Noru Raida Boots

We tried on this Noru style along with other and we find the shoes and boots to fit true to size for length. The width is Medium or C to D, and may be a bit more narrow than average.

The top of the boot will accommodate average size calves, but they don’t have much adjustability so if you have very large calves or very skinny calves, this style probably won’t work well.

The NORU Raida Boot is a side-zip sport boot for street/sport riders. There are a number of impact protectors and a low profile sport sole.

Right out of the box, I’d suggest you give these boots a good airing out… preferably outside. They are packaged for their trip across the water in a solid cellophane wrapper which traps the fumes from the new boot materials and WOW they’ll run you out of a closed room right out of the box. But after a bit, they air out and are fine.

The overall construction of this boot looks pretty good for what it is, which is to say, a “sport boot” for use on the street, but not a race boot. I only emphasize that because the styling of the boot makes it look like a number of other true race boots we sell and I didn’t want you to put them to use under the wrong circumstances. So let’s go through it…

The boot has a nicely reinforced toe box and heel area and the heel area has a pretty sturdy external plastic protector too. Similar plastic armor parts are situated over the outside ankle bone and on the front and back of leg near the top of the boot (you can see those external pieces in the pictures). The toe is covered in a heavy plastic piece where your shifter will hit, and the boots have a removable toe slider. Although the boots are comfortable enough, I found the sole reinforcement to be a bit weak. When I try to bend the sole through the instep (it shouldn’t BTW), I can see the internal shank only reaches about the front of the heel because I can see where it ends as it ties to poke through the rubber. Race boots would be better constructed in this regard. Also, I note the placement of the ankle armor on both sides of the foot aren’t well aligned over my ankle bones. The inside one is a bit too far toward the rear, and the one for the outside ankle bone is a bit too high. They’re OK and certainly better than nothing, but to me, this is another clue, these aren’t comparable to higher-end race boots.

You can wear these boots in fair weather (no waterproofing features here), and they’ll work reasonably well in warmer weather because of the perforated materials used. The vent on the outside of the ankle and on the heel armor actually allow air to pass through too.

Overall, this is a good looking boot and the basic materials and construction look pretty good. As long as you don’t get starry-eyed and think you’ve scored a tremendous bargain on a race boot for your track day and stick to the street, I think you’ll like this boot. :: Paul, 03-31-21

About NORU: The NORU line of riding gear is new for us for 2021. It comes to us through one of our very long-time distributors of riding gear and apparel, Helmet House of California. Helmet House is the owner of the Cortech and Tour Master brands and is a distributor of other well known brands such as Shoei helmets and Alpinestars apparel. NORU is designed with value in mind… in fact, exceptional value and will serve those well who want decent riding gear on a minimal budget. NORU says: Inspired by Japan’s culture of careful refinement, NORU is the Japanese word that means “To Ride”. Founded by lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts, NORU is the performance champion of motorcycle apparel that you can afford.