Last year my wife told me she'd buy me new motorcycle boots for my birthday. All I had to do was tell her what I wanted. Seemed a simple enough request. Yet a year went by and I couldn't give her an answer. My biggest problem was that I didn't like any of the boots in the local stores, and I was a bit leery of ordering shoes from the internet. How many times would I have to send them back before finding the right size?
Two things changed last week.
One, I have a small trip planned this upcoming weekend. I'm slightly concerned about running into rain. Cold miserable February rain. Rain that wants to find a way into my old hunting boots and dampen my socks, toes, and spirits. Waterproof boots would make me feel a little better heading out the door on Saturday.
Two, one of my favorite motorcycle podcasts is called "
The Pace Podcast". The last couple of episodes they've been discussing
TCX boots which got quite a few positive remarks from listeners. Some of the stated positives were they tend to run on the wide side, as opposed to a lot of other European manufacturers that produce more of a narrow boot. They also got high marks for fitting your current shoe size. If you wear a size 11 order a size 11. If you wear a size 12 order a size 12, or a size 46 in this case since that's the European size for a 12. Last but not least a lot of people said they got a lot of use out of the boots and they didn't wear out after a year of riding.
So after careful deliberation, and my strong desire to look like Mad Max, I ended up ordering a pair of
Infinity Gore-Tex boots from
Revzilla. A few days later UPS dropped off a rather large box at my front door.
I carefully opened it, taking my time, thinking of ways I could re-use the shipping material. Yeah right! I ripped into it like a lion feeding on a gazelle.
Just a slight size difference from my old hunting/riding boots.
Hey look, boot bling. Just in case you feel the need to tap dance after getting off your ride. Umm, no thanks.
The size was perfect, and while they weren't as wide a pair of
Keen's, they didn't feel narrow at all.
Now the bad news. While gently caressing my new found love affairs, sorry honey, I noticed a small scratch in the leather on the left boot. If it were anywhere else I wouldn't care, but it happens to fall right where the boot naturally creases if I kneel down or walk. I'm worried it might turn into a full blown hole or a place where water might get in over time. Bottom line I paid a lot of money for these boots and I'll have that nagging feeling in the back of my mind every time I look down and see the scratch. What to do, what to do. Keep in mind I never return anything. I've even been known to eat meals brought to me that weren't what I ordered. I figure it's in front of me..it's hot, why not try something new. So it's a pretty small scratch..I really want to use the boots on this trip. ARRRGH! Revzilla isn't open on the weekend. So I have to call tomorrow morning and see if they can cross ship me a new pair of boots, while I send them back this pair. All before Saturday. High drama here folks! Usually you have to pay for this type of entertainment. Stay tuned!
Bonus Photo! My parents went to Vegas this weekend, with my sister's kids. My dad texted this photo of him and my nephew waiting to get inside the "Pawn Stars" shop. No word if they got to see Chumlee or not. Got to hand it to the History channel, they put on some pretty addicting shows. I love me some American Pickers!
Until next week!
Looking good! Don't dismiss the bling too soon. They might come in handy if you need to kick a cage that might have come too close. Or you could throwing off some sparks when getting tailgated.
ReplyDeleteI am allergic to returns but you will know what to do after you speak to the company. They have na excellent reputation.
ReplyDeleteRevzila is a great to deal with. I have purchased both my Sidi boots and Rev'it jacket from them. I know they have one free exchange where they will pay shipping, but I am not sure if they cross ship or wait until you return the damaged pair.
ReplyDeleteI am glad they fit right out of the box. You'll feel like you are wearing ski boots until they break in a bit. Biggest thing I noticed when going to a moto-specific boot was I couldn't feel the rear brake as well through the sole. Forewarned is forearmed. You might just press harder than you think and lock it up.....more than once......
American Pickers is neat when they find old motorcycles and stuff. One of hubby's favorite shows.
** I apologize if this posts twice - the first one wouldn't do anything when I clicked Publish so I had to refresh the page.**
@SonjaM - Haha! I don't think I'm the type of person who'd ever actually kick a cager, no matter how dumb they were being. I'd probably pull over and let them get far far away from me. This day and age you never know how people will react. As for being able to create sparks though...hadn't thought of that. I may have to change my mind on the bling.
ReplyDelete@Conchscooter - You're right! Called them first thing this morning and they were extremely helpful. They're doing a rush ship job from Pennsylvania, at no cost to me, and say I should get the new boots by Thursday. I haven't even shipped the old boots back yet. Will be doing that tomorrow. No fuss, no muss. Revzilla Rocks!
@Trobairitz - Arrrrgh the Publish button just did the same thing to me. This is the second time typing this up. I'm going to grab a copy of the text before hitting it a second time. I'll go gentle on the rear brake! Having the rear tire slide always gives me the willies. Tell hubby that I'd probably quit my job and go scavenging with Mike and Frank if they asked me too. Looks like so much fun!