BMW Pro-Touring Motorcycle Boots 

Olaf Wolff
AllAboutBikes Sr. Staff Writer

Doing this evaluation on BMW’s professional touring boots turned into something akin to one of those over-the-top European road test commercials, where you get slammed with nearly every conceivable harsh weather road scenario, one after the other.

It began with heavy, wet, morning costal fog and quickly kicked into brutal desert heat, peaking at 111 degrees. That was before breakfast. The day ended in Flagstaff, Arizona, in drenching rain and thunder. And after settling in to a motel, I walked to dinner without giving a thought to changing shoes. They’re billed as boots for year-round utilization – sometimes it only takes a day to fully appreciate all the characteristics of genuine versatility.

BMW’s Pro-Touring boots are constructed from 100 percent full-grain cowhide and given a hydrophobic treatment, which forces rain to bead up and roll off. And say what you will about substitutes, but Gore-Tex, the original, waterproof, breathable membrane is still the one. With this winning combo of climate control lining inside and the tough leather exterior, my feet felt like they were in little portable Barcaloungers.

The soles are oil and fuel resistant and they’re superbly abrasion defiant. This ride totaled out at 3200 miles, there were plenty of times the boots touched the road before it had come to a complete stop, yet overall wear is negligible.

There’s a protective shield of Polyurethane rubber that wraps around the toes and half way along outside of the boots. This stuff is virtually invincible. There’s a rectangular patch of it on the left boot where it meets the shift-lever as well. The insole is made of what BMW refers to as “function fleece,” you can remove and wash them, and they’re listed as permanently anti-bacterial. Can’t vouch for that either way, permanent is a long time, but they’re still working perfectly after good long run.

The textile Cordura insert supporting the upper part of the foot encourages more efficient thermal exchange, so they run a tad cooler when it’s needed. The contour heel design and the Velcro cinch straps on the side of each boot, provide a means to custom-deluxe your fit. It all goes into explaining why these boots feel as supremely comfy walking to your bike as they do riding it.

The way the boots slide on and off with the greatest of ease became a much loved feature at the end of the first day. There’s the traditional entry zipper, but there are Velcro closures on both sides of the boots instead of the conventional single closure, and it makes a distinct difference. Designing the boots to open on both sides creates a clamshell type opening that allows the front chin-guard portion to fold forward. A particularly enduring feature when I finally did remove the boots, as it was gearing back up in the wee morning hours.

It’s really not overstating things to label these professional touring boots and it’s not the least bit surprising they perform at the highest level without ever breathing hard, and looking marvelous while doing so. I wouldn’t expect anything less from BMW. So, it’s also not startling that they’re a bit pricey. You gotta figure though, this is one of those situations where you get precisely what you pay for.


ProTouring Boots

$359.00

Men’s sizes 6.5 - 13