motorcyclebloggers.com

Alright…its newenough.com. My recollection is that these guys started life moving used leathers and other types of riding gear. That is not the case any more. And given the things I have read over the years, I woud keep the same identity too. I normally don’t do this because it can lead to pissing contests, but I wanted to share my experience this afternoon.

First of all, they have a very informative website that goes beyond the norm for the products they sell. In addition to the manufacturer’s descriptions that are verbatim on all sites, there are two extra and vital pieces of information: “Sizing Information” & “Paul’s Comments” (Paul is the owner).

Sizing Information - The sizing information provides both a link to the manufacturer’s sizing chart and an opinion about the overall sizing. The latter can be more important with mail order not being able to try stuff on. It states things like “this brand tends to run a little small so order one size bigger than your regular shoe size”. Again, potentially vital information that is otherwise missing on competitor’s sites.

Paul’s Comments - This is the owner’s personal opinion of the products in a paragraph or so. He details things like comfort, fit and finish, weight, etc. from a rider’s perspective. Here’s an example using the Sidi “Way” Tepor Boot:

Paul’s Comments: The “Way” boot is a lower cost option for those looking for a comfortable, light weight waterproof street boot. When I put these on, I immediately like the feel. The interior has just a slight bit of thickness to the lining that makes them really comfortable right from the start. Most of the boot’s outer shell is Lorica–a man made material that is flexible, durable and abrasion resistant, and there are also some textile fabric inserts. This makes for a very light weight boot. For protection, there are circular armor pads in the inside and the outside of the ankle bones. There is also an armor piece in the shin area. The toe box and heel cup are made of harder materials as well. The boots are made with a “Tepor” lining which is breathable, but also waterproof. “Tepor” is the brand name of the membrane material (which is a competitor to Gore-Tex). Tepor is used in all Sidi waterproof boots, so you can expect the same high level of performance from this design. Take the “View Larger Pictures” link above to view close-up pictures of the sole and waterproof closure and you’ll also see a shot of how the boots look under jeans. (I’m a great foot model ).

From the above example, its worth mentioning that he also provides several product pictures. If its boots, you see the front, side, and bottom of the boot as well as it under jeans. If its a jacket, you see the front, back, inside, and armor among other pics. Again, a lot of details you don’t find elsewhere.

Back to my boot search…

I am looking for a warm, waterproof touring boot to wear on my daily commute. While protection is important, they must be comfortable and have a thicker padding on the inside. I have a unique case in that I have a plate and nine screws in my left ankle. The ankle is fully healed, but there is no meat in that general area. Any tight shoe or boot pinches the skin on the corners of the plate and/or screw heads. My Sidi Vertebra boots are fine for the sport bike rides, but by the end of the day, they can get a little tight around the ankle and bother the skin. It doesn’t hurt, its just annoying.

I had searched high and low this past weekend for information and the best prices for my chosen boots. I had narrowed it down to either:

• Alpinestars - Ridge Waterproof Boot
• Sidi - Champion Tepor Street Boots
• Gaerne - ST Dry Boots (on clearance at newenough.com)

The Alpinestars were my first choice from the reviews and description I found over the weekend. The problem was that they have been discontinued with a new 2006 model being released in January or so. So I tried every outlet I could find from online warehouses to “ebay stores” and no one had the Euro 45 in stock.

Today I had moved to the Sidi’s but really didn’t want to drop $180 so I searched a little more and decided to ask Paul who has tried every one of these boots on…after all he is the owner AND foot model for newenough.com. I explained my ankle situation from above in an email and fired it away doubting that I would hear back from him. Look, while newenough is not Chaparral in terms of volume, I still don’t expect the owners to have direct follow-up with basic questions.

Nine minutes later, I had an answer via email to my question and a recommendation outside of my original three choices. He recommeded the Sidi “Way” Tepor Boot. See the quote box above, but it fits my need exactly. To some degree it was so ‘on’ that I felt a little like a dumbass (if you only knew how long I spent online this past weekend on boots research). And, to make matters better for me, it was cheaper - $150. It always says something to me when someone points you to an item that is less cost and sufficient instead of pushing the most expensive one. So I contemplated further.

I searched around for the best price. I did manage to find one ebay store that was slightly cheaper. I also realized that I would have likely bought a boot not-so-well-matched for my needs. I’ll admit it, I’m cheap. Not the drive across town to save $0.25 on a gallon of milk cheap, but online shopping is online shopping. However, there is a value to the information that newenough.com provided me, and if this boot is as comfortable as I hope, its worth much more than a small difference is price.

Just remember there is a difference between price and value…within reason of course. I knowingly paid a little more for these boots because the service was excellent and they helped me make an educated decision. Overall, I would highly recommend checking them out.

EDIT - It is worth mentioning that our very own gothicbeaST is the one who recommended them to me.