's what you're in the market for,
this would be a really good option.
Alright everyone, so thanks for checking out our
2018 Off-Road Boot Buyer's Guide.
Now to pick up all these boots,
remember they're gonna ship for free.
Click on the link, or head over to our website at
rockymountainatvmc.com
and check out all the color waves, but do not forget.
Read rider reviews and if you have questions,
comment below or you can ask your questions
directly on the product page
to get your answers from customers
who have bought these boots.
I'm Chase here at Rocky Mountain,
and we'll see you on the trails.