Bike Cop Boot Advising

UPDATE: I see that this blog post is the most popular one on my website. If you found it from a search engine while seeking information about motorcycle police patrol boots, see my Guide to Motorcycle Police Patrol Boots by clicking here.

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I met a motor officer while I was at Law Ride on May 11 who said that his agency was reviewing the uniform policy, particularly the boots to specify with a motor officer's uniform. The current boots that they all wear are Dehner patrol boots with a dress instep and Vibram lug sole. They are very nice-looking boots, but also very expensive. Since each officer receives a fixed amount of money for his/her uniform allowance, they are finding that the allowance isn't covering the cost of the boots and all the components of their uniforms (shirts, breeches, outerwear, belts, etc.) as often as they have to replace them due to job-related wear-and-tear.

The motor officers in this agency met with management to consider changes to make to the boot specs in the uniform policy, and they invited me to participate in the meeting as well. They all agree that tall, black boots are what they want. They won't deviate wildly like going with some sort of short tech boot or a color of leather other than black.

They also like having the Vibram lug sole. It gives great traction while operating the motorcycle, and also wears far longer than any other sole.

What they don't like is the cost and the materials from which their current boots are made. Stock Dehner patrol boots with a lug sole can cost around $400 per pair (with their discount). Unfortunately, stock Dehners are made with a synthetic (plastic) product made by Clarino®, which the Dehner Boot Company calls "Dehcord." This stuff cracks easily and is hard to maintain. It keeps a nice shine, but once cracked, it can't be fixed. (Personally, I don't recommend boots made with this product. It's crap.)

Their next option are Dehner patrol boots made of Voyager or imported calf leather. These options are more expensive, with calf leather being $300 more. While these leathers will hold up much better and for longer on a boot worn for rough duty, the cost is a major concern.

They are also looking at alternative manufacturers of boots that I showed them from my collection. Intapol makes a nice patrol boot, and even comes with a zipper which makes them easy to put on and take off. However, they were concerned how long the zipper would hold up in actual usage conditions.

They looked at my Harley-Davidson Police Enforcer Boots, which look really nice and are the most comfortable of all of the various tall bike cop boots I own. Unfortunately, these boots are not made with a dress instep. They're only bal-laced. They don't want laces on their boots. There is also some question about availability of these boots from the manufacturer, Wolverine, and the fact that these boots are made in China, which runs some degree of risk on dependability of shipments as well as sometimes questionable quality.

Then they looked at the Chippewa "Hi-Shine" Engineer Boots. Because these boots are a fairly major departure from what they are accustomed to wearing, they were initially hesitant. But they saw so many other officers at Law Ride (and other events) who wear these boots and like them a lot for their good looks, comfort, appearance, and value (they cost about $190/pair). The unfortunate thing is that in order to get a Vibram sole on the boots, a cobbler would have to add the sole. The manufacturer does not make the boots with a lug sole.

Anyway, they're mulling over their options. I was honored to be asked for my opinions during this meeting, and pleased that I had a variety of boots from my collection to demonstrate and aid them in their discussions. They are a great group of men to work with, and I look forward to our ongoing discussions.