I'll do a full review with pics and all later, but for now this is just my first impression of my pair.
File photo
Allow me to expound why I bought these in the first place:
- Waterproof boots are too hot and don't breathe. And they take forever to dry once wet. I'm sick of waterproof boots.
- Speaking of breathability, most motorcycle boots are some synthetic called Lorica. I want leather.
- Zippers don't work for me. My left calf is an inch bigger around and I have narrow heels that will slip if the ankle is not strapped in tight.
- I'm not tying some tall boot twice a day, or expecting some slip-on to stay on in a crash.
- Did I mention these are made in America by Americans?
- These have as plain and honest a look as possible. Yes, there is an Indian chief logo, but it's nothing garish.
- I'm tossing my last pair of boots because the soles wore through. These can have new soles put on. In fact, they came with a card for the restoration and resoling avialable at chippewaresole.com
I ordered the
Chippewa Rally boots, #27862 from Hampton Shoe (
americanmadeworkboots.com) because
1. No brick and mortar store anywhere seems to stock these things. Seriously, I tried very hard to try a pair on before paying, and I don't believe it is possible.
2. Hampton shoe had the lowest price (
$172.95), free shipping, and I give preference since I like their mission.
They were received in about three days, and I had sizing issues. These are generously sized for heavy socks. I found them a bit narrow nonetheless. I sent my 7.5D back for a 7E (yes, I'm a few sizes smaller than average - this is one of many reasons I like this boot: it comes in a full range of sizes and widths). Shockingly, still very roomy, but I looked closer and realized that there was no real insole to speak of. I need arch support, so after another call to the vendor, tossed in a few insoles I had lying around till I found a pair of the right thickness (
these, if anyone cares [from my American-made shoes]).
My previous pair of boots was the typical sneaker-ish thing with padding and glued-on rubber soles. These are workboots. They are made of heavy leather with thick rubber soles. They require breaking in, and I'm on day two so far. It has made a big difference and I expect them to start taking my shape and motion even better with time.
Anyway, the leather is good, soft in texture, but sturdy as mentioned before. They have a very matte appearance. The toe pad is literally padded. There is no armor. They are lined, and have a friggin serial number inside.
I'm very fond of the closure system. The boot opens right down to that bottom strap below the ankle and there is no goofy gusset to get in the way. The two velcro straps straddle the ankle nicely and secure the boot around the major bend line. And they did the velcro right so that you don't have the unused portion of the hook stuff catching and snagging everything. The bit of stray glue on the inside of the velcro flap was the biggest quality complaint I have, but it really is just a minor cosmetic issue.
The heel is rather tall at about 1-1/8" and the top of the sole reaches 1-7/8". The heel corners are sharp, and this cause a bit of a struggle when don riding pants. I might chamfer the corners down with a file
My riding impression can wait, because these are not fully broken in, and any new boot will not be as disgustingly familiar as what's been on my feet for the last few years. They're stiff at the moment, so feel is not so great. I suspect that these just won't telegraph feedback from the brake pedal or shifter as intimately as my last thin-soled Lorica boots did, but time will tell.
Overall, they are a hell of a lot of boot for the money, and are sure to last a decade or more. It's nice to know that old school stuff like this exists, but part of the price is this break-in.
