Perfection (Can you acquire it for $315 plus tax?)

We all look for perfection in lots of things. We look for the perfect car, the perfect house, the perfect jacket, the perfect companion, and of course the perfect pair of motorcycle boots. The fact is however, there is no such thing as perfection and thus we keep searching until we get as close as we can get given the diminishing returns of the search. I have found the perfect pair of boots for me…but the boots didn’t start out perfect. More on that in a moment…
I’ve been searching for a pair of motorcycle boots for about 4 months. I recently even bought a pair of Sidi Vortice Air boots (List $475) off of ebay for around $200. When I received the boots, they were too small and I ended up selling them on ebay for $330. Not a bad ROI…but I digress. My current boots are two and a half years old and have served me well. They are a pair of Joe Rocket waterproof boots that cost about $100. I purchased these boots because they were inexpensive and I wasn’t sure if I would really take to motorcycling. 23,000 miles later, I think I’ve taken! So I’ve wanted to upgrade to a taller more comfortable and safer boot.
So what is the perfect boot? Well, hopefully it is the boot you end up buying and using in such a way that it becomes a ubiquitous part of your motorcycling gear…like an old chair that blends in to your living room. I have found that boot in the Sidi Canyon Gortex boot ). I looked at many boots before ultimately buying this boot. My requirements were as follows: leather, waterproof, NOT ostentatious, comfortable to walk in, somewhat stylish without making me look like a cartoon character. The typical racing style boots were way too Power Ranger-ish and I am not a flashy guy. Form follows function for me (and I suspect lots of touring motorcyclists) and thus touring style boots appealed to me from lots of manufacturers. However, I found myself gravitating to Sidi because their boots have a solid reputation and I have two pairs of their cycling shoes which are considered the top of the heap. Their products are not cheap however.
I looked at boots at Coleman Powersports in Woodbridge for months. I tried on boots there at least 6 times throughout the summer. I was never able to find a pair that fit my criteria. Then, a few weeks ago I was browsing boots online when I came across a model I’d never seen before. These were of course the Sidi Canyon model where I found perfection. As it turned out, Coleman Powersports in Falls Church had two pairs of this boot in size 45. A couple weekends ago I motored up there and tried them on. They felt wide and my feet were moving around in them but I took a chance and bought them anyway, $270 plus tax. I hoped that a better insole would fix the width issue. All I can say is WHEW!
All sales are final so I figured I’d ride them home. After an hour in the boots I started to feel comfortable. I was still a bit nervous about the width because I had thick athletic sox on and when I go to work I wear thin dress socks…more room yet. As expected, on Monday when I pulled the boots over my dress sox clad feet they were slopping all over the place. So on my way to work I visited REI and purchased a pair of SOLE Ed Viesturs insoles ) that mold to your feet for $45. First win, they fit perfectly in the boot without trimming. Second win, as I slipped my feet into the new and improved Sidi Canyon boots, WOW, perfect fit. So now after a week of riding, I can say I have the perfect pair of boots. They are Italian made leather boots. The downside is I’m a combined $315 plus tax into them. But they are perfect for me and as the saying goes, buy the best and cry once, buy crap and cry every day. Maybe we should change that to buy perfection and never cry…
As for a review of the rain performance and longevity of these boots, time will tell. A week is nowhere near long enough for a proper after action report. However, in the rain over the last two days my toes stayed nice and dry. When I get back from Deals Gap I should have a much better idea of the more specific performance abilities of these boots. Stay tuned.

Thanks for the review!

(Sorry about the control characters in the text. I'll have to see about addressing copy and paste from Word into the forum).

Could you post links for the boots and the SOLE Ed Viesturs insoles?

Thanks!

Done. Links embedded above. Couldn't find a direct link to Sidi so I used the Motorcycle Superstore link.

A note on the insoles. They are FANTASTIC. Pricey I know but my older daughter has plantar faciitis and these insoles are doing the job. I use them in my hiking boots and of course the Sidi Moto boots. Worth the money and I've not found them cheaper than REI.

Good info - thanks. I'll keep this in mind when I next shop for boots. I've never owned waterproof boots, but have many times wished that I had!

Let us know how they hold up.

I've been wearing Italian made TCX Airtech XCR boots for about 2 years now. They've been very comfortable:

Comfort is good, obviously, and worth paying for in a boot, but my greatest interest now would be in the waterproof quality.

I have grip heaters to help out my hands when they get wet, so they're okay. Heated footpegs?

Speaking of waterproof, did Yermo ever get that Transit Suit decontaminated? If so, how and did it work?

@Ian yea, the Transit Suit is back in service. Hand washed in cold water using Woolite with a sponge, kind of a pain but I'm glad to have it back. While by far not perfect, it's a pretty decent suit and I prefer it hands down to my Tourmaster gear.

FYI REI has the Sole footbeds on sale right now. 20% off.

The boots are 100% waterproof as advertised. 60 miles in the pouring rain in traffic on the slab (read mega road spray) have proven this to be the case.

That rocks.

Sadly my Tour Master Caliber pants are decidedly NOT waterproof!

Yea, most of that gear is, at best, water resistant. Even the Aerostich Roadcrafter isn't "waterproof".

I should point out that the rider of the Yamaha Tenere pictured on the cover of the January 2011 MCN is wearing a pair of SIDI Canyon Gortex boots...just sayin.

Since I already have the boots, maybe I should get the bike to match?

Oh, defintely.

Asking a question like that here is like the Oracle's question to Neo... "but you already know what I'm going to say, don't you?"