How Tall Should Motorcycle Boots Be?

Another internet search landed a visitor to my Motorcycle Boot Guide.  In the search, he asks:

How tall should a motorcycle boot be for a cruiser?

For non-motorcyclists, a cruiser is a style of motorcycle designed for riding on the street. I owned and rode cruiser-style bikes for a number of years, and enjoyed the style and the ride.

I learned from my experience riding cruisers that knee function is essential -- that is, you have to bend your knees a lot to operate the controls and when stopping and maneuvering.  Thus, the height of motorcycle boots is important -- boots should not be higher than the back of the knee.  Otherwise, scraping and chafing of the skin on the back of the knee happens, and is painful.

That's also why I do not own or wear boots that are higher than the back of my knee.  Some people enjoy what's called "crotch-high" boots -- that is, boots that are super-tall, and come way up on the leg.  Wesco Boots are available at that height, and are worn by boot fiends (fetishers) who present quite an appearance in them.  However, boots of that height are not practical for use when operating a motorcycle.  Boots that go well over the knee make the knee harder to bend, and especially for a cruiser, makes the boots unsafe to use while riding, in my opinion.

How tall should boots be when riding a cruiser, or for that matter, any motorcycle?  As tall as you want, but only up to but not above the back of the knee.  You will see boots in my motorcycle boot collection as high as 19", which for my height and lower leg length, are as tall as I can wear them -- up to but not above the back of the knee.

I also have motorcycle boots of various shorter lengths -- 17", 16", 14", 12", and even "shorties" at 9". My most comfortable motorcycle boots are "shorties" -- Chippewa Firefighter boots.

I wear all of my motorcycle boots (one pair at a time -- LOL!) for various reasons and choose which boots to wear based on weather and ride length.  If it is cold, boots that are tall and leather lined provide comfort, durability, protection, and warmth. Wesco boots fit that bill.

When the weather is moderate and I want to wear breeches, then I choose motorcycle patrol boots, from Dehners to All American to Chippewa to Hartt -- all of 'em look great with leather or cloth breeches.

When the weather is warm to outrageously hot, then I choose shorter boots, such as my Chippewa Firefighter boots, as well as standard biker harness boots.  Harness boots have a bit wider calf circumference so they breathe and let my feet get some air so sweat evaporates.

In summary, I recommend that serious bikers have choices of boots to select from -- for the weather, road conditions, and comfort.  But not taller than the back of the knee.

Life is short:  wear boots -- especially when riding a motorcycle!