Gaerne SG-10 boot review

[yzernie]

I purchased a pair of the Gaerne SG-10 boots about a month ago. As is normal with me I procrastinate breaking in new boots. I don't like the stiffness of new boots and the lack of feel for the rear brake...not to mention new boots are just plain uncomfortable.

Workmanship:
Top grain leather, the stitching looks sound, all of the fittings for the ankle hinges were tight, aluminum snaps instead of plastic

Fit:
As I put them on the first thing I noticed was the nicely padded ankle area. They felt a tad narrow in the sole area but as the day wore on either my foot adapted or they loosened up a tad. Even with my Asterisk knee braces the latches all lined up well and were easy to adjust. The top of the boot didn't seem to want to close up tight agains my pants. There was about a 1/4-1/2" gap along the outside edge. That may be due to the knee braces and may change as the boot gets broken in.

On the track:
I must back up a bit. Before I went onto the track I walked around the pits for a bit to get a feel for the boots. They were not as stiff as I had anticipated. That is good!!

I get out on the track and was pleased to find I could shift, both up and down, easier than I thought I would have been able to. The feel for the shifter was not what I liked but this was the first ride. I never missed a shift while riding however, when stopped and trying to get into 2nd to get going I couldn't just lift my toes to get it into gear but I had to lift my foot. Normal with new boots.

The feel for the rear brake pedal was acceptable for new boots. While entering a corner I did drag the rear brake a few times because I couldn't just lift my toes to get the pressure off of the pedal. I had to consciously lift my foot off the pedal to take the pressure off. The more I rode the better it got. Normal with new boots.

High speed landings from jumps were a comfortable. Occasionally, while cornering, my old boots would catch on the lower front edge of the radiator shroud and I don't remember that happening during this ride.

Comfort:
Except for the above listed items, after riding and taking the boots off I didn't have any unusually sore spots on my feet or ankles. For me, that is pretty out of the ordinary after breaking in a new pair of boots.

Price:
Retail price is around $325.00 which is a bit high. I bought them through my sponsoring shop so I got them for much less than retail. If you were to shop around the net I had found them for a low as $268 and change. Still kind of high but worth it in my opinion.

Overall:
As with any new boot there will be a break in period. I really dislike wearing and breaking in new boots but my first ride in these SG-10's left me impressed. Can't wait to get them broken in the rest of the way and see how they feel.

[crfjedi393]

Many of you know that jedi jr wears the SG-10's and he says he'll never wear another boot. Of course technology will produce a better boot in the future but he feels very strongly about the quality of this boot. He and I both feel that they have saved a broken ankle or two. Great write-up yzernie!

[Woody_393]

Thank you for the review. I am seriously considering them as my next boots. And your thoughts/opinion are invaluable to me at this point.

Please keep us updated as they break in more.

BTW, just as a point of reference, what were you wearing prior to the SG-10's?

[yzernie]

I was (still?) wearing the Answer ASX which was Answers top line boot. Answer is starting to get away from top line boot and helmet sales. The ASX is a great boot but not the quality of the SG-10.

[Woody_393]

thank you!

[yzernie]

And...I forgot to include that there are just a couple different color combinations available. I got black because they make me look thinner.

[ShaneRider]

Do you have any complaints about the boot at all?

[yzernie]

Originally Posted by ShaneRider

Do you have any complaints about the boot at all?

Not so far but I have only worn them once. I am racing this weekend and I will add to the review afterwards.

[Aus_Rider_22]

Thanks for that very informative review!

It's great to see all the boot manufacturer's offering quality products!

It's so hard to purchase boots these days. I don't need boots for a long time but it's going to be hard to choose out of Alpinestars, SIDI, Gaerne and Oxtar plus any other companies that really step-up!

Makes for some high-quality boots and constant improvements in design.

[racer_ryan247]

Gaerne are my favorite boots! Those are going to be my next boots, those are really tough boots. I can't wait for my Gaerne SG-10 boots