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Sidi Crossfire SR Boots
2WheelTimes Review: Sidi Crossfire SR Off-Road Boots
By Doug Byers
When I first contacted Bill Berroth of Motonation, the official USA supplier of Sidi motorcycle boots, I told him we were doing a massive product test in Baja and I needed some boots to beat the crap out of for four days of extreme adventure riding from Tecate to Mike's Sky Ranch to San Felipe and back. Bill said, "No problem I've got just the boot for that". He sent over a pair of white Sidi Crossfire SR Off-Road boots in size 13 for yours truly.
When I opened the box my first impressions were double wow! The boots were almost too pretty to wear in the dirt and they even had that new car smell of fine Italian leather. After I came to my senses I slid them on and trotted around the house and backyard some to break them in before I wore them in Mexico for four days straight. To my pleasant surprise the boots were flexible and easy to walk in immediately without a break-in period and the Cambrelle lining was cool and comfortable. These handcrafted Italian boots offer the best in protection and comfort for your lower extremities yet are light and comfortable right out of the box! Very unusual for an off-road motorcycle boot with this level of protection. I have worn many brands of high quality boots and I can tell you from experience none of them felt like the Sidi Crossfire SR when new.
The next step was to get the boots dirty. Arggg...Baja was still a month away, so I loaded up my gear bag and bike for a day run to one of my favorite riding areas in Northern California and met up with one of my favorite riding buds, the Geimer. After arriving at the staging area we suited up and jumped on the orange machines for a day of two man roost tag. We headed down a fast fire road section towards the single track trails; I was getting a feel for the new boots on my footpegs, shifter and brake lever. Yet again to my pleasant surprise, I had great feel for the shifter and brake pedal immediately. I thought to myself, "These are some well made boots." Dexterity and comfort were evident in the first few miles as I was able to modulate the rear brake while backing in the big KTM and ripping though the gears on the back tire engaging every upshift perfectly.
The Sidi sole system provides incredible support and traction on the foot pegs even with a 240lb monster editor on board. The soles offer good traction while walking up hill or down muddy hills to retrieve your, uh, I mean your buddy's motorcycle from a ravine, or maybe to scout out a new line around some downed trees. The soles are replaceable with a simple screwdriver and you can choose different color inserts to personalize your boots or replace worn-out pieces. Best of all the Sidi Supermoto SMS sole can be fitted to the Crossfire's for some supermoto action at your local go-cart track or parking lot! The arch support felt good and they even thought of a replaceable inner kickstart/footpeg guard to help prevent your kickstart lever from eating a hole through your boots. Walking around in the pits or from campsite to campsite or even San Felipe Main Street for some fish tacos is easy and squeak free, unlike some competitors’ boots that squeak so loud when walking everyone within a mile away can hear you coming.
The Cam-lock buckle system has left me speechless! The craftsmanship and top quality materials used to create the buckle system combined with the clever design results in a simple and incredibly easy to use and fast buckle system. The buckles adjust to just the right tension quickly and effortlessly, and they stay closed the majority of the time while pounding through rough terrain. They are well protected from damage and unexpected openings. However, I did have one buckle come open once during four days of adventure riding in Baja, but compared to other brands there is no contest, Sidi all the way.
The Crossfire SR's Dual Flex System upper shin and ankle protection uses a multiple layer system to provide the needed amount of protection, yet maintains a flexible and relatively light boot for the rider. The ankle protection is solid despite the fact Sidi does not use a booty design like some other brands, and that is fine with me as it provides a tremendous amount of ankle protection while remaining flexible, comfortable, slim and cool. The shin area has a generous amount of protection from roost and flying debris as well.
Heel, toe, and the top of your foot protection is top notch using external guards to protect the tender small foot bones, while utilizing a rigid, shock resistant, anatomically shaped heel for maximum protection. The toe area is covered in a protective plastic cocoon to help keep you little digits intact.
Equally impressive is the amount of grip the Sidi boots offer when you're gripping and squeezing the motorcycle with your legs while riding. The contact pads on the inside of the calves are the right texture and size, placed in the exactly the right spot to provide excellent feel of the bikes side panels and frame.
After many off road adventures and four days in Baja's toughest conditions combined with tons of walking the boots are holding up brilliantly. Nothing has broken or fallen off, the soles still look good, and the boots fit and finish looks shinny still. In my 30 years of riding motorcycles the Sidi Crossfire SR is by far the most comfortable and best protecting off road boot I have ever worn. If you’re looking for the finest made and longest lasting off road boot on the market today, the choice is simple, get yourself a pair of the Sidi Crossfire SR's you won’t be disappointed.
Sidi is continuously researching new technological solutions to enhance rider safety, with Sidi's great style, feel, support and quality there are no finer performance off road boots in the world. Available in Black, Orange, Red, Blue, and White US sizes 7.5 to 13 or European sizes 41 to 48. They retail for $500. For more information please visit: www.motonation.com/sidihome.asp.
