Motorcycle Boots Buying Guide AU | Shark Leathers

Most riders treat boots as the afterthought. Helmet first, jacket second, gloves third, then "yeah, I'll grab some boots". That's how you end up with a fractured ankle in a 30 km/h car-park drop.

Boots protect the most-likely-injured part of your body in a low-speed crash. Foot, ankle and shin injuries make up roughly a third of motorcycle injuries that put riders in hospital. The good news: a proper pair of CE EN 13634 boots will absorb almost all of that risk. The buying decision is less about safety (any certified boot does the job) and more about matching the boot to your riding.

This guide covers the four boot types we stock, what each is built for, what CE EN 13634 means, how to size, and which to buy first if you're starting out. We focus heavy on Falco and TCX because that's where we have genuine inventory depth. 15 Falco SKUs and 8 TCX SKUs in stock at time of writing.

The four boot types we stock

Race boots

Tall, stiff, race-specific. Reinforced shin plate, hinged ankle, internal bootie for ankle compression, sliders at the heel and toe. Designed to be paired with leather race pants and worn on a track or a sportbike with rear-set pegs.

What they do well: maximum ankle and shin protection. Sliders that handle a foot-pegging drag at 200 km/h on the apex. Hinged ankle that lets the foot rotate forward (for shifting) but resists rotation in any other direction.

What they do poorly: walking. A pair of TCX RT-Race Pro Air boots is brutal to walk anywhere in. The stiff shin plate is the point.

What we stock:

• TCX RT-Race Black/Grey/Red ($490). The race entry tier. CE EN 13634, hinged ankle, sliders. Low stock. 4 pairs at time of writing.
• TCX RT-Race Black/Dark Grey ($500). Same boot, different colourway. Inv 62.
• TCX RT-Race Pro Air Black/Reflex ($700). Premium race boot with airflow venting. Inv 74.
• TCX RT-Race Pro Air Black/Red/White ($700). Same with race livery. Inv 30.
• TCX S-TR1 Woman Black/White-Pearl ($380). Women's-fit race-touring boot. Inv 38.

Best for: track-day riders, sportbike riders who park their bike then ride home (not walk anywhere), anyone whose priority is maximum ankle protection.

Browse TCX motorcycle boots.

Touring boots

Tall but flexible. Weather-sealed (Gore-Tex or proprietary membrane), often armoured at shin and ankle but without the racing shin plate. Designed for 4-8 hour days in the saddle plus the occasional walk to a roadhouse.

What they do well: comfortable for long rides. Sealed against rain at highway speed. Enough flex to walk a few hundred metres without limping.

What they do poorly: maximum impact protection at race-day extremes. Slightly more flexible in the shin.

What we stock:

• Falco Avantour 2 - Brown ($500). The touring sweet spot. Waterproof, comfortable for 8-hour days, walks well at petrol stops. Inv 42.
• Falco Kaspar - Brown ($330). Classic touring leather, all-day walkable. Inv 64.
• Falco Marshall - Brown ($400). Heritage touring with premium leather. Inv 20.
• Falco Aviator - Black ($400). Cross-over race-touring boot. Inv 52.
• Falco Viky - Burgundy / Black ($380). Women's-fit touring boot. Inv 29-47.
• TCX Blend 2 WP Women's Black / Brown ($350). Waterproof women's-fit. Inv 20 each.
• MOMODESIGN Firegun-3 WP Black ($300). Italian touring with WP membrane. Inv 4.

Best for: tourers, sport-touring riders, commuters who want one boot for everything.

Browse touring and adventure boots.

Short urban boots and sneakers

Below-ankle or just-above-ankle, leather construction, look like sneakers or hiking shoes from the outside. CE EN 13634 certified at the lower entry tier.

What they do well: walk anywhere. Look acceptable at a café, restaurant or office. Slip on and off easily. Lighter than full-height boots.

What they do poorly: shin protection (they don't have any), ankle rotation resistance (limited because the cuff is short), waterproofing (most short boots are not sealed).

What we stock:

• Falco Airforce - Black ($220). The urban commuter pick. Sneaker-style with ankle protection and CE EN 13634. Inv 51.
• Falco Liberty 3 - Black ($280). Mid-height urban with full-day comfort. Inv 116.
• Falco Patrol Camel Sneakers ($280). Casual sneaker cut with hidden ankle armour. Inv 2.

