TCX Drifter have served me well, a trip from South Dakota to Inuvik and back in 2017 on my KLR, a run up and down Baja on my KLR. They kept my feet dry in 14 days of rain headed North and protected my shins and ankles while falling in the Baja sand. Only took a few days to break in, were comfortable for walking off the bike while sightseeing. Quite durable, Soles can be replaced as they are stitched on rather than molded on, replaceable latches if needed, fit my wide feet and fat calves too. I'd buy again.

 

Got a pair of Gaerne Balance boots about 5 years ago. Best boots I've ever owned ..

 

Watch this video about boots and ask yourself, which is more expensive, the boots or all those pins and screws.

https://youtu.be/XYof-jZUNfs

I love these guys and their videos. Very practical and good advice on things off-road.

 

I went with Forma Boulder boots. I like their stiffness and the fact that they can be resoled.

 

Figured these comments fit in this old thread. If you are off pavement wear the most protective boots you can get, period. It should be an MX boot.

My ride this morning was a mix of pavement and gravel and being cooler chose my Forma Adventure Tall boots over my O'Neal Rider MX boots. BIG mistake. Low sided coming out of a corner at low speed (I gave little bit too much throttle for the conditions), bike spun around as it came down on left side. It slid a bit on my ankle and broke my fibula.

I am certain with the O'Neal Rider MX boots I'd be fine, maybe would have tweaked my knee. I'm learning the hard way...if off pavement I'll be in a MX boot. Even comfort wise I don't see the O'neals as bad so quite frustrated with my choice of footwear this morning. Ugh.

 

Figured these comments fit in this old thread. If you are off pavement wear the most protective boots you can get, period. It should be an MX boot.

My ride this morning was a mix of pavement and gravel and being cooler chose my Forma Adventure Tall boots over my O'Neal Rider MX boots. BIG mistake. Low sided coming out of a corner at low speed (I gave little bit too much throttle for the conditions), bike spun around as it came down on left side. It slid a bit on my ankle and broke my tibia.

I am certain with the O'Neal Rider MX boots I'd be fine, maybe would have tweaked my knee. I'm learning the hard way...if off pavement I'll be in a MX boot. Even comfort wise I don't see the O'neals as bad so quite frustrated with my choice of footwear this morning. Ugh.

Ouch!
Get well soon Krons.

 

I had a rear pannier pin my foot down with the Alpinestars toucans but I came out ok! The formas look like a similar profile to the Alpinestars Corozal......
Also since I changed to the Wunderlich adjustable gear shifter I can shift gears with ease with my toucans

 

I did not like the first few days on my O'neal Rider MX boots but after a first few days they broke in and while not quite the same shifter feel as with the Formas I now rarely miss a shift and it is well worth the safety when off pavement.

Much easier than shifting with a broken fibula and tweaked ankle!

 

My Sidi Adventure Rain boots have taken me coast to coast on the Trans America Trail and many long adventure and dirt rides (and dirt naps) since. They've protected my feet and ankles and kept them dry in crossing some deep water. I've waded out into a stream to check it out and walked back out with dry feet. These boots are great in every respect except for one - they are very uncomfortable to walk in. They started out uncomfortable but now after many rides and thousands of miles they are dang near torture to wear. I have to put some moleskin on my socks to be able to walk in them at all. They're 5 years old and still in great condition and I'm about ready to throw them in the trash and get something else.

I'm looking at Alpinestars Toucan or Corozol boots or the Gaerne SG-12 boots. By all accounts the SG-12s along with the Sidi Crossfire boots are among the most protective because they're designed for hard big hit MX style riding. But I take multi-day/multi-week ADV rides where I would rather not have to change my boots when I want to walk around town or take even a short hike. So, I'm willing to trade some protection for comfort (I hope I don't regret saying that @Krons

 

The Forma boots I have are very comfortable right out the box. Some have said they leak so I waxed them up and have had no problems. Forma ADV Tourer Boots - RevZilla

 

The Forma boots I have are very comfortable right out the box. Some have said they leak so I waxed them up and have had no problems. Forma ADV Tourer Boots - RevZilla

The trade off is that is seems the most comfortable boots for walking around in are also the least protective. I'm looking for a goldilocks boot that has an easy range of movement but has hard resistance to over flexing in any direction - the kind of thing that breaks ankles and tears important bits I need to walk effectively. I think I got a bad compromise in the Sidi Adventure Rain boots - traded off protection for a still uncomfortable boot.

I have a pair of BMW Pro Touring boots that I use for all my road trips that are some of the most comfortable footwear I own. I can walk around all day in those. They'll protect my feet and ankles from abrasion damage like would be typical in a mishap on the road but wouldn't do much to protect me from hyper extension or impact damage as would be more common off-road.