Gaerne Women's G-Donah Boots
4.5
5
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4
Great Boots-Waterproof, durable and style
I purchased these boots in 2009- 25K miles and 4 years later they are still great. The sole and zippers have held up, they polish nice-although I do have a few worn areas from riding which is to be expected. I had/have no issue with the fit of the boot. I did add a gel insert since they came with a thin microbial one. They are waterproof. However-there is no air flow. Over 80 temps-your feet will get hot on a long ride. I did switch to a great moisture wicking summer sock from Klim (Thanks Revzilla) that helped quite a bit. In the cold weather-don't even try to use foot warmers-they will not get air-so-your feet will get cold. Learned that the hard way on a 4 hour 20 degree trip.
February 9, 2013
Stylish Riding Boot with safety features
It has been a struggle to find stylish riding boots that I can wear to work (without changing) to my fairly conservative workplace.
The Pro's: These boots are feminine, with slight heels (I wear heels on a regular basis, and these are really reasonable) and a classic boot look. The heels were a bit chunkier than I expected from the picture, but once on, they looked great and stylish (I tend to prefer skinnier heels). With slacks over the tops, they look somewhat like a pair of fashion boots - the toe is a bit more boxy and the heel a bit more chunky, but a fairly reasonable compromise for the added safety features.
I LOVE that the boots are feminine and still retain the important safety features of good riding books - they have reinforced ankles, shins, and toe box for shifting. The are GREAT for gripping the road, have inserted lining at the zipper (so it doesn't leak in the rain) and a comfortable fit. While many women's boots are good for a passenger, few seem to really be made for a female rider who wants all of the safety features of men's boots. These certainly fit the bill, and are great for both a passenger AND a rider!
The Con's: When the boots arrived, the instep on one of the boots was much lower over the top of the foot than the other. I will have to have it professionally stretched at a shoe store before wearing it for a significant amount of time.
The boots are stiff, and are tight when walking around for an extended amount of time - I expect that will get slightly better over time, but will not go away fully.
It is also still fairly difficult to get the boots on, and off - the zipper unzips fairly low, but the instep is so stiff, that it can be difficult to insert my foot. I had to wear thinner socks than usual, although once my foot was in, I had plenty of room for the thicker sock.
I'd still love to see a boot with a slimmer heel, and a more fashion-forward toe box that keeps the same safety features - one day, one day!
June 26, 2012
Love these boots!
Comfortable- I've worn them on a hot day, had to walk around campus, and later rode home in a downpour on pavement and over dirt. The boots performed well- I arrived home with happy and dry feet. I recommend these boots.
July 25, 2011
I LOVE my new boots!!
These boots are beautiful! I work in an office environment with a 'business casual' dress code. With these boots I no longer have to bring work shoes to change into when I get to the office.
I have a wider foot and these boots run small so even a size up they're a little on the snug side. I also have a very high instep and they are a bit lower than my race boots.
The description doesn't make enough of the genuine Vibram soles these boots have! They grip like a good functional riding boot should.
And finally, these boots don't have a real insole. It's more of a liner than a real padded insole. I picked up some gel insoles and that works great!
All in all these are the first women's boots which fit all of my requirements:
solid riding protection
leather
dressy enough to wear to work
waterproof
June 28, 2010