Don't forget your feet this holiday season

[GelStra]

We have unfortunately had a number of losses of members lately. Obviously, we all take achance every time we leave the house. Some dangers are avoidable, some are not.

It got me thinking about ATGATT and it's role in non-fatal accidents. I remember reading an article a few months ago about safety gear. ( I swore I had linked to it off of WebBikeWorld, but in much searching this morning, couldn't find it ) The summary is that we all know the benefits of helmets and the role head injuries play in fatalities. And we all rush out to get the latest armor-plated jacket, but forget that feet and ankle injuries are much more common than chest and back injuries. How catastrophic an ankle injury can be, especially if your livelihood depends on being on your feet. Knowing what I know about our friend Greg (ClearwaterBMW), I can't imagine him riding his LT in docksiders when he broke his fibula! With the force that it took to break a leg bone, I am sure he will vouch for the fact that it would have been much worse if he had broken his ankle. Could his belief in ATGATT have had a role in the outcome? I think so.

I may be one cheap mutha if you ask me to buy lunch, but I had no problem spending whatever it took on quality riding boots. I think that the members of this group are for the most part very safety conscious. But, I would urge those of us who are or know someone who hasn't invested in good quality riding boots to do so as a gift to themselves and their loved ones this holiday season. Enjoy the holidays.

 

Paul

[lithoman]

Good post paul!!!

 

I need to get a good pair of riding boots!!

altho my Doc Martins are pretty much bulletproof

[Voyager]

Thanks for posting this Paul. I've been looking into this for a while. What is good protection in a boot? As far as bones breaking under 600lbs of bike I can't see much other than molded impact plastic or steel doing much good & there would have to be quite a bit of it. A heel & toe cup would do some good, but not much for an ankle. I have an abundance of combat style lace up full leather with stiff soles & good ankle "support" but nothing ballistic. What does the MOST protective boot have?

[tallman]

http://www.newenough.com/product_pictures/s/sidi_vertebra_2_boots/black_front_200.jpg

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Boots are an interesting subject. There was a recent Mythbusters episode where they tested steel toe boots and whether or not they would cut off the toes of the user in the event of a heavy sudden strike to top of the toes. The conclusion was that your toes would not survive either with or without the steel toe. Luckily we probably don't see this too much in motorcycling.

 

[opinion]

 

Just from general perponderance of the topic, aside from providing a stiffer ankle, a bit of padding and some general "heavier" protection to our feet, I can see only one instance where having a good boot is really going to save your foot. It would be when the bike tips over and your foot is under it. Why? The soles of our boots are typically very stiff when loaded across the sole- that would be from the inside to the outside of your boot (or vice versa). If you find yourself with a leg stuck under your bike, your boot would load this way, and perhaps keep you foot from a 600 lb crush injury.

 

[/opinion]

 

Case and point: last summer one of the firefighters in my department was unknowingly knocked down by a backing fire engine at the scene of a fire. The engine then proceded to back over the firefighter with the rear outside dual tire. The firefighter was laying in the street with one foot in the tire's path, and the engine backed up over the firerighter's boot loading it across the sole (from outside of the foot), starting from the heel and rolling all the way down the boot and off the toe, suffering only minor bruising.

 

Our boots may not be that stiff, but under only 600 lbs, I think that they would probably do pretty well.

[Boffin]

Boots are an interesting subject. There was a recent Mythbusters episode where they tested steel toe boots and whether or not they would cut off the toes of the user in the event of a heavy sudden strike to top of the toes. The conclusion was that your toes would not survive either with or without the steel toe. Luckily we probably don't see this too much in motorcycling.

 

[opinion]

 

Just from general perponderance of the topic, aside from providing a stiffer ankle, a bit of padding and some general "heavier" protection to our feet, I can see only one instance where having a good boot is really going to save your foot. It would be when the bike tips over and your foot is under it. Why? The soles of our boots are typically very stiff when loaded across the sole- that would be from the inside to the outside of your boot (or vice versa). If you find yourself with a leg stuck under your bike, your boot would load this way, and perhaps keep you foot from a 600 lb crush injury.

