When you’re thinking about a good pair of motorcycle boots, what do you look for? Getting the look you want is important, but so is comfort and safety. If you’re looking for a handcrafted vintage leather aesthetic with a modern Vibram sole bonus, then the Rokker Company’s Urban Racer Lady boots may be right up your street.
Now, I’ve worn boots of various kinds for a very long time. So, I’m definitely familiar with the need to break many of them in to get the best experience out of them. Rokker’s Urban Racer Lady boots are pretty comfortable right out of the box, with a thoughtfully sewn bit of padding just inside the upper back part of the top of the boot. There’s plenty of support and enough movement with your feet to be comfortable, yet still feel protective.
These boots don’t have toe sliders, or steel toe caps inside, or immediately-evident heel cups. They’re pretty low-key, solid leather boots that look and feel extremely high-quality in your hands. For example, take a close look at the stitching on the shift pad in these photos. It’s beautiful to look at, and provides a nice accent to the rest of the boot.
I will say here that I wish the shift pad went a bit higher across the top of the boot. As currently placed, it’s so low that I’m quite sure it’s going to get scuffed up with repeated use—and honestly, I’ll be a bit sad when that happens. Maybe Rokker feels that this adds character to your boots, but they’re such nice leather that scuffing them up will make me feel a little bit guilty. Then again, maybe it’s like the first ding you get on your bike—you feel terrible about it at first, but once that first mark is made, the next one is much less of a big deal.
Gallery: Rokker Urban Racer Lady Boots
Anyway, I haven’t previously worn a pair of boots with Vibram soles before, although they’re available on many different kinds of boots. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised to feel how grippy they are.
I’ve only been wearing these boots for a couple of months, so I can’t say for sure if they still feel this grippy on pavement because they’re new, or if that’s just how Vibram works. However, I will say they feel extremely secure every single time I come to a stop. Zero worries about slippage whatsoever, which is especially nice when you’re a short rider stuck backing up your bike on your tip-toes.
Walking around off the bike is totally comfortable and enjoyable, as well. Apart from the shift pad, they mainly just look like a pair of very nice boots—and they feel like one, too. Both on and off the bike, they stay planted exactly where I put my feet. Even on hot days, my feet have stayed comfortably cool and dry, even though there’s no visible ventilation in these boots.
In conclusion, the Rokker Urban Racer Lady boots offer vintage styling with the no-nonsense bonus of a non-slip Vibram sole. They’re understated, they’re comfortable, and they go with just about anything except a MotoGP-style one-piece race suit. Try them on, and you may never want to take them off.
Outdoor photos by Joe Lucente; studio photos provided by Rokkertech
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