The bike goes down in an instant, there is no feedback through the chassis, no squirm from the tires, one moment my KTM 690 Enduro R is upright on La Honda road outside San Francisco. The next the bike and I are sliding through the corner, only to separate with me stopping face first a few feet from the barrier and the 690 considerably further down the road. It is in the intervening time that the Alpinestars Scouts do me a world of favors; from the initial impact through a good portion of the slide, the bike’s weight has been resting on my ankle. To quote a bowl of petunias, “Oh no, not again.”

Do the check, fingers, toes… all still wiggling. Ankle? Tender but carrying weight, no minor thing considering a 152kg/33l5b bike has been dropped then slid on it. That’s a huge testimony to the Alpinestars Scouts in terms of a riding boot’s raison d’être, protection.

Per the boot’s technical specs, “Outer and inner ankle protection is given by innovative, double injected, TPU section with different Durometer (hardness) values and thicknesses to allow protection and flexibility all in one section.” That might sound like so much marketing bumph, but – in conjunction with the buckles which partially grated away in the slide protecting my extremities and the boot’s upper – it works. I’m pretty sure my ankle would be broken otherwise.

There’s mention of flexibility in there too though, and here again the Scouts live up to the jingo. I’ve scrambled up rock embankments in them, hiked along ridges, trudged through the sand, walked kilometers to waterfalls, tested their 100% waterproof-ness to dry satisfaction standing in streams and their warmth on snow strewn rides – all in the name of getting the shot for our videos – my hiking boots should see so much off bike use. Sum and total these are the most comfortable touring/adventure boots I’ve worn, they are the stand-bys for travel. The first boots considered for a ride, and the last ones discounted, generally for the reason of needing something more MX oriented for some of our more ambitious outings.

Flaws? Precious few, really. The lack of a 11.5 US size means I’ve the option of slightly tight 11s or slightly sloppy 12s. The “100% Waterproof performance membrane construction” doesn’t breath well in hot days, so the Scouts have built up a fierce odor capable of incapacitating wildlife at a distance. There are many rounds of foot-spray bombs in the Scouts’ future too, because the durability over the past 30,000 kms of on and off road riding has been spectacular. The worst wear has been reserved for the grippy, lets walk up that mountain, soles, and Alpinestars offers a refurbishment service for those; just contact their customer service team at +1 (800) 438-2577 or hit the form on the site.

The soles and the buckles… They grated down quite nicely in my impromptu street luge with the KTM 690 Enduro R. Consider some those marks merit badges for the Alpinestars Scouts, boots that are always prepared.

More Info: Alpinestars Scouts
Price: 249.95