Review: SIDI Vertigo Boots

It's winter here and there's not a lot happening on the riding front so I thought I'd review the SIDI boots that I bought last year. It been about 12 months now so I thought I'd give a quick rundown on how they have performed over the last 12 months. Of course these things are highly subjective and these are just my thoughts on the boots.

When I first tried the boots on in the shop I was wearing jeans which are not as thick as my leathers which I normally wear inside my boots so that's exactly how I tried them on. When I zipped them up I thought geez these things seem a bit tight I wonder if I'll get my leathers into them. I ummed and rr'd about weather to purchase them or not. I liked the look of them and they felt ok just a little on the tight side when zipping them up. So I  though she'll be right and go with them anyway.

I took them out for a short ride only about 30 minutes. First thing I noticed was that they didn't squeak when I walked in them like my alpinestars did. I had trouble changing up gears for the whole of the trip. The boots seemed pretty stiff and didn't flex very much. I guess they have to be like this for safety reasons. Stops your foot from going into angles it's not supposed to. They actually fit my leathers inside the boot better than my jeans.

The next ride I went out for the entire day which you can read about here. After a little walking in them and a bit of riding I got accustomed to them and they seemed to flex a little better. I really noticed the ventilation system in these things on the very first ride, they worked great. It was pretty cool out in the morning but it warmed up by mid morning to the point where standing around in black leathers in the sun started to get uncomfortable. I had started to sweet a bit in the warm sun. When I hoped back on and got underway I could feel air flowing in over the bridge of my foot and around the back of the heal cooling down my foot. It felt strange at first. My last set of boots never had ventilation as I thought of it as just another place for water to seep in. That's not much of a problem these days as I tend to not ride much anymore in the rain if I can help it. The vent is also very easy to open or close when on the move which is a bonus.

Side foot vent

It was a bit strange at first feeling the air flowing around the heal of my foot as it felt a bit like the boot was too big and my foot was right at the front and I had spare space at the back of the boot, so I kept trying to move my foot back to the back of the boot which was quite impossible because my foot couldn't move inside there as they were a snug tight fit. The air flow was making me think that they were loose. It took me a little while to realise and adjust to it, but now is no problem.

After several rides now these boots feel like they have worn in and fit perfectly. They feel very comfortable to walk in and I reckon I could walk in them most of the day they are that comfy. Even though they are not made for that purpose. There also very comfy when riding as well and it didn't take long to break them in and get used to them. The only thing I have noticed is lately the left boot has started to squeak whilst walking in them. Damn, I'd thought I'd gotten rid of that when I got these new boots.

The calf has a little wheel that you twist to tighten the top of the boot up around your calf to get that perfect fit. After working out how this fang dangled technology works its now a cinch to have them done up snug.

The sixty four million dollar question is would I purchase them again if I was looking for another pair of boots. These types of boots are not exactly cheap to buy but that is not the deciding factor. First and fore most is safety and comfort in my opinion.

Well, would I by again? Hell yes is the simple answer. They are comfortable, fit well and look good all in the one package. The simple fact is that I'll have these boots for the next 5-10 years so they are relatively cheap really over that time and I know that they are comfortable and will give good protection if the unthinkable happens.

Safety Equipment - How long does it last?

Over the years I have spent a fair amount of money on motorcycle safety gear.  I usually buy the best gear I can afford because at the end of the day when it's all said and done if I can walk away from an accident and live to ride another day then paying for all the gear was money well spent.
The equipment I normally ride in is helmet, gloves, boots, two piece leathers, back protector, neck warmer when needed, rain suit etc. Also have winter riding suit to keep warm but since moving to Sydney I haven't used it due to the year round riding conditions. The cost of this stuff in my case has been easily in the thousands of dollars.

After a recent discussion with my brother who is returning to riding after a 6 year time out due to raising a family he needed to buy new gear as most of his gear was either worn out or in some cases falling apart.

Just how long does this stuff last? Well some of my gear is pretty old but has lasted probably due to purchasing good gear to start with. Looking after it also helps a lot too. What lifespan is everyone else getting from their gear? Leave a comment or a link to your blog, i'd be interested to know and see if others are getting similar numbers.

Just last year I got myself some new SIDI boots and Alpinestar gloves as the old one's had worn out.The old alpinestar boots had lasted about 8-9 years before the soles started falling off them. The previous alpinestars I had before this did exactly the same thing but they only lasted 5 years. Also my brothers alpinestars only lasted about 2 years before the same thing happened. The gloves lasted me for 11 years, not bad for $69 gloves.
I haven't had an update on the boots since the week after I got them, so here's my take on them.
The fit at first was tight, but after a few rides they are now just right nice and comfortable, and I can now change gears ok as they have loosened up a bit and are a bit more flexible. You really can notice the air vents on these boots especially on a hot day. When you stop and sweat in them then get going again you can feel the air being pushed around the side of your foot and around the heal, cooling you down until that sweat evaporates. Nice free cooling.

My shoei helmet is now 7 years old and I just noticed when I was cleaning it after the last ride that the leather around the neck strap was starting to crack due to age. My 2 previous helmets before this were Arai's a doohan replica and a Kenny Robert Jr replica. The first arai lasted about 8 years before I had to throw it away as the inside lining crumbled into dust. I still have the KR Jr one I got it in 1999, but looking at it now and all the leather/plastic parts are falling apart. Time to throw it out as well, it's just been sitting there as a spare if needed(which it hasn't).Might need a new helmet again in the next year or two.

My leather's are now my next major consideration for replacement as they have started to fade and looks like it is starting to get some small cracks in lots of places. Not to mention the crash damage on the back of them from going down the road at Eastern Creek one time. I bought these back in either 1995 or 96 I can't remember exactly which. That means they are 17 years old which is around about a $100 per year of ownership. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Cracking and fading

    

Crash Damage

Seems to be that you only get what you pay for and if you pay for good quality gear instead of the cheapest thing you can find then it will last you a good length of time. I'll be looking around for a bit to find some new leathers. I've seen some friends Tiger Angel leathers and they look like it's quality gear, Australian made as well. Probably not cheap but that's not my main concern just as long as it's good quality and will last.