Dainese Cafe Boots
3.8
5
15
15
Tons of style
I bought these boots for commuting around town and to go out without looking like a superhero. These are great looking boots. They're not quite all day comfortable yet, but should break in. Soles are made for protection, not walking comfort. The laces are inconvenient for switching shoes when I get to work so I'll probably still buy some standard boots for commuting and weekend rides. The only other moto boots I've used were MX boots and these are not that protective, but far more protective than any low boot or non-moto specific boot.
Pros: well made, very stylish, enough protection for around town.
Cons: laces take forever, stock insole is pretty crummy
March 14, 2013
Fantastic boot
I love these boots; they were exactly what I was looking for. I have owned them for almost a year so I have logged a lot of time in them. They have great style and reasonable protection. I bought these to wear to work and they have become my go to boot for around town riding. I needed something I could wear that looked somewhat professional. They are extremely comfortable and I can wear them all day. That being said, I wouldn’t wear them on a track day, off road or in the rain. I have been down in them and other than a scuff on the toe they did well. I have the brown ones and if you want them darker just use some Dr. Martens Wonder Shoe Balsam. I treat mine about once a month. It gives them a much darker almost coffee color.
March 1, 2013
Nice!
These boots are great. I wear a EU41 in normal shoe/boots and it fits the same. Very stylish. Good protection. Not yet sure about leather finish durability. Only worn them for about 1500km and after a clean and a shine they were ok but leather finish changes more than expected were the ankle area rubs.
February 18, 2013
Stylish? Yes....Durable? Not really
I wish I had read the reviews more closely before buying these boots. The brown definitely looks way different than in any picture I've seen on the internet, although I did kind of like the washed out look. The sole is very soft and gummy, which I also kind of liked the feel of while on the bike. This would probably wear through very quickly though. Pretty comfy right out of the box, although I'm sure it would be a lot better if you actually broke them in.
As for durability, I had to lay my bike down recently when I was cut off by a pickup truck making an abrupt U-turn at high speed (I'm ok!) and these boots didn't last too well. They did however, protect my feet and ankles, which I am thankful. I don't think I'll be riding in any more boots with laces, as these came pretty close to falling off after the laces got chewed through.
During my slide, it became apparent that these are way over priced for the features they provide. The main seam that connects the leather holding the eyelets to the rest of the boot was ripped out, as it is only single stitched. Eyelets also got trashed on the side that I slid on. The leather is actually pretty thin, as it got a good chunk ripped from the ankle protector.
Overall, I'm glad they protected me, but I was a little disappointed in their durability considering they cost this much. If you're just interested in style, there are many other options (a certain British brand comes to mind) over these for half the price.
December 31, 2012
Disappointed
Ordered them in brown. These boots looked great in the video and pictures. Underwhelmed when I received them. As another reviewer commented, the color was much lighter than depicted. But not only was the color much lighter, it was uneven and had a "washed out" or "bleached" look to it, almost like there was a wax residue over it that can't be rubbed off. The sole of the boot is a VERY soft and spongy rubber and I expect it would wear extremely quickly if walked in (these boots are not able to resoled). The leather was no better (thicker/sturdier) than a traditional full leather jungle boot from standard retailers like Altima. I don't think the minor safety upgrades (ankle caps and toe box) justify the price over a normal jungle boot. I can't comment on fit or comfort, as I was so disappointed when I opened the box, I just boxed them back up and shipped them back. I have bought several products from RevZilla with no issues, and they remain great company to do business with. Dainese failed on these. What would have made this better? 1. A color that was more in tune with what was depicted. 2. A more durable sole (or at least a replaceable sole). 3. Better leather. 4. Better price point.
December 5, 2012
Great Boots
Decided to use some Zilla cash I had to treat myself to these. I needed a pair of boots for the winter and went for them over the Fryes fashion boots I had my eye on since they could also double up as riding boots.
Stylish and ridiculously comfortable out of the box, modest protection (to be fair, everything is modest next to my Axial Pros). I think these will really look good with some scuffs and creases on them when they break in. Slightly large in the toe box so I could get away with the 41s they had in stock v the 42 I normally wear in Dainese.
Only negatives I would say is that they look a bit chunkier than the photos suggest which gives them a slightly different look. If they were as slim and low profile as the photo it would be a 5 star review.
Can't go wrong with the product or the store. "Dainese and Revzilla - emptying my bank account since 2007"
November 29, 2012
Mostly style over substance, but what style!
This is a tough one. A 3-star "average" review isn't quite fair either because I love the boots. They're gorgeous. More dress boot disguised as motorcycle equipment than poseur equipment thinking it can play with the big boys in durability and protection. They're so stylish and nice I kinda don't want to scratch em riding.
Remember when the newest Air Jordans would come out and you walked funny cuz you didn't want to crease the leather? And you certainly didn't play basketball in them. These cafe boots are kinda like that same scenario.
Eventually I'll start wearing and scuffing them and they'll turn into just another pair of motorcycle boots in the closet. And I'll be happy about that.
In terms of fit, they're a little narrow and very torsionally stiff. The outsold is pretty tall making you feel like you're a little taller than you'd be in normal boots. Toe box is pretty snug but should loosen with break in.
Overall I bought these babies for their design and I am definitely not disappointed. The images above don't do it justice. The brown especially looks beautiful.
October 11, 2012
These boots looks great
Finally, a pair of boots that don't look like they were designed for a female astronaut. Seriously, the majority of motorcycle boots look silly. These have a bit of old-fashioned combat boot style to them, and aside from the shift-guard patches, you'd never know they were motorcycle boots. I've noticed that they transmit quite a bit of vibration into your feet, at least more than I'd like (I haven't ridden in many other pairs of boots, so I don't know what the norm is).
I bought the brown ones-- just to warn you, they are a very light brown. They look more like the color of a clay plant pot. The first thing I did was buy some dark brown leather dye and dye them darker, now they're perfect.
August 14, 2012
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