Good ol nikes work fine until something bad happens, what do you all recommend?

You can't go wrong with Oxtars, Alpinestars, and Sidi's.

I have no hesitation recommending Alpinestar SMX-R Vented. I wear them personally and I love them. Before I bought them I figured the "venting" would be more gimmick than anything else. But you can definitely feel the rush of air through the boots at speed 30mph or better. Really cools down your feet in summer. During the winter, I just put on a pair of Alpinestar winter socks and I just barely feel the ventng...just enough to keep your feet from sweating in the winter. They are the perfect boot to me.

I tried a pair of Sidi's but they felt really really really narrow and just hurt my feet really bad. I broke them in and they still hurt and made my feel feel really cramped.

I exchanged the Sidi's for the Alpinestar SMX-R vented boots and they felt like they were custom molded to my feet from the minute I put them on. Very comfortable to walk in. They were designed to be the perfect mix between a racing and street riding boot. I feel like my ankles will definitely be safe in my boots if I take a spill.

Anyway..I highly recommend them. They look really nice too...IMHO. Here's a pic...


http://www.harpersraceshop.co.uk/usrimage/cat71.jpg

I have a pair of Nitro's. They have vents in the front and are pretty comfortable to walk around in. They are armored nicely at the ankle and cover a little over my ankle. Good general street riding boot.

Talking about *brands* is not all that useful, I think, because most of the brands available make good boots. What I prefer to do is talk about the features a rider should look for -- in particular, a reasonably tall shank (for shin and clf protection) and armor over the ankle area. That's the minimum! (Along with fit and comfort of course.) Beyond that, full bore racing boots these days are designed not only to protect against abrasions but against compression fractures of the lower leg - those boots are very complex and astonishingly expensive though. Still, you can find quite a variety of levels of protection, and you should choose what best seems to fit your needs.

Beyond that, full bore racing boots these days are designed not only to protect against abrasions but against compression fractures of the lower leg

Uumm...not to be argumentative, but technically no pair of boots can protect you against a "compression fracure," assuming you understand the nature of what a "compression fracture" is.

However, I understand the point you are making.

Yes, I do understand the nature of a compression fracture. I can't say I understand why the top-line racing boots could protect (to any extent) against such fractures but I do know that is what the boot manufacturers are trying to do now. Take a look at the most expensive racing boots sometime - they are like walking casts! Quite astonishing compared to "normal" road boots.

I'm a bit of a safety nut and wear armor everywhere but that's not the sort of risk I am particularly concerned about. If I were racing I might make a different choice.

I have no hesitation recommending Alpinestar SMX-R Vented. I wear them personally and I love them. Before I bought them I figured the "venting" would be more gimmick than anything else. But you can definitely feel the rush of air through the boots at speed 30mph or better. Really cools down your feet in summer. During the winter, I just put on a pair of Alpinestar winter socks and I just barely feel the ventng...just enough to keep your feet from sweating in the winter. They are the perfect boot to me.

I tried a pair of Sidi's but they felt really really really narrow and just hurt my feet really bad. I broke them in and they still hurt and made my feel feel really cramped.

I exchanged the Sidi's for the Alpinestar SMX-R vented boots and they felt like they were custom molded to my feet from the minute I put them on. Very comfortable to walk in. They were designed to be the perfect mix between a racing and street riding boot. I feel like my ankles will definitely be safe in my boots if I take a spill.

Anyway..I highly recommend them. They look really nice too...IMHO. Here's a pic...


http://www.harpersraceshop.co.uk/usrimage/cat71.jpg


You can never go wrong with Alpinestars. Gotta love em.

Yes, I do understand the nature of a compression fracture. I can't say I understand why the top-line racing boots could protect (to any extent) against such fractures but I do know that is what the boot manufacturers are trying to do now. Take a look at the most expensive racing boots sometime - they are like walking casts!

Top line racing boots can't protect against compression fractures...it's just not possible. Compression fractures are usually reserved for the vertebrae. Now, you could have a compression fracture the femur, tib, fib, malleolus, or metatarsals, but the means by which you would aquire such a fracure would "usually" result in death. If you jumped out of a 15 story building and landed on your feet, you would probably acquire compression fractures in any number of placed in your legs, but then at that height you would probably suffer much worse injuries and the fracture would be the least of your worries.

In the world of motorcycles, you would more likely have a transverse, oblique or comminuted fracture. Racing boots could protect against these types of fractures.

Sorry, I'm a stickler about appropriate terms in lieu of illness, or in this case, fractures.

:-)

Still love my Alpinestar SMX-R's.

One other thought besides determining what features you want and how your feet are built, is how your calves are built and how you wear your pants. I've tried on BMW and Sidi boots that were very tight in the calf area. There's no way I could have tucked leathers in those boots! In my experience, Oxtars, Alpinestars, and the Tourmaster Solution boot will accomodate a wider foot and a larger calf.

I've got SMX-4s. I don't really know how well my ankle is protectected, but they're better than my Pumas and would have prevented this nasty burn scar on my leg from my drop. I think I'm about to buy some One-O-Ones to wear when I'm just going to the movies or a friend's house, though.

Those Alpinestar SMX-R Vented boots are pretty nice.... how much are we talking?

I went the low-road of affordability and settled on some "Setup" boots. Everything I read at the time indicated that they're made by Sidi. And as I Google it now, Sidi is going to discontinue them after 2008. Anyways, if you can find a pair, they're very affordable and I'm happy with mine.

I have the white Icon Motorhead boots :D they're pretty comfortable, and look cool. They have a bit of a motocross boot design.