Alpinestars top shelf boots - the Tech 10 tested.
You can't test a boot in a day. Not even in a week. You have to live with boots on your feet for a while to see how they really fit, how they break in and how they wear. We overdid this with Alpinestars' new Tech 10.
Three simple buckles—the best in the business right now—make it a snap for a snug fit, closing with authority. The top rim of the boot has a polyurethane rubber band that sets a new standard for sealing courtesy of this windshield-wiper–like lip; it even sealed around unusual knee brace contours. So the water now has a harder time getting to your toes. The boots felt as if sizing is true.
More centralized mass makes the 10 feel lighter, though it weighs the same as a Tech 8. There is plenty of flex at the roomy toe with a lot more feel, more like a street shoe than a typical MX boot, and I was initially concerned about protection of my toes. Minimal break-in was necessary, and everything worked as advertised. Even after kicking and bending my toes, I was surprised at how well the boot protects for how shoelike it feels. It was also comfortable just walking around in, unlike the Tech 8. Another area of excellence was the sole's shock absorption—comparable to running insoles. Being rounded, the boot hardly ever hung up on things. I never experienced any stretching of my Achilles' tendon while wearing the boot, though the opportunity came up a few times, and the boot responded. Same for side-to-side or twisting-type impacts.
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Durability was outstanding, and after a few months of nonstop abuse I finally chewed through the sole enough to need replacing, which is claimed as easier with a heat-glue system. The only other glitch was a buckle attachment tab cracked. The buckle still secured even though this piece should be replaced.
| Alpinestars: | 310/891-0222
www.alpinestars.com |
| Gear | Max. | Rated |
| Style | 20 | 19 |
| Comfort | 10 | 10 |
| Function | 50 | 49 |
| Wash/care | 10 | 7 |
| Price | 10 | 7 |
| Total | 100 | 92 |
Plain and simple, the Tech 10 is the new technological leader in boot design with function that follows the fashion accordingly. Inner ankle plastic is very smooth and doesn't snag on anything, plus the stitching wasn't affected or torn. Even hot-running four-strokes didn't seem to compromise the plastic or stitching. The hook-and-loop stuff is holding up great, and the plastic parts haven't discolored, rubber marks from other riders notwithstanding. Yes, the boot did what it was supposed to do, and for $459. 95 it had better.
—Jimmy Lewis