Combat Lite Boots

Aerostitch Combat Lite boots

I’ve owned a number of good boots for riding. Most have those sweet spots where they shine, and are limited in other ways. The Combat lites are flat out great in so many ways, I seldom even consider any of my other boots.

My only complaint with these is that I had to order without actually trying them on. It’s really hard for me to buy something like this mail-order.

So, with that in mind, it’s amazing how happy I’ve been with them.

Features:

• The Combat Lite boots are a shorter version of their Combat Touring boot. I have big calves, so the tall boot wouldn’t fit as well.
• These boots are made by Sidi for Aerostitch. I think these are the best boots Sidi makes.
• Soles - Aerostitch offers them with a waffle style or cleated (motocross style) tread. I picked the waffle style and have been thrilled.
• Construction - These are a front loading boot where a section of padded leather wraps over the shin and velcros down.
• Water resistance - These are leather and not something like goretex. I’ve owned both, and a boot like this stays dry when treated properly. The key thing is that unlike a boot with some sort of liner, these keep working well for much longer.

Fit - they came with a pretty thin and simplistic insole that left them a bit roomier than I wanted. That was easily solved by dropping a set of the green (thick) Superfeet insoles. These were perfect for me.

Walking around - I’ve found that most boots that feel right on the bike are cruel shoes when trying to walk around. This is critical when I spend time riding back and forth between meetings. I can spend a whole day in these without complaint.

Hard Riding - this is where boots that do well in the other areas tend to be weak. These have been great and I’m comfortable on the balls of my feet for hours of highly interactive riding.

Road tripper - This usually includes a bit of hard riding, a small amount of walking around, and most importantly, comfort after hours of harsh conditions. I’ve found these to stay dry, not get too hot or cold when mixed with good socks. Best of all, I don’t find that I’m in a rush to get out of them after a full day on the road.

Commuting - this is a tricky one for many boots. For my high rating, commuting has to encompass all the above, plus give me quick transition when I want to wear some other shoes around the office. The combat lites have a slick pull to lace system combined with one strap as well as a velcro closure. It’s easy to pop into or out of these boots in less than thirty seconds.

Durability - I wanted to hold off on this until I’d spent over six months in them. I can see a little sign of where I contact the pegs, and that’s all. At this rate, I may decide to get new soles in a few years. Considering I ride with them almost daily, I’m very comfortable with this.

Care and Feeding - These are the same as any other quality leather boot. A little love goes a long way.

Protection - While I can say I haven’t spent much time testing crash worthiness in any of my boots, I have to go on my perception of how they would. I have a set of Sidi Race boots that I believe have great protection and have the bonus of having replaceable wear points for just that sort of activity. These boots don’t have those replaceable parts. Other than that, my impression is that any crash I’d potentially be in would be hard to argue why I’d want one boot over the other... with one little factor that does matter. I’m significantly more comfortable in the Combat boots, and would therefore be much less likely to make a fatigue/distraction level mistake due to the boots. That little element is worth huge protection points since it’s with prevention.

Tags: Motorcycle, Gear