Best waterproof motorcycle boots | A guide to finding fashionable footwear to keep your feet dry

A decent pair of waterproof motorcycle boots should be essential kit in every biker’s armoury. There’s nothing worse than riding with cold, wet feet, regardless of how far you’ve got to go, as not only can it make you feel pretty miserable, but it can also rob you of vital elements of concentration. That lack of focus could make all the difference in dealing with a situation, especially when conditions are less than ideal.

Thankfully there’s a waterproof version of every type of boot on the market, from lightweight urban sneakers to track ready sports footwear and year-round touring boots. Deciding which is the best depends on the kind of riding you do, for example a pair of ankle high commuter boots may keep your feet dry on a short ride to work, but they certainly won’t cut the mustard if you’re on tour and run the risk of being in the rain and spray all day.

What makes a boot waterproof?

Leather boots were traditionally treated to a liberal coating of dubbin, a concoction of natural wax, oil and tallow, for weather protection. It actually works pretty well in keeping water out, after all it’s been around for almost as long as shoes have, but does need regular application and its use is limited to leather. There are various other coatings and treatments on the market designed to waterproof, however the most effective solution is to utilise a technical membrane during construction.

The technical membrane sits sandwiched between the outer upper of the boot, the sole and the inner lining. Its job is to act as a ‘one way valve’, preventing moisture from getting in, whilst allowing condensation to escape. This is achieved through hundreds of thousands of microscopic pores which are smaller than water droplets but larger than vapour molecules, making the material both waterproof and breathable. There are almost as many different membrane manufacturers as there are bootmakers, including such registered names as Gore-Tex, Hipora, Drystar, D-Dry and so on.

It should also be noted that the effectiveness of a membrane’s breathability is reliant on what you wear beneath it – that is to say, if you don’t wear socks made of a wicking material, your feet will be more prone to stay damp due to condensation build up next to the skin.

Our favourite waterproof motorcycle boots

Frequently asked questions

Can I waterproof my own motorcycle boots?

You can use a waterproofing spray to create a waterproof coating to your boots however this will only go so far in waterproofing your boots. These sprays will help rain to bead and run off however if the boots were not designed with waterproofing in mind, water may still ingress through laces, seams and the top of the boots.

Will waterproof boots make my feet hot and sweaty?

Some cheaper waterproof options may not be breathable, however many membranes that are used in waterproofing now are breathable to allow your feet to breathe, the most well known being Gore-Tex.

Can I buy waterproof motorcycle boots that are genuinely waterproof, even at speed?

Yes, that’s what this article is for, to enable you to see which boots were up to the test and actually withstood an onslaught of British weather. Not all boots that claim to be waterproof will be as waterproof as we would want them to be so we have explained in our reviews whether or not they kept our feet dry.

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How MCN tests waterproof motorcycle boots

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, these waterproof motorcycle boots must have been worn for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, and meet modern safety standards as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their products for a variety of things, both subjective and objective, and these boots are no exception. Factors assessed include the boots’ ability to keep the rain out, what level of protection they offer, how comfortable they are to wear and walk in, how they look, how easy they are to put on and anything other features they may have.

We cover thousands of miles in these waterproof boots and regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against a pair of boots on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given pair of motorcycle boots, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. We test against criteria like how comfortable it is, how protective is it, does it look good and if it is good value for it’s price tag. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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