Alpinestars Roam 2 Waterproof Boots

Alpinestars boots are very consistent from one model to the next and in trying on this style, we find it to be consistent with their published sizing chart and most previous Alpinestars boots.

If you know your best size from previous Alpinestars boots, then I’d advise you to choose the same size, or just use the chart to select a size based on a US street shoe size. I’d consider the width of the men’s sizes to be normal to slightly wide (D or E).

If you look at the summary pictures of all the Alpinestars waterproof street boots you’ll see quite a variety of shoes and boots. I count a dozen styles from JUST Alpinestars. So where does the Roam 2 fit in? I’d call it the “standard” waterproof street boot that is less expensive than the full leather/Gore-Tex big brother called the Web Gore-Tex. The Roam has about all the same construction and functions as the Web… it is a “standard” height boot, all black with the standard features you’d expect of a quality motorcycle boot…. protection built into the shin, heel, toe and ankle bone areas, a shifter pad to cut wear on the boot’s toe from rubbing the shifter, a sturdy molded sole, secure closure to keep the boots on your feet, waterproof/breathable liner… etc, etc (see the bullet list above). The boots are positioned lower in price than the Web because of two key things… they are synthetic leather rather than leather and they use Alpinestar’s “house brand” of waterproof breathable liner instead of genuine Gore-Tex. Will those things make it worth paying more for the more expensive boot? For most, probably not… unless you are an AVID rider and have a taste for only the best things, these boots will work just fine.

And there are some things about this style I kind of like… the overall styling is a bit racier with the side Velcro buckles, and the nature of the closure makes the boots just a bit quicker to get on and take off IMHO.

Oh, but back to my discussion about the dozen boots…. if you look at the summary thumbnails, you’ll see some “sneaker” type styles that are, um, minimalist in nature, then some shorter boots that only come up a bit above the ankle (in both Gore-Tex or not), then there are boots that are MUCH more robust, taller and more macho looking with the multiple metal side buckles. So consider the Web and these Roam 2 boots to be the middle of the road, probably most practical mix of protection and comfort boots, and which are made for the everyday rider. A very good choice for MOST people I think. :: Paul, 09-02-14

About CE Ratings for Boots: CE ratings on boots are a relatively new thing, so I asked our Alpinestars rep to give me some information about the CE certification and what it means to a boot buyer. Here is his best shot at a concise answer: The biggest piece of info for a CE rated boot is based around how well that boot can disperse energy from the vehicle while riding or an impact. Standard features in footwear to meet CE certification requires a structural shank in the foot bed to break down energy transferring up from the foot pegs or an impact to the bottom of the foot in a get off. It also requires the boot to have structure in the heel and toe of the boot, at minimum you need to have a hard supportive counter in the heel that can again help break down energy being pushed up through the foot bed. Though not required most Alpinestars boots contain a hard counter in the toe as well; this is more designed for wear from shifting and impact to the front/side of the foot during an accident. The last major feature required is impact protection on the ankle and every boot/riding shoe in the Alpinestars line features some sort of hard impact protection on the medial and lateral sides of the ankle. Overall in simple terms a CE rating in a piece of footwear works as a minimum standard to decrease the chance of catastrophic damage to the heel/arch/ankle in an accident. My thanks to JP in Dealer Development at Alpinestars. :: Paul, 09-05-14