Gaerne Balance Oiled boots

[kmac]

Single best gear purchase I have ever made!

I hymned and hawed on whether to drop the $300+ on a pair for months since I had heard how supple and comfy they were. I LOVED the nice cocoa brown natural feel leather, but I a married man whose wife is carrying the load of income at the moment so dropping that kind of money was a big thought.

 

I could not find a pair to test fit anywhere and I have finicky feet so I never buy online for helmets and shoes/boots.

 

Monday my Yosemite ride got delayed for bad weather and I was looking at them online and I found Extreme Cycle supply in Long Beach and they had my size in stock and on sale...I hopped on the scooter and rode the 80 miles in the rain just for the chance to try a pair on and it was worth every cold wet mile.

 

They are by far the MOST comfortable boot I have ever purchased. I do not mean riding boots...I mean boots period and I have been in construction for 38 years and riding for 44 years and have gone through hundreds of pairs of boots...cowboy boots, MX boots, street bike boots, work boots, hiking boots, ski boots....100s of pairs.

I go through 2 pair of boots per year for work and have willingly spent $250 on Red Wings and they are no where near as comfortable as these.

 

Plus': Soft, supple, and comfy right out of the box. Great support for street, mild DS and ADV use yet flexible to walk in once you reach a destination like a car show, swap meet, or are broken down in Visalia with only those to wear while you walk all over that town....but that is another thread...

 

Great looks, they fit under almost ANY pants or jeans without needing to tuck them in. Replaceable gum rubber sole that after a few hundred miles shows no wear from my sharp toothed KTM footpegs that I have on my BMW, yet are comfy to walk in.

Waterproof and reasonably warm...and while I know I live in sunny so cal, I just got back from a 3 day ride through rain wind and snow with temps in the 20s for hours on end...no problem..so warm enough for me yet I never felt sweaty.

 

Negatives: No toe cap where the shifter hits the top of your foot, BUT, that would make them stiff and less comfy to walk in and the leather is quite substantial there so I have no doubt it will hold up for a very long time and can have a patch sewed over in a few years so kind of a mute point. A nice worn shifter mark is just proof you ride anyway. Also, they do require a bit of care and need to be cleaned and oiled occasionally to keep them soft, water resistant and looking good, but again, mute because almost any good leather footwear needs some polishing or oiling...

 

Just my $0.02 but I love them and I bet you will too

[Guest Kakugo]

I've had three pairs of Gaerne boots so far.

 

First were some cheap and generic track boots. Did their job but lasted much less than the Sidi I've previously used. They literally fell apart from hard use. Not overtly impressed but at that price...

 

Then I got a pair of GRT Aquatech. Nice boots, except they made my feet sweat a bit too much. I threw them away after three years when they started to leak water.

 

Finally I got a pair of GRW Aquatech. Less comfortable than the GRT and caused me some pretty damage when the screw holding together the ankle support came loose and scratched the big Honda frame (since repainted and lacquered for under 50€). The boots were about three months old at this point. After examining them thoroughly, I decided I was done with them, as I was sure that same problem was bound to repeat itself.

 

For my big trip in Spain I bought a pair if TCX boots, but I'll review them at a later date.

[Rocer]

Kmac, I too purchased a set of Balanced Oils two seasons ago only via the internet after spending the previous season unsuccessfully looking for a boot that would fit comfortably. If I had written a product review on them it would have been word for word, pros and cons, of yours. I have a problem getting any foot ware to fit well and my gamble on Italian foot ware would do the trick paid off. There are other Italian made brands out there and I believe they get glowing reports as well. While I have parted with the KLX dual sport I continue to wear my Gaernes on aRTy.

[Redbrick]

Interesting.......I checked their website and saw nothing that talked about different widths.......I have a very wide foot and Sidi's are wide so I've stuck with them...How do the Gaerne's fit you and what kind of width do you have?....

Thanks........

[kmac]

I have a standard width and the 11 fit me PERFECTLY...not sure if they offer different widths or not, but the toe box is great for me. Fit enough to give good feel but in no way crowded or tight.

 

I actually enjoy walking in these boots.

 

While in Canada this summer I met a guy who was wearing them while riding a sport bike/sport touring...I think it was an FJ13 and he glowed about them and I was drooling every since..

[drzep]

Ive been riding with a pair for sometime and my only gripes are 1) lack of toe reinforcement at the shift point and 2) the buckles are a bit flimsy. Otherwise these are the most comfy riding boots I've ever had - hands down.

 

[GMC]

I'm just one more fan of the Gaerne Balanced Oiled.

 

I would add that in my opinion they run a smidge small. I got a pair of TCX's and a pair of balance oiled both a couple years ago, from separate closeout deals that I impulsively bought...

I'm a true 11.5 US, and the TCX's ran a little big, while the Gaernes ran a little small. I couldn't bare to part with the Gaernes for the reasons listed above, and the price i got was too low to replicate, so I happily live with a slighly undersized boot.

(I sold the TCX's, but they were nice... just different. STiffer, so likely a little better protection, and then taller, wider at the calf, had the shifter reinforcement, and all the cool stuff you could want, but the Gaernes were to great of an all day, multi-day boot)

 

[Huzband]

Know that these are designed for trials riding, i.e., emphasis on flexibility & feel. You're not going to get a lot of support & protection out of them.

 

I have a pair for trials riding, & love them for that. But I would never wear them on the GSA or KTM. I have a pair of these for GS rides & everyday commuting, & a pair of full on MX boots for the hard D/S stuff.

 

After tearing two ligaments in my ankle last year wearing touring boots, I won't ride anything but trials without big ankle & foot protection.

 

And yes, they are smidge small. Just a smidge. Order your size & wear thin socks, or go a half size bigger & wear good socks.