Sidi Sympatex On-Road Boots

Dry feet. On a rainy day the last thing you need to be worried about is keeping your socks dry.

Very few street boots are hailed for sealing out the wet. The best I know of are the On Road Sympatex from Sidi. They're a great compromise between all-out sport armor and "motorcycle style" boots offering no real protection.

Constructed of Italian top grain leather that is treated to be both water and oil repellent, the best part is the full coverage inner liner of 100% waterproof and breathable Sympatex. Even on the hottest days these boots are comfortable. The four Velcro straps are a bit involved, but they seal tight against the elements. Additional leather is applied across the top of each boot to reinforce the area your shifter wears against. The soles are non-slip and grippy, but still a low enough profile to not catch on foot pegs or controls.

I was pleasantly surprised how ample the sizing was. Being an Italian boot I assumed the sizes would run small. I actually bought a pair one size under my normal shoe size! Many shops will offer these in the Euro sizes– but not to worry– here's a conversion chart:

US Shoe Size:	Euro Size:	US Shoe Size:	Euro Size:
3	35	9	43
3-1/2	36	9-1/2	44
4	37	10-1/2	45
5	38	11-1/2	46
6	39	12	47
6-1/2	40	12-1/2	48
7	41	13	49
8	42	13-1/2	50

I've had my Sidis almost two years now and highly recommend them. Especially if it's raining!

Available online from
Bike Bandit
Motorcycle USA Superstore

Shop eBay for Sidi Boots

Update (August 2008): when we wrote this review back in 2003 the On-Road boots from Sidi were known by the brand name Sympatex. Today these boots are called Gore Tex. The difference? Not much.

The lining material is different- thus the name. The only functional differences are slight improvements to the Velcro strap closures and reinforcements in the toes and ankle. They're still the same great boots- and still keep your feet dry in most any condition Mother Nature might throw at you.

Labels: review