Daytona Toper Riding Boots Review

Buying a pair of motorcycle riding boots should be on your priority if you ride regularly. Apart from a helmet, jacket and gloves, the feet should be protected at all times. And this is where a pair of good riding boots come in handy. Most of us have one pair of riding boots which are used for all purposes - commuting, touring, adventure riding and the occasional racetrack outing. And most riders will pick up a track pair of boots, which will seldom see any racetrack duty. But a track only pair may provide very good protection, but they may not be the ideal and practical pair to own, and wear, on a regular basis. This is where the Daytona Toper boots come in.

Made of calf leather and available only in black, the Daytona Toper boots are comfortable straight out of the box

Design and Build

Daytona is a German brand, and the Daytona Toper boots are described as hand-made and made of full-grain leather. The design is understated and the leather soft and supple. In fact, straight out of the box, you can wear these boots and start walking or riding without having to break them in. Yes, these boots are that comfortable! Unlike other high-end models from the Daytona range, the Toper boots aren't completely waterproof, so there's no Gore Tex membrane, but that doesn't mean these feel flimsy or cheap.

The calf region features velcro fasteners for more adjustability

The boots are well-made, and have a very handy calf Velcro fastener as well, for users with thicker calf muscles. We didn't need to use the Velcro fastener to wear the boots or take them off, but they do offer more flexibility and ease of wearing or taking the boots off of your feet. The construction of most of the outer layer is pure-grain leather which is soft, and comfortable. There's a small PU foam reinforced gear change cushion which is abrasion resistant and the boots come with plastic shin protection and a rubber sole.

Rubber sole and very good build quality with textile inner offers great comfort in all conditions

The inner of the boot has a textile lining, and the zip is showerproof. Although these aren't full waterproof boots, cleaning them under a running tap of water after an off-road venture (no, these aren't off-road boots, but that didn't stop us from trying out some off-road) didn't result in any water seeping into the inside. So, yes, splash proof they certainly are, and will likely keep your foot dry in case of a spell of light showers.

(The Daytona Toper boots are extremely comfortable for long hours which involve a fair bit of walking)

Comfort and Use

The Daytona Toper boots are certainly well-made, looks stylish and premium, and can be worn with a pair of riding denims or textile riding pants. The design is understated, so you can very well wear them to work, and yet be comfortable for wearing them for the entire day. There's a preformed inner sole for added comfort and for the most part, these boots are the most comfortable boots that I've used ever. And I use a pair of track boots from a reputed brand, a pair of adventure boots, and a pair of short daily ride boots from another reputed brand. In terms of comfort, the Daytona Toper trumps all these boots which are part of my riding gear wardrobe.

The Daytona Toper boots are comfortable to wear even in hot and humid conditions

We've worn the boots in hot and muggy Goa, with average day temperatures in the region of 34-35 degrees Celsius, and we're happy to report that the Daytona Toper boots are comfortable and keep your feet breathing and cool even in such hot conditions. Riding them in the winter (Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh in December 2018) also proved that these will keep your feet fairly warm if you use a pair of thick socks. And we've used these boots on a test track as well, and while these may not be as tough and offer the level of protection as a pair of proper track boots, they are comfortable and easy to wear, while doing the job of providing adequate protection.

The Daytona Toper boots are road riding boots and can be worn regularly. They are well-built and look good.

These are road boots, and if your riding includes mostly tarmac use, and a fair bit of walking for all-day comfort, the Daytona Toper boots offer excellent value and build quality for the price. For now, the Daytona Toper have become my daily riding boots, and they seem to be extremely well-built and made to last long. The Daytona Toper boots are available exclusively on MotoPoto LLP on the firm's official website and are priced at Rs. 15,990.