The ICON, Sidi, and Tourmaster boots are all acceptable, but offer little in the way of protecting your ankle from twisting like the Alpinestars.  Maybe its time to think about that $600 dollars coming back from George W. and just order the boots.

hmmm .....

The "Z" MAN - North Carolina
1995 BMW R1100R - MOA #115950
Olympia, Scorpion, Gerbings, & Alpinestars

I spent a year on crutches after breaking three bones in an ankle from an over rotation. There are no boots on the market that claim to protect from over rotation (that I know of). I doubt that anyone would wear such a boot if it was available. It would probably appear hideous. If there was such a boot, I would be tempted to wear it. And I would have the name of a great lawyer at hand if the device didnt protect me from an over rotation.

Its no secret that I have posted that I am my own crash test dummy. So. My experience is unique to me? Or are you going to model your riding to include my sort of foolishness?

Harry Hurt says that any over-the-ankle boot ought to do. You did read his report, didnt you? You do have a copy at hand with the rest of your favorite bike literature?  Maybe my memory is fawlty and Harry didnt say any such thing? Maybe I am confusing the data with MSF stuff?

Thus, a high top gym shoe/sneaker ought to be enough. Many bikers are not confident that such minimal protection is enough. And it doesnt have that ruff&tuff biker cache so desired by all. Nor does it have the gawdy ostentatious colors of the ricky racer wannabes. We dont have to worry about cold. Its warm now. Buy a nice sneaker with Gore-tex(TM) in case you encounter a puddle.

If you need to protect the tootsies, see your local safety shoe supplier. Nice high top sneaker safety shoes have toe caps if you want 'em. Comfortable. Breathable. And look sort of 'normal', if you need that. And they work good off the bike. Waterproof if you like. And they are actually proven to work well as needed. You cant say the same for bike specific boots cause there is not enough data.

Reminds me of the time that I wore my budd's high end, off-road competition boots instead of my lowly work boots. I fired my tootsies into a tree stump at about 40 mph. Sweet Mother! Did that hurt! I thought that I had broke all my toes and split a couple open. And my ankle got hyper extented to go along with it. My ordinary toe capped work boots would have been so much better. I think that I limped for about two weeks.

I dont hear too much from street bikers excitingly exclaiming how their boots really saved 'em in a get-off. Same with those high end armored biker gloves. Bikers will replace suits and helmets after crashes. I dont hear that boots got trashed in crashes/falls. But they all really like the knee/elbow padded armor.

So. I apologise deeply for having  treated your question so lightly. Exactly what kind of boot protection are you looking for? I got a pair of bike specific boots that make me look and feel like I am wearing Frankenstein's monster's boots. Almost zero feel for braking pressure. I miss shifts all the time with them. They are not warm at 20f even with two pair of high end sox. They are impervious to rain. The toes are not capped. But the sole is so stiff that I doubt my tootsies are at risk. The boot is so tough that my foot will probably be fine. My shin will probably snap off at the top of the boot before my foot gets hurt. If the boot rotates, my ankle will probably be fine. But my knee might explode.

In the winter when it gets seriously cold, I have to wear sno-mobile boots. Hardly safe foot protection in a collision.

nobody rides half as well as they know how.