 

[/opinion]

 

Case and point: last summer one of the firefighters in my department was unknowingly knocked down by a backing fire engine at the scene of a fire. The engine then proceded to back over the firefighter with the rear outside dual tire. The firefighter was laying in the street with one foot in the tire's path, and the engine backed up over the firerighter's boot loading it across the sole (from outside of the foot), starting from the heel and rolling all the way down the boot and off the toe, suffering only minor bruising.

 

Our boots may not be that stiff, but under only 600 lbs, I think that they would probably do pretty well.

 

I read somewhere that the most common motorcycle related foot injuries are abrasion of the ankle joint, where a trapped foot gets dragged down the road, and ankle injuries from twisting, again from a trapped foot, this time with the riders body rolling.

 

A good motorcycle boot has crush protection, together with abrasion and twist protection.

 

When I dropped my RT on a Spanish roundabout a couple of years ago my left foot was rotated clockwise whilst I was flat on my back. The rotation lifted the bike so the tyres contacted road causing the bike to flip off of me. My Daytona booots eanbled me to get back on the bike and ride off (after putting the remains of the mirror in the side case)

 

 

edit: the above happened the day after the picture in my avatar was taken...

 

 

Cya, Andy

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

read somewhere that the most common motorcycle related foot injuries are abrasion of the ankle joint, where a trapped foot gets dragged down the road, and ankle injuries from twisting, again from a trapped foot, this time with the riders body rolling.

 

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

My problem is that I can't get a boot that fits my skinny legs, they're all too big in the calf!

[GelStra]

What is good protection in a boot?

 

One of the points made in the article I referenced (but couldn't find ) was that the most effective ankle protection involves additional layers of leather as opposed to plastic cups. The point was that if the cup got ripped away in the impact, you're left with a very thin layer of protection. Besides, the leather will shape itself to you, like any well-made shoe.

The other concept was the boot's ability to restrain twisting forces by the rigidity of the leather.

Those points were brought home on my last boot purchase (Thanks, Fernando ).

Unverified by research, I am opposed to buckles as I feel like they are something that can get caught in a fall, IMHO.

[Foot]

My wife had a spiral fracture of the left ankle when we low sided back in Sept. She was wearing Danner Fort Lewis boots. These are not stock motorcycle boots but they are leather, insulated, goretex and 10 inches high.

The doctor told us her fracture was clean and had no separation. He said if it wasn't for those boots she would have been looking at plates and screws in the ankle.

Good boots are a must!

 

Alan

[Alan D]

First, I do believe in ATGATT.

Friday AM my daughter was walking around her car in a parking lot and stepped on black ice, breaking her fibula just above her ankle. She will have surgery tomorrow. Would stiff boots have helped? Who knows?

Last night I heard on 60 minutes that 36,000 people die from the flu each year. So it looks like breathing may be more dangerous than riding a bike.

[Boffin]

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

My problem is that I can't get a boot that fits my skinny legs, they're all too big in the calf!

 

Try Alt-Berg a UK bootmaker who hand-make to order at a reasonable (to me) price. They offer a made-to-measure service (for factory visitors) but will also try and address any specific fitting issues such as narrow calfs without a visit. They make boots for some UK police forces, walkers and military (including special forces).

No affiliation beyond being a satisfied customer.

 

Cya, Andy

[Voyager]

 

The Vertigo Corsa’s exclusive external ankle brace system ties into the rear vertebra panel and the boot lower in order to provide the highest level of support against torsional twists or severe impacts without reducing the boot’s flexibility or comfort. Made of thermoplastic resins, the material offers high resistance and protective qualities. The external ankle brace is provided on the inside AND outside of the rider’s ankle with the Vertigo Corsa.

 

Sidi boots

 

Pretty slick. An exoskelleton brace. I guess that's where all the $ goes.

[Bill_Walker]

My problem is that I can't get a boot that fits my skinny legs, they're all too big in the calf!

 

I've got pretty skinny calves, too, but I find that the Velcro on the Oxtar Matrix Goretex boots allows me to adjust them tight enough.

[uk1200RT]

 

I won't ever buy anything other than Daytonas again

The inner armor of the boot is very strong and very comfortable. Of course, I got mine with Gortex lining too. For those with smaller calves, never fear...the rear is fully adjustable for large or small calves.