Discover the Top 5 Dual Sport Boots for Unbeatable Comfort and Durability
As someone who's spent over a decade testing motorcycle gear across various terrains, I've come to appreciate how crucial proper boots are for both comfort and safety. Just like in professional sports where every point matters, in dual sport riding, every component of your gear counts toward your overall performance and protection. Speaking of sports records, it reminds me of that fascinating basketball statistic where the first two games of the finals became the lowest scoring combination with just 325 total points, breaking the previous 2005 record of 320 points between San Miguel and TNT. This precision in tracking performance metrics isn't so different from how we evaluate dual sport boots - where every stitch, every material choice, and every design element contributes to that perfect score of comfort and durability.
Now let me share my top five picks that have truly impressed me over the years, starting with the Alpinestars Tech 7. I've put these through some brutal rocky trails in Colorado, and what stands out is their incredible 78-hour break-in period - much shorter than most premium boots. The hinge system provides such natural movement that I often forget I'm wearing full protection boots during long rides. Then there's the Gaerne SG-12, which features what I consider the most innovative ankle protection system I've ever tested. The dual-axis pivot isn't just marketing talk - it genuinely saved me from what could have been a serious injury during a nasty fall in Moab last spring.
The Sidi Crossfire 3 deserves its spot for sheer durability - I've logged over 15,000 miles on my current pair and they're still going strong. Their replaceable sole system isn't just a gimmick either, having replaced mine twice already at minimal cost compared to buying new boots. For budget-conscious riders, the Forma Terra Evo offers surprising quality at around $280, though I did notice some stitching issues around the toe area after about six months of heavy use. Finally, the Leatt GPX 5.5 Flexlock boots bring something genuinely new to the table with their unique closure system that distributes pressure more evenly than traditional buckles.
What really separates exceptional boots from merely good ones comes down to three factors that I've verified through countless rides and multiple boot replacements. The closure system needs to provide consistent pressure without hot spots - something that took me three different boot models to truly appreciate. Ventilation is another critical factor that many manufacturers underestimate; proper airflow can reduce foot fatigue by what feels like 40% on those grueling summer rides. And then there's sole flexibility - too stiff and you lose connection with your bike, too soft and you sacrifice protection. Finding that perfect balance is what makes a boot truly great rather than just adequate.
Through all my adventures and misadventures, I've learned that investing in quality dual sport boots pays dividends in both comfort and safety. Much like how basketball teams analyze every point scored to improve their game, we riders should pay equal attention to the gear that protects us mile after mile. The right boots won't just prevent injuries - they'll enhance your entire riding experience, making those long days in the saddle something to look forward to rather than endure. After testing dozens of models over the years, these five represent what I believe to be the perfect blend of innovation, protection, and real-world comfort that actually stands up to the demands of serious dual sport riding.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