2WheelTimes Tested Report Card: Sidi Crossfire SR Off-Road Boots
Fit/Comfort: A
Style: A
Durability: A
Performance: A
Value: A
2WeelTimes Moto G.P.A. = 4.00
By Doug Byers
When I first contacted Bill Berroth of Motonation, the official USA supplier of Sidi motorcycle boots, I told him we were doing a massive product test in Baja and I needed some boots to beat the crap out of for four days of extreme adventure riding from Tecate to Mike's Sky Ranch to San Felipe and back. Bill said, "No problem I've got just the boot for that". He sent over a pair of white Sidi Crossfire SR Off-Road boots in size 13 for yours truly.
When I opened the box my first impressions were double wow! The boots were almost too pretty to wear in the dirt and they even had that new car smell of fine Italian leather. After I came to my senses I slid them on and trotted around the house and backyard some to break them in before I wore them in Mexico for four days straight. To my pleasant surprise the boots were flexible and easy to walk in immediately without a break-in period and the Cambrelle lining was cool and comfortable. These handcrafted Italian boots offer the best in protection and comfort for your lower extremities yet are light and comfortable right out of the box! Very unusual for an off-road motorcycle boot with this level of protection. I have worn many brands of high quality boots and I can tell you from experience none of them felt like the Sidi Crossfire SR when new.
The next step was to get the boots dirty. Arggg...Baja was still a month away, so I loaded up my gear bag and bike for a day run to one of my favorite riding areas in Northern California and met up with one of my favorite riding buds, the Geimer. After arriving at the staging area we suited up and jumped on the orange machines for a day of two man roost tag. We headed down a fast fire road section towards the single track trails; I was getting a feel for the new boots on my footpegs, shifter and brake lever. Yet again to my pleasant surprise, I had great feel for the shifter and brake pedal immediately. I thought to myself, "These are some well made boots." Dexterity and comfort were evident in the first few miles as I was able to modulate the rear brake while backing in the big KTM and ripping though the gears on the back tire engaging every upshift perfectly.
The Sidi sole system provides incredible support and traction on the foot pegs even with a 240lb monster editor on board. The soles offer good traction while walking up hill or down muddy hills to retrieve your, uh, I mean your buddy's motorcycle from a ravine, or maybe to scout out a new line around some downed trees. The soles are replaceable with a simple screwdriver and you can choose different color inserts to personalize your boots or replace worn-out pieces. Best of all the Sidi Supermoto SMS sole can be fitted to the Crossfire's for some supermoto action at your local go-cart track or parking lot! The arch support felt good and they even thought of a replaceable inner kickstart/footpeg guard to help prevent your kickstart lever from eating a hole through your boots. Walking around in the pits or from campsite to campsite or even San Felipe Main Street for some fish tacos is easy and squeak free, unlike some competitors’ boots that squeak so loud when walking everyone within a mile away can hear you coming.
The Cam-lock buckle system has left me speechless! The craftsmanship and top quality materials used to create the buckle system combined with the clever design results in a simple and incredibly easy to use and fast buckle system. The buckles adjust to just the right tension quickly and effortlessly, and they stay closed the majority of the time while pounding through rough terrain. They are well protected from damage and unexpected openings. However, I did have one buckle come open once during four days of adventure riding in Baja, but compared to other brands there is no contest, Sidi all the way.
The Crossfire SR's Dual Flex System upper shin and ankle protection uses a multiple layer system to provide the needed amount of protection, yet maintains a flexible and relatively light boot for the rider. The ankle protection is solid despite the fact Sidi does not use a booty design like some other brands, and that is fine with me as it provides a tremendous amount of ankle protection while remaining flexible, comfortable, slim and cool. The shin area has a generous amount of protection from roost and flying debris as well.
Heel, toe, and the top of your foot protection is top notch using external guards to protect the tender small foot bones, while utilizing a rigid, shock resistant, anatomically shaped heel for maximum protection. The toe area is covered in a protective plastic cocoon to help keep you little digits intact.
Equally impressive is the amount of grip the Sidi boots offer when you're gripping and squeezing the motorcycle with your legs while riding. The contact pads on the inside of the calves are the right texture and size, placed in the exactly the right spot to provide excellent feel of the bikes side panels and frame.
After many off road adventures and four days in Baja's toughest conditions combined with tons of walking the boots are holding up brilliantly. Nothing has broken or fallen off, the soles still look good, and the boots fit and finish looks shinny still. In my 30 years of riding motorcycles the Sidi Crossfire SR is by far the most comfortable and best protecting off road boot I have ever worn. If you’re looking for the finest made and longest lasting off road boot on the market today, the choice is simple, get yourself a pair of the Sidi Crossfire SR's you won’t be disappointed.
Sidi is continuously researching new technological solutions to enhance rider safety, with Sidi's great style, feel, support and quality there are no finer performance off road boots in the world. Available in Black, Orange, Red, Blue, and White US sizes 7.5 to 13 or European sizes 41 to 48. They retail for $500. For more information please visit: www.motonation.com/sidihome.asp.2WheelTimes Tested Report Card: Sidi Crossfire SR Off-Road Boots
Fit/Comfort: A
Style: A
Durability: A
Performance: A
Value: A
2WeelTimes Moto G.P.A. = 4.00
