Heavy-duty boots for heavy-duty abuse and protection.

There isn’t much arguing with the fact that ADV touring bikes are the de facto standard genre of motorcycles these days, and because of that there is a wide selection of ADV gear on the market, and it’s all designed to protect you and keep you comfortable, regardless of weather or terrain.

The Leatt name is synonymous with safety, making the company one of the leaders in wearable motorcycle safety gear, from helmets, neck braces and body armour and knee braces right down to finishing off your extremities with gloves and boots. 

Dr. Chris Leatt started the company in 2001 after the tragic loss of a friend convinced him that there is a need for better protection for the motorcycle rider. Dr. Leatt, a neurosurgeon, left medicine to design what would become a game-changing device: the Leatt neck brace. 

Since the inception of that neck brace at the company laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa, Leatt has designed all aspects of wearable safety gear, and because of the protective qualities of all its gear, it has consistently been awarded many accolades and acknowledgements from within the motorsport industry.

The company’s latest cutting-edge foot and ankle protection is the ADV 8.5 Hydradri boot.

The lower section of the boot is indeed off-road inspired. It has a stiff, flat, enduro-type steel shank sole while the lower boot is made from highly durable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The boot has a hinged ankle for flex while walking or standing on the pegs absorbing irregular terrain with your ankles. The upper part of the boot is constructed from a high-grade, soft and flexible Nubuck leather for increased comfort and fit. 

The entire boot is lined with a waterproof and breathable HydraDri Evo membrane and a gusseted tongue that stops just above the top strap and buckle for waterproof protection at the boot opening. The 8.5 HydraDri boot has three durable straps and forged aluminum buckles; the bottom two buckles are protected from brush, sticks and rocks by raised, embossed hard TPU plastic that the buckle tucks into. That’s a nice touch — if you’ve ever caught the side of your boot on something and damaged one of the buckles, you’ll appreciate that added hardware protection. 

At the top of the boot is a large, hard shin plate that provides protection from rocks and impacts and is secured with a hefty hook and loop system. The ankles are protected by 3DF impact foam, which is a lightweight, flexible material that offers maximum energy absorbing protection, which instantly stiffens up upon impact, much like D3O. The heel is protected by a beefed-up hard plastic that makes up much of the boot’s lower section offering maximum protection. 

I’d say this boot is over-built and designed for the ADV rider who likes to venture off the beaten path and tackle more than gravel roads. This all adds up to Leatt’s ADV 8.5 Hydradri boots being CE tested and certified as EN13634: 2017, the official European standard for motorcycle footwear.

Initially, the boot was very snug to slide my foot in — I have wide feet — and I wondered if they were going to work for me. But once my foot was in, the boot remained snug but firm and comfortable. Adjusting the three straps takes a decent tug and wiggle, but once they are set, there is no reason to readjust. Initially I had a serious hotspot on my right ankle bone, but I can’t blame the boots for that because I’ve had the same discomfort in other stiff off-road boots.

Re-adjusting the straps alleviated that irritation, but probably what relieved it the most was wearing the boots around work on and off for a week before heading out on the road. Make no mistake: these boots are a serious piece of kit that almost feel like they border on a motocross boot, but with comfort built in. There is a lot of padding and support in these boots and they need to be broken-in before they feel like your foot is in its happy place. It didn’t take long — maybe six to eight hours total — for them to feel completely comfortable. Walking in them seemed to speed up that process.

I consider myself to be a normal size person and don’t think my calves are abnormally large but the top strap, which is placed at the bottom of my calf, above my ankle, is fully extended to the last notch. That is a bit of a concern.

As mentioned, the boots are quite substantial and with the top strap at it’s maximum length, it leaves no room for those with larger lower leg or calf, or to tuck some riding jeans into the boot, other than compressing the padding more. Riding jeans that do fit into the boot make the calf portion of the upper boot tight. 

And because of the outer circumference of the boot’s upper, my favourite riding pant, the Aerostich AD1 that I’ve had for 16 years, won’t zip up over the boot. However, my Klim Overland pant will go over the leg no problem. If you want jeans to fit over the boot, you’ll have to pull your favourite Saturday Night Fever bell bottoms out of storage. 

Remember that your lower legs have the tendency to take a beating if you are off-road adventure riding, by stones, branches and logs, to some degree. And let’s not forget that, if your bike falls over, there is a real possibility your foot or lower leg can get trapped underneath it, and big ADV bikes are not light. 

All ADV boots are heavy, but the point is is that they are substantial in order to protect your feet, ankles, calves and shins. The Leatt ADV 8.5 boots are no lightweights as each boot tips the scale at 1,955 grams (4.3 lbs.). Because of their build quality and the fact that they were designed from the Leatt laboratories, I believe that these boots are designed to offer the best possible chance of protecting your feet and lower leg in case of a mishap.

Big heavy boots are notorious for being awkward to walk in. While I haven’t walked a huge length of time, like what it would take to walk out of the forest when your bike breaks down, I have walked around in everyday situations like into a restaurant, up and down stairs, across parking lots, etc., and the ADV 8.5 boots are surprisingly comfortable to walk in. While the sole doesn’t really flex (you sort of roll from heel to toe like in a ski boot) — maybe they will flex with more of a break-in period — they are easy to manage in part because of the hinged ankle.

One big drawback to the boot — and I think it might be a one-off manufacturing glitch — is their waterproofness. We have had no rain, so I couldn’t test them riding on wet roads, so I did the next best thing: I put both boots on and relaxed in a chair reading a book with both feet in a bin with water, while moving my feet around a bit. Within about 20 seconds I felt water infiltrating my left boot, and after about 15 minutes I stepped out of the water and could feel my foot squishing water inside the boot. The right boot stayed completely dry, which is why I think it might be a manufacturing issue and not the character of the Hydradri 8.5 boot in general.

For an exact comparison, I put on dry socks and then tried my Sidi Adventure 2 boots in the bucket of water, and after 30 minutes, my feet stayed completely dry. 

All-in-all, the boot is very robust, and I really like them. My only real complaints — other than possibly the weight of the boots and that I can’t wear my Aerostich AD1 riding pants with them — is running out of adjustment on the top strap; that should be an easy fix if a longer strap was available, but it isn’t. It worked okay for me but leaves no more adjustment room for thicker legs or to tuck riding jeans in. My other complaint, of course, is that one of the boots leaked but this is a warranty issue and you would need to reach out to where you purchased them — your selling dealer, Kimpex customer service if ordered online, or by contacting Leatt customer service at moto.leattcanada.ca/pages/warranty. Leatt offers a 12-month warranty on this product. 

The Leatt ADV 8.5 boots come in all black with bronze accents, or black uppers and grey lowers. Leatt products are distributed by Kimpex in Canada — you can order directly at kimpex.com or go to your local retailer to fit them in person. The ADV 8.5 boots retail for $629.99, and that is right on par with other premium ADV boots.