Best for: urban commuters, scooter riders, anyone whose ride is a 20-minute traffic shuffle to work and back, riders who absolutely will not wear race boots to the office.

Browse short motorcycle boots and shoes.

Motocross / Off-road competition boots

Tall, very stiff, plastic-and-leather construction. Massive shin plate, hinged ankle, replaceable buckles, sole grip for foot pegs.

What they do well: maximum protection on dirt at MX-style speeds. Resist the foot-down-and-pivot crashes that twist road boots apart. Sliding sole grip on standard MX pegs.

What they do poorly: road work. The MX sole isn't designed for sealed-road riding (no flex at the ball of the foot, hard to shift smoothly). Walking is worse than race boots.

What we stock:

• TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin Boots Black ($630). Competition-spec MX with Michelin sole compound. Inv 40.
• TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin Black/Blue ($650). Same boot, blue accent. Inv 20.
• TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin Black/Red ($650). Race livery. Inv 30.

Best for: dedicated dirt and MX riders, enduro riders.

Browse motocross boots.

CE EN 13634: what it actually means

EN 13634 is the European standard for motorcycle boots, adopted in Australia as the de facto cert. Any reputable motorcycle boot you buy from us will carry it.

The standard tests four properties:

Height (1 or 2)

• Height 1: short boots (below mid-calf). Falco Airforce, Falco Patrol Camel.
• Height 2: tall boots (above mid-calf). Falco Avantour 2, TCX RT-Race, TCX Comp Evo 2.

Impact (1 or 2)

• Impact 1: lower-tier impact protection at ankle and shin
• Impact 2: full impact protection meeting the higher test threshold

Most modern boots are Impact 2 at the ankle. Race and MX boots add Impact 2 at the shin and toe.

Abrasion (A or B)

• A: tested to lower abrasion resistance
• B: tested to the higher abrasion threshold

Cut (C or A)

• C: tested for resistance to cuts
• A: more relaxed cut resistance

A typical premium touring boot like the Falco Avantour 2 is EN 13634:2017 Type 2-2-A-1. The numbers are dense; the practical translation is "all good. this boot meets the spec".

Don't buy a boot that doesn't carry the cert. Even a $220 boot like the Falco Airforce has it. If a cheap import doesn't, walk away.

How to size motorcycle boots

Motorcycle boot sizing is one of the most variable things in the catalog. Italian boots (Falco, TCX) run small. Some brands run roughly true to US shoe size.

Practical advice

1. Always check the brand-specific size chart. We cross-reference yours to the specific boot before we ship.
2. Measure your foot length in cm, heel to longest toe, while standing. Convert to the brand's chart.
3. Try them with the socks you'll actually ride in. A thin tech sock and a heavy thermal sock are 5mm different in fit.
4. If between sizes for a race boot, size DOWN. Race boots break in. They should feel snug new.
5. If between sizes for a touring or urban boot, size UP. You'll wear them for 6+ hours.

Bootcut and calf width

Race and MX boots are usually narrow-calf. Touring boots run wider. The Falco Avantour 2 and Falco Marshall fit broader calves better than the TCX RT-Race.

If you have wide calves, check the boot's circumference at the top before buying.

What to buy first

Riding kit priorities from a safety standpoint are: helmet → jacket → boots → gloves → pants.

If you're building a kit from scratch and boots are next on the list, here's the practical priority:

If you only ride urban (under 80 km/h)

Short urban boots, EN 13634 Height 1. Falco Airforce ($220) or Falco Liberty 3 ($280). You can wear them all day at work. They protect ankle in the most common urban crash type (low-speed drop).

If you commute mixed urban + freeway

Touring boots. Falco Kaspar ($330) or Falco Avantour 2 ($500). Tall, waterproof (Avantour), comfortable enough to wear all day.

If you do weekend twisties or track days

Race boots. TCX RT-Race ($490-$500) or TCX RT-Race Pro Air ($700). Stiff, race-spec, full ankle and shin armour.

If you do dedicated dirt/MX

Motocross boots. TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin ($630-$650). Plastic-shell, replaceable buckles, MX sole.

Women riders

Falco Viky ($380) for touring or TCX Blend 2 WP Women's ($350) for waterproof urban. TCX S-TR1 Woman ($380) for race-touring. All cut for narrower foot and calf with women's-specific sizing.

