Answer Mode
These felt like plastic boots - like cheap boots with a clumsy feel on the bike and bad feel. I got hung under the shifter and felt awkward.
These have a large fit with big toes and a long, wide foot. There is no up down, foot flexing ankle support. None. They feel very broken in when new. There is a soft sole, but it still provides no feel of the controls with very little grip. The buckles are cheap, but easy to adjust. Overall, the boots are thin and loose feeling, and feel light on the bike. There are no hard spots or pressure points for me. They do feel a bit tight around the top, though.
Nice two way buckles. Surprisingly very comfortable interior. Sole was good (not as strong as the Alpinestars or Sidi). Doesn't have the best ankle support. (It supports it but works in and get a little soft.)
Good fit, roomy. A little on the stiff side when new, they feel decent on the protection side. Good buckles that have adjustability in the clip, multi position. Stayed shut with good locking on the clip.
AXO RC6
Okay boots. Better than I expected. I would say they were similar, but just a notch below, the O'Neals.
A stiffer feeling boot, especially in the field filled with hinge boots. There were also some pinching spots inside the test boots, but I have another pair that didn't do this. Average and sized right in the fit area and the sole is sturdy and didn't flex.
Berik RC
This boot feels fine on the track, with good feel right off the bat, but I wonder if they will hold up, and they feel loose and cheap when not on the bike.
Tight in the toe, loose in the ankle and a little on the stiffer side of the scale in flex. Easy to adjust the buckles. Feels like the ankle breaks in good but the toes stay stiff. I have a problem with the straps getting caught under the buckles upon removal, like the Oxtar.
Good fit and feel, true sizing, maybe a bit small. There are weird pressure points in the Beriks at the front of the ankle on both sides. They have super cheesy buckles that are difficult to adjust, and a somewhat slippery sole. Of all the boots, these have really outstanding toe protection. There is a really good leather seal/ gaiter thing at the top. The top of the boots are angled forward a little too much for my taste, kind of like when you leave a boot sitting upright on a shelf for way too long.
Very comfortable interior. Easy to work in (Shifting, breaking). Great ankle support. Strong sole. Boot had something hitting the outside of my ankles. (even when loosening the boot, it still did it)
Fly Viper
These were my least favorite boot. Bad everything. I couldn't feel the bike or the shifter in these boots. The brake was okay, but I felt like I was wearing two casts - really hard to ride even when not shifting or braking. I think my foot would move but the boot would not. Also I think they are loose for a 10.
Roomy fit, especially in the toes and even on top the foot but still manages to holds the ankle snug. Buckles adjusted easy enough but could work loose easy when not buckled. And the clasps were a little rubbery and flexed when clipping in. They were also pointy and hooked up easily on stuff and opened as easy as any other when you didn't want them to. PLUS I broke a buckle putting them on, the plastic on the straps is CRAP. But I liked the stiff sole and relatively stiff boot portion. It flexed enough and is a HUGE improvement over the last pair of Fly boots I wore that didn't move at all and NEVER broke in. Other than the buckles the rest of the boot feels strong, like it will last. There is pretty good protection and my feet felt safe. There was a slight pinch up higher in the ankle/low shin that wasn't a normal area for a boot to pinch.
These are very big in the toes and calves. They have a tighter ankle. The really low-grade leather bunches up, folds and flexes poorly. The buckles pop out on the insert side when buckled. The top of the toe is very rigid. You can feel this when shifting, plus it catches under the brake pedal. The single piece is not very well molded. The ankle has a serious blowout point; after a certain amount of flex, the support goes to crap. They are soft inside, though the foot area is hard and uncomfortable.
Garnere SG-10
A really great feeling boot when you put it on, but I got hung up on the bike with these boots more than the other boots. Had poor feel for the bike, brake, and shifter - a little 'two left feet' feeling.
I like the way this ankle feels. The heel protector is great. The inside of the toe is hard and it hurts my feet, also they really need insulation because my toes got cold at night. These boots have the best buckles of the bunch; they are easy to put on and even easier to take off. On the inside they hook the pegs and it's annoying. I almost crashed a few times because of that.
Good fit for me. The buckles are difficult to adjust, but they don't come undone. The boots are light, and offer good protection all around. The only weak point is on top of the ankle, where you hit your peg when starting a bike. They are thin there. The third buckle up is set at a weird angle, I wanted to pull it down more because it put a ton of pressure on the top of my feet. They shift and move really well.
These are just a really good all-around boot. Fit is good, especially the wide top opening that will work well on BIG calves. Buckles are not fancy but work and don't come unhooked. Fit is sized right and good, not roomy or loose. The ankle flexes good when new and stays good with the protection keeping the boot stiff and the hinge letting it move. Average stiffness sole which most riders prefer over stiff. Tough and very durable.
O'Neal Hardware
Like a "Lites" version of the awkward Oxtar sizing, just not as extreme - tight in the toe, loose in the heel. The braking feel was very good right out of the box, and the overall feel was good. I like these boots. This was a surprise boot for me - I would be happy with these and they are not a pricy boot.
It took me 15 minutes to put these on because of the buckles. The left boot digs in outside of my leg. It's hard to feel the rear brake, but the soles are soft. These are bad off road boots, and not good for kicking rocks. They're great for walking around, though. There are no plastic guards around the toes, so the boots are good for up shifts. The soles wear very easily.
I couldn't even wear the O'Neals! They were so tight, and a very small size 12.
These have super cheese ball buckles that are hard to undo, and very flimsy. The toes are tight (height wise), and there are some weird pressure points above the knuckles. This was very hard to adjust out. The O'Neal boots have moderately stiff soles when new, but a decent amount of flex. There is a lack of protection above the ankle, right where I hit the peg when I kick a bike. The sole inserts are good. I like the big heat shield. The bootie was good, it didn't offer any support but made things a bit more plush.