Fly Racing M16 Waterproof Shoes Review | Who Needs Boots for Urban Jungle?

September 9, 2016

Fly Racing M16 Waterproof Shoe Review | Who Needs Boots for Urban Jungle? — Fly Racing M16 WP Shoe after 2500 miles

Fly Racing M16 Waterproof Shoes Review

One of the largest trends over the past few years is protectable motorcycle footwear that provides all-day comfort and no lack in style. Many companies have continued to release this type of moto footwear, from boots to shoes that look and feel like sneakers.

Regarding the latter, Fly Racing’s top casual motorcycle shoe is the M16, which is available in Canvas and Waterproof versions. I’ve tested the WP version for the past two months, using them as an everyday walking and riding shoe at a few launches, and in many urban situations where I just wanted to ride and not worry about walking around all day uncomfortably.

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Built from top-grain leather with a waterproof membrane lining, the Fly Racing M16 Waterproof shoe resembles the high-top sneaker styling of Europe—especially in Italy.

The shoe uses traditional laces with metal eyelets. Although many riders, including myself, are against riding with any type of laces, the M16’s laces never got hung up on pegs or engine parts. Just to be safe, I do tuck away the loops on the outer sides of the shoes.

In regards to protection, the toe and heel areas are reinforced for additional support and impact performance, and the sole is crush resistant. The M16s also feature dual-density ankle protection.

Though you can tell the protection is there, it doesn’t restrict any movement when riding or walking. The M16 took its biggest beating during the Moto Guzzi MGX-21 Flying Fortress launch in Sturgis; I brought them as my only shoe for both on and off the bike. I flew with them on, walked like mad while in Sturgis, and rode about 400 miles—all in pure comfort.

During the ride, vibrations were minimal due to the MGX-21, but also the shoes, which are designed to isolate feet from engine vibrations. I found this true on a few of my personal bikes that buzz my feet; wearing the M16s helped subside some of those vibrations.

Because of the waterproof lining, the M16 can get a bit hot in anything over 80 degrees, so wear good, breathable socks. I got stuck in rain a handful of times, and my feet remained mostly dry. I say “mostly” because one trek was nearly 60 miles of washout, and the water eventually penetrated