Valentino Rossi Tribute
Michael Toschi, designer of high-end leather apparel and footwear, just happens to have 11 years of motorcycle racing experience under his belt. After purchasing a new supermoto machine, he realized that he did not have, nor could he find, a motorcycle jacket with all of the cool qualities that he wanted combined with the protective features that he needed.
Toschi found the typical CD-grade urethane-coated leather too often used to be stiff and uncomfortable. So, he chose the best analine-dyed calfskin, added removable shoulder and elbow armor, torso pads, an adjustable waist, expandable zippered cuffs and an air mesh lining to produce his ergonomically constructed Moto jacket.
He topped off this handcrafted Italian piece with Italy’s national colors stitched onto the sleeve as a tribute to his own heritage and to Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP championship runs.
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Toschi needed some boots, too. He wanted something that would work on his own supermoto bike, as well as on most on-/off-road bikes, that would transcend all attributes found in motorcycle boots.
Dissatisfied with the manner in which the heel was set in relation to the peg of most of the boots he tried, which he found impossible to walk in, he designed a 45-degree transitional ramp up to the heel of his Motard boot, lined it with goatskin to minimize sweating, added a triple fused rubber shift patch and outsole, and a zip entry.
“I am my perfect target customer,” Toschi admits. “I design what I would like to wear myself.” His exuberance and his creativity are evident in his lifestyle pieces, such as the vented Rangel jacket, made of crushed and shrunken lamb with ground elk horn button accents, and the kid suede Breve shirt, with perforated side panels for the perfect summer evening.
