Picked up a pair of these boots today from Ryan Young Products (original US importer of Gaerne gear - rypusa.com ). Oddly enough, this guys warehouse/shipping location is about 20 minutes from my house. I gave him a ring, asked if I could come over and try them on for a proper fit, and he said no problem. I have a wide foot, in fact I wear a 10EEEE in tennis shoes. My foot prefers a wide toebox, so tennis shoes like the Brooks Beast are right up my alley. Ive tried on random Sidi and Alpinestars boots the past week, and 2 things stuck out - narrow toe box, and damn they are uncomfortable with zero flex.(no i didnt try on crossfires with the magical hinge) These Gaerne Balance boots are wide, and very comfortable. A 10 in these boots fits like a 10EE Brooks Beast. The toebox is not nearly as wide as a EEEE shoe, but definitely seems to be EE in width. But wow, these are comfy, and look damn good with the oiled finish! I also got to chat with Ryan Young and his father who was visiting from PA. Both super nice guys, who also swear by these boots. His dad just took his pair out to his van, and says he mows grass in them, hikes in them, etc. Ryan has a museum of sorts inside his facility of trials bikes. Really cool stuff. Lots of Sherco bikes, and some other used gear. All in all, the Gaerne is a really good boot, very happy with them! note: i have zero affiliation with Ryan Young, rypusa.com, etc. Just passing on notes about my experience with finding these boots and the vendor I got them from.
I was just looking at these bit pricey but definitely seem like a good middleground. hows the waterproofing? it seems so damn hard to find waterproof riding boots - I personally dont care for wet socks all day because of one mud puddle.
They have a "waterproof" tag on them, but its not Goretex, its a Drytech liner. no idea on how waterproof they are. i guess i can fill up the tub and test! give me a few to report back....
I spent an hour and a half in a 4", toad strangling rain mucking across KC in rush hour traffic. My feets were the only thing that were dry. Most comfortable footwear of any kind I've ever owned, I want that gooshy rubber sole stuff on all my shoes. Yeah, they're pricey and I'm not a wealthy man, lusted for them for a year or so before buying. Money well spent and R/Y's had the best price I could find.
I picked up a pair from Ryan Young a few months ago. Super comfortable and yes, the gushy soles are nice. I like the tub test, haven't had any leaks in the minimal amount of wetness I've been in. I wear a 10C shoe and the size 10 boot was a perfect fit.
I bought a pair of these for my trip to alaska, and was pretty bummed out when my feet were wet after the first time it rained. While on my trip, I contacted the place where I bought them from and they said they would exchange them when I returned. So I got to use the leaky ones for the remainder of the trip, and when I got back, I got to exchange them for a brand new pair! Anyhow, I really love the fit and feel of these boots, and hopefully the first pair that I had that were leaky was just a fluke. I guess I need to get in the tub.
yeah, now how'bout some water in that tub? on a serious note, thanks for bringing this up, I too am looking for boots that fit my feet, comfortably... .
trust me, there was water. i even made some splashies so it showed up on camera! the other 2 pics i took you couldnt tell :-( you can see the leather is wet....
Yes, thread resurrection, but I felt it was appropriate. This was the lowest price I could find on these boots($295 w/ free shipping). http://www.shop.goaz.com/Balance-Oiled-Boot-45-5327.htm Most retailers sell for over $325 and then charge shipping.
I have a pair for trials riding and love them. Comfortable and waterproof. One thing to keep in mind is that these are made for trials riding, meaning they're super flexible and really don't offer any ankle protection. Safety wise they're probably on par with touring style street boots, but I wouldn't wear them off road other than for trials.
If that picture is accurate, those look like the Balance Pro Tech boots (as opposed to the Balance Oiled: Balance Pro Tech for $266 at Motorcycle Superstore (notice the white at the top of the boot): http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/3/13216/ITEM/Gaerne-Balance-Pro-Tech-Boots.aspx Balance Oiled for $356 at MSS (No white tab and better looking leather): http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/3/13215/ITEM/Gaerne-Balance-Oiled-Boots.aspx?WT.ac=SLI_SERP I agree the price is great if it is for the "Oiled" rather than the "Pro Tech". But based upon the picture, I would verify before buying. The description matches the Pro Tech more so than the Oiled (no mention of Dry Tech lining.)
Have a pair rode 18,000 miles on RTW trip through every type of riding condition and they never leaked, great boots. The bottoms are a little soft and wear fairly quickly, but they are very comfortable to walk around in. If you are limited on space and can only take one pair of shoes I would highly recommend these.
I got a pair of these a while back and I say they are worth every penny. Totally waterproof and very comfortable on and off the bike. As a matter of fact im wearing mine right now even though I'm not going to be riding today.
I am about to put some $$$$ on these boots but I'd like to know whysome booots are leaking and some not. Are there copies being made out there, and being flogged on ebay? I saw a video where some guy put his boots in the tub and they leaked. But so many don't leak.... I'm confused :huh
Bought mine from Atomic Moto, good price. I've ridden through several torrential rainstorms and they don't leak a drop. Haven't tried standing in a tub, but boots that leak in a tub doesn't mean they'll leak while riding, necessarily. Super comfy, the soles are not stiff enough to ride standing on the pegs on singletrack all day and they are far more flexible than MX boots, but perfect for a day-to-day street/adv/dual sport boot. Walking around in them is amazingly comfortable, more so than any other boot I've tried. Most importantly, the brown oiled leather looks fantastic. dc
