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| TCX X-Blend Waterproof riding boot. MSRP $199.99 US |
Now, let me preface with this- these boots are not a "new" product, nor am I the first person to review them, however, I am the only person that I know who wears them, and I haven't had any of my riding buddies say that they have ever even heard of them, much less owned a pair. That could be because they are not sold in Harley-Davidson shops, the local shoe stores or any of the specialty boot shops near me. I did a little online research on the X-Blends and, after reading some pretty good things about them and figuring out what my European shoe size was (they're made in Romania), I started looking. No local places had them and all of the "big box" online stores were out of stock. I took that as a good sign and after some diligent searching, I found a pair in my size at Union Garage in Brooklyn, NY (https://uniongaragenyc.com). Get in touch with the folks at Union Garage if you need some gear. Their customer service is out of this world and their prices are fair and competitive with all of the big box "discount" places. Besides, you'll be helping to keep an independent business in business by supporting them.
So, my first impressions were good. The X-Blend is a sturdy boot and it has a nice semi-finished leather outer shell. I went with the brown, but they also have them in black. Initial break-in wasn't bad and the boot really felt well made. I'm probably going to echo the word "sturdy" a lot, because that's how they feel- not cheap and flimsy like other boots, but solid and sturdy. They have some weight to them, but it's not like wearing concrete blocks, either. The insoles were comfortable and the soles were tough. They have a lug-like sole, but they're more linear and grooved to avoid trapping gravel and mud. I liked them, right out of the box.
So, six months and a few days later, I'm still wearing the hell out of them. I could probably ditch most of my other shoes because I wear these boots 90 percent of the time. They are holding up great, as I would expect a boot that cost me two hundred bucks should. You can treat them with leather treatment to add a bit more water resistance- I didn't. I would rather spend time wearing my boots and riding my bike than cleaning either of them. That's not to say that I don't keep them both clean, I just don't obsess over it. For maintenance, all I've done to my X-Blends is, every couple of weeks or so, I'll hit them with a boot brush to knock the grime off.
The soles are showing hardly any wear at all and the leather shell is getting worn-in nicely with a good patina on the leather. I think they look better now than the day I unboxed them. As other's have said, the leather toe-pad on the right boot (brake side) is losing some of the stitching, but the leather pad is still firmly in place- I'll keep an eye on this and update as needed. The left boot (shifter side) is all good. I ride two bikes- a Road King Special and a Dyna Street Bob. The Road King has a heel-toe shifter, so there's not much use of the toe pad while riding it, but on my Dyna, I use the hell out of it. The toe pad is in the exact right place and lines up perfectly with the shift peg.
When I was doing my research, I read a few comments about the eyelets wearing through, or even cutting, the laces. I haven't seen anything like that happening with mine. The laces are still intact and as strong as they were six months ago. The boots are water resistant, meaning your feet will stay dry if you're washing your bike, step in a puddle or spill your beer on it, but if you get caught in a deluge on a road trip, you're probably going to wish you had put on those rubber boot gaiters that came with your rain suit... the ones you never wear because they look like goofy foot condoms.
The insoles are still really comfortable with just the right amount of support and cushion. These are motorcycle boots, without a doubt. When someone looks down at them on my feet, they immediately recognize them as riding boots. But they aren't your typical riding boots. Most motorcycle boots I've had were built well- solid, thick, high quality leather with oil-resistant soles and a good heel. They offered all the right protection on the bike. ON. THE. BIKE. Off the bike it's another story, though. Almost every slip-on boot I've had sucks after walking more than a couple of hundred feet in them and any of the lace-up boots I had picked up more rocks than a three year old. Neither styles were good to walk in. These TCX X-Blends are comfortable to wear all day long. Seriously, ALL DAY. Mrs. MotoWriter and I took a trip to Gatlinburg, TN last year and my TCX X-Blends were the only footwear I brought with me. We did some hiking, took in some tourist attractions, went out to dinner and even did a rope obstacle course and these boots never missed a beat. They looked nice enough to wear to a semi-casual dinner and kept up in every terrain I put them through.
Like I said, these boots are sturdy and well made. The only complaints that I have after 6 months of wearing these things, almost daily, is the stitching on the right toe pad and, if I really have to find something, they can be a little warm on the foot. They don't have any vents or mesh panels, which I like because mesh panels are like screen doors on a submarine and vents are usually points of failure on a boot, especially after a few months of heavy wear or during a slide. The price is on par with every good motorcycle boot I've ever bought, with the main difference being I'm sure I'll get, at least, a couple of good years of riding, walking and hiking out of these, while the other boots are collecting dust in the back of the closet.
Check 'em out here TCX X-Blend Waterproof Motorcycle Boots
