Dollar for dollar, you would be able to get better gear from Alpinestars. But after owning the Dainese Air-Frame Jacket and the Dainese Scalpel Gloves, I've come to realise that there is more than just bang for the buck when it comes to riding gear. Dainese offers excellent workmanship, fashionable design, together with functionality and protection. Don't get me wrong, Alpinestars makes excellent riding gear too, I'm just more of Dainese fan now.
I got myself a set of Dainese gloves, boots, race suit, and back protector. The reviews will come in as I write and publish them, so stay tuned for the next few days. In this post, I review the Dainese race boots.
The Boots
The "In" in the name means that the boots are to be worn inside the race suit, underneath the calf area. Only certain Dainese race suits allow this feature. There are male velcro panels on the front and outside of the boots that would attach to the female velcro panels on the inside of the race suit's calf area.
Watch this video from SportbikeTrackGear to have a clearer picture of how the Dainese In boots work.
In case you haven't heard, Dainese no longer manufactures (most of) their products in Italy anymore, due to rising costs. The one thing that they still produce in Italy are their boots, so you can be sure that the quality is there.
I don't usually upload photos of the soles of shoes or boots but the underside of the Axial Pro In is just such a beauty to look at.
The boots come with so much protection that I don't know where to begin. I'll just touch on the more important ones. The Axial Pro In has replaceable stainless steel toe sliders, which just look intimidating. Just by looking at the boots, you would immediately feel safe and assured that it would do its job.
Also, notice the beautifully styled shifter pad.
And a stainless steel heel. Together with the toe slider, these 2 stainless steel parts ensure that you slide on the tarmac, instead of catching on and sending you into a tumble.
The Axial Pro In has an inner boot that is reinforced by carbon-kevlar. This answers your question as to why a Dainese In boot can match the protection of a Dainese Out boot. The carbon-kevlar is covered by a foam padding (the black part with the 2 elastic straps in the picture below) to give extra comfort.
In the event of a crash, the structure of the ankle protection prevents your ankles from distorting, thus preventing dislocation or a fracture.
Wearing the Axial Pro In is a very simple affair. Once you have your foot in the inner boot, all you have to do is to pull the 2 elastic bands, and attach them (by velcro) to the back of the inner boot. Next, roll up the outer sleeve, zip up and you're set.
The Dainese style prevails once again with this see-through panel that reveals the carbon-kevlar material in the ankle area.
I usually wear a size US 10.5. On the Axial Pro, I wear a size UK 43, that actually converts to a US size 10. But the fit is still good, and my feet don't feel cramped in any way. In fact, there is still a bit of space between my toes and the tip of the boot.
The fit is very snug, but gives a good range of motion in the ankles. It is much more comfortable to walk in the Axial Pro In than traditional bulky race boots.
Price
I got the Dainese Axial Pro In from JR at SGD$630. After converting the currency, it is very close to the retail price of USD$499.95 at Dainese's official website, even before factoring in import taxes. Small price to pay for the same pair of boots that Valentino Rossi is wearing at the highest level of motorcycle racing.
Watch a video review of the Dainese Axial Pro In boots by RevZilla here.
Verdict
The Dainese Axial Pro In (or Out) boots should be on the top of your consideration list if you're looking for the best pair of race boots out there. The only gripe I have is the heavy price tag, but if the price is not the deciding factor, then without a doubt, get the Axial Pro.
RB Rating: 10 / 10
Review of the Dainese glove next!
Ride safe.
1 comment :
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