Care and lifespan

Leather race and touring boots

• Wipe clean after rides. Don't let mud dry on the boot.
• Conditioner every 6 months (saddle soap then leather conditioner).
• Re-waterproof annually if the membrane starts taking longer to dry.
• Inspect the sole every 6 months. Resoling is possible on most premium boots ($120-$220 at a cobbler).
• Lifespan: 5-10 years for daily use, longer for weekend use.

Plastic-shell MX boots

• Hose off after every ride.
• Replace buckles when they crack (most premium MX boots have replaceable buckle kits, $25-$60).
• Replace sole when worn (TCX and the rest of the premium brands sell replacement soles).
• Lifespan: 3-7 years depending on dirt-riding frequency.

After a crash

If your boots took an impact: pull them off and inspect the shell, hinge, and zip/buckle integrity. Cracks in plastic shells or buckles, deformed hinges, broken zips. replace. A crashed boot looks fine but the impact absorption may be compromised internally.

AU-specific notes

Heat

Tall waterproof touring boots like the Falco Avantour 2 in a Queensland summer are uncomfortable. The membrane traps heat. Many riders run a touring boot for cooler months and switch to a shorter vented boot (Falco Airforce) for summer.

Rain

Pacific Highway autumn rain tests waterproof claims. A boot sold as "waterproof" should have factory-taped seams and an actual membrane (Gore-Tex, T-Dry on TCX, or proprietary). The Falco Avantour 2 and TCX Blend 2 WP both have proven membrane construction.

Compliance

There is no AU-specific legal cert for motorcycle boots. CE EN 13634 is the de facto standard. Wearing any boot is legal; wearing a CE boot is just safer.

FAQs

Are motorcycle boots required by law in Australia? No. There's no law mandating motorcycle boots in any AU state. Riders are free to wear whatever footwear they choose. The legal minimum is "appropriate footwear" which is interpreted loosely. CE EN 13634 boots are voluntary protection that significantly reduces injury risk.

What's the difference between race boots and touring boots? Race boots are stiffer, with a reinforced shin plate, hinged ankle, and sliders. Built for track-day crashes at high speed but uncomfortable to walk in. Touring boots like the Falco Avantour 2 are more flexible, weather-sealed, and walk-able. Both carry CE EN 13634.

Can I ride in regular work boots or hiking boots? You can. Whether you should is the question. A solid leather work boot covers the ankle and provides some abrasion protection, but doesn't have the CE-rated impact armour at the ankle or shin. A 20 km/h tip-over in work boots is the difference between a bruise and a fracture. The Falco Airforce at $220 RRP is the cheapest entry into proper motorcycle-specific protection.

Do I need waterproof motorcycle boots? If you commute year-round, yes. If you only ride dry weekends, no. Waterproof boots run hotter in summer and cost more. The Falco Avantour 2 at $500 is our waterproof touring pick. A non-waterproof touring boot with a $30 set of rain over-boots packed in your tank bag covers wet days at lower cost.

How should motorcycle boots fit? Snug. Like a hiking boot. Heel locked in place when you walk. Toes not crammed against the front. A race boot like the TCX RT-Race should feel slightly tight on day one because it breaks in 10-15 percent. A touring boot like the Falco Avantour 2 should be comfortable on day one because you'll be in it for 6 hours.

What does CE EN 13634 mean for motorcycle boots? The European standard for motorcycle boots, adopted in Australia. Tests for boot height, impact protection, abrasion resistance and cut resistance. Look for the cert label inside the boot. Every motorcycle boot we stock carries it.

Are TCX Comp Evo 2 boots good for off-road? They're the MX competition pick in our range. Michelin sole compound, hinged ankle, full shin plate, EN 13634 certified. Sits at $630-$650 RRP. The right answer for dedicated enduro and MX riders.

The verdict

Match the boot to the riding:

• Urban commute only: Falco Airforce ($220) or Falco Liberty 3 ($280). Short EN 13634 boots.
• Mixed commute + weekend rides: Falco Kaspar ($330) or Falco Avantour 2 ($500) for waterproof touring.
• Sport-touring or track days: TCX RT-Race ($490-$500) or TCX RT-Race Pro Air ($700).
• MX dedicated: TCX Comp Evo 2 Michelin ($630-$650).
• Women riders: Falco Viky ($380) touring, TCX Blend 2 WP Women's ($350) urban, TCX S-TR1 Woman ($380) race-touring.

Don't skip the cert. Don't buy boots a half-size too big "in case". Don't try to do all five jobs with one boot.

Shop our motorcycle boots range here.