New Gaerne G-Midland Adventure Boot

[Brtp4]

Mr Boarder and Mr Rapid, thanks for the comments. Coming from two people with your volumes of experience, it is much appreciated!!

BP

[dmaxmike]

now that some people have tried these how waterproof are we talking when we are talking about these boots?

[Rapid Dog]

Originally Posted by dmaxmike

now that some people have tried these how waterproof are we talking when we are talking about these boots?

Suffice to say, we did a dualsport thing yesterday and ended up in 6" of snow. Taking a break to write my name ... i trudged around in the stuff for 20 minutes and never felt a bit of damp or cold, with the same thin socks I always wear. I doubt you could get a boot any more waterproof.

[NWBoarder]

RD, that is a pretty good test.

My unplanned test was about 30 minutes riding in sideways rain, and then walking around the small town of Joshua Tree looking for a cafe to get warmed up.

But during that walk, amount of water on the roads was amazing - near to the top of the curbs!
And the next day they actually had Snow plows going down main street to clear the sand that had run into the street!!
Never seen that before.

Not a drop inside the boots. (Or in the super secret prototype Giant Loop soft saddle bags. )

[WVhillbilly]

Prototype Giant Loop bags?

[NWBoarder]

Originally Posted by WVhillbilly

Prototype Giant Loop bags?

Yes, got a chance to do some testing for GL.
I don't want to derail this thread, so will send you a PM.

[WVhillbilly]

Cool, probably going to order a pair of these soon.
Only reason I haven't is because I'm working far from home and have not gotten to ride much.

[Nevada]

I'm curious about the fit. I have a small, wide, "duck" foot (wide forefoot, narrow heel). Sidi's just flat out do not work for me. I have a pair of Alpinestar SM-X 3 Air boots that I love, but the left sole is almost worn through and A'Star does not make them anymore. grrrrrrrrrrr.

[Brtp4]

Some fit info here:

Originally Posted by Brtp4

[V-Duck]

So, BP: in terms of support, I gather that, in the Gaerne line, from least supportive to most, the G-Adventure would be followed by the Balance Oiled and then the G-Midland. Seem right?

Thanks!

[Brtp4]

Originally Posted by V-Duck

So, BP: in terms of support, I gather that, in the Gaerne line, from least supportive to most, the G-Adventure would be followed by the Balance Oiled and then the G-Midland. Seem right?

Thanks!

There is some detail to it, but basically that is correct. It would take a little time to explain, but people should look at levels of support separately for ankle area, midsole, and height / clamping. Trying to quickly put some LOOSE quantification on it, the Balance is 1 step more rigid in the ankle, and 2 steps in the midsole. The Midland is 2 steps more rigid in the ankle area than the balance, and 1 more that same in the midsole.

But that oversimplifies a bit. It really also helps to look at the rider, bike, terrain, etc. Example, some guys should really have a GX-1, which is a light MX boot:

http://www.atomic-moto.com/Gaerne-GX-1-Boot_p_82.html

Hope that helps.

BP

[ADVexplor]

Just got my Gaerne G-Midland boots in today. I'm really glad I found theses boots. I've been looking for boots that fit comfortably for quite some time now until I found this thread and ordered them for Atomic-moto. I tried the Sidi Adventure a little while ago but the toe box area was too narrow and uncomforatable for my slightly wide feet. The G-Midland's fit perfect, they are wider in the toe-box and ball of foot area than the Sidi's and are very comfortable for me. The seem really well made. I'll be taking them on a long trip here shortly so I'll be able to comment on function next month after 5000 miles or so.

Also, Atomic-moto is top-notch. This was my first experience buying from them. I got great service and help with selecting gear.

[KIK ROX]

Got my Midlands today, the sixe 11(46) seems to be the right size for me, I typically wear 11.5(45.5). Just enough room in the toe box. One concern of mine though, I have the buckles cinched down to the max and they are borderline acceptable in terms of tightness. I plan to try them with thicker socks, but I worry the leather will stretch over time and I won't have any way to tighten them further. $370 is a big chunk of change to spend on boots that aren't quite right (for me and my skinny legs).

[Brtp4]

Originally Posted by KIK ROX

Got my Midlands today, the sixe 11(46) seems to be the right size for me, I typically wear 11.5(45.5). Just enough room in the toe box. One concern of mine though, I have the buckles cinched down to the max and they are borderline acceptable in terms of tightness. I plan to try them with thicker socks, but I worry the leather will stretch over time and I won't have any way to tighten them further. $370 is a big chunk of change to spend on boots that aren't quite right (for me and my skinny legs).

KR, try this: grab an extra footbed from a pair of your athletic shoes, and add them into the Midlands. Don't pull out the stockers, double them up. That should improve it. If it does, pull them out, and go to a high end running store, and try with some aftermarket insoles. My preference is Superfeet green or orange.

BP

[KIK ROX]

So after riding in them for a bit, I'm starting to really like these boots. At first I was concerned because my skinny legs were swimming in the upper and my foot was borderline tight in the lower. A moto specific sock solved the skinny leg issue. The tightness at the foot was only felt when walking around, it went away when riding, because your foot backs up in the shoe as you bend it. It has also gotten more comfortable as the leather breaks in, tightness while walking is no longer an issue. Also it's very secure feeling, I'm glad I didn't get a boot with less protection.
My one gripe with the shoes are the buckles, they don't seem to want to stay in the plastic tooth that I set them in. The part that is sewn to the boot strap doesn't grip the tooth all that well (it wants to skip a tooth sometimes) which is disconcerting because you can't replace that piece... It's sewn to the boot. Hasn't been an issue yet (hopefully never will be), I'll just have to keep an eye on them.