The new Touratech Destino boots offer a compromise for adventure riders who want on-bike protection and off-bike comfort.
We’ve talked before about the problem adventure riders face when choosing boots; when someone’s riding through exotic locale, they usually want to explore on foot once they get off the bike.
Earlier this year, Rev’It introduced the streamlined Discovery Outdry boots, intended to make it easier to walk around when dismounted. Now, Touratech has shown its own solution, and it’s a very different approach. The Destino boots have been floating around the show circuit for a couple years, but haven’t been available in North America until now.
Instead of building more flexible footwear, Touratech has gone with a “shoe-inside-a-boot” solution. The Destinos look like standard high-topped adventure riding boots from the outside, with conventional buckle closure. They’re rated as water-resistant, not waterproof, and have armour in the toe, shin, and ankle areas. There’s also a retractable steel cable that allows the rider to lock the boots to their motorcycle.
On the inside, though, the Touratech boots have an inner waterproof shoe. The rider would first put this shoe on, then wear the boot over top. This inner shoe works not just as a waterproof liner, but as a comfortable walking shoe for off-bike excursions.
The inner shoes do not appear to be aimed at intensive hiking duty, as their soles are fairly non-aggressive.
It’s an interesting design, but it does raise some questions. Will the boots’ quirky design be prone to overheating your feet? Will the inner shoes wear out quickly, leaving you with a pair of useless outer boots? Long-term testing is required on these ones, for sure.
The Touratech Destino boot is priced at $579 CAD, and is available in black, white, or brown. Visit Touratech’s Canadian website for more details.
