Review: Rev’It! Ginza boots

Finally fashion and function find some common ground

IF there’s one good thing to be said for café racer culture, it’s that it seems to have injected some style into motorcycle clothing.

Before moustachioed hipsters started chopping up bikes, would Rev’It! have been found making boots like this, for example?

They don’t just look good for motorcycle gear. They look good full stop. The untrained eye wouldn’t even know they were motorcycle clothing. It’s only the gear-change patch that gives them away.

Fashion-oriented bike gear tends to compromise too much on practicality, so you get little protection from injury or weather. These are never going to offer the same level of protection as a good-quality pair of dedicated motorcycle boots but they do promise some.

The leather upper feels really tough, and they’ve got a reinforced toe, heel and ankle. The fact they lace up above the ankle should help keep them on your feet in a spill. They're also comfortable.

They’re 'water-repellent’ rather than waterproof. I’ve worn them on my 40-minute commute across London in persistent rain and arrived with dry feet (I’ve known supposedly waterproof boots that have performed worse).

Rev’It! market them in their ‘Urban’ range, and for longer, out-of-town duties, you may want something offering more protection, especially at this price.

But you won’t look as good.     

Price: £159.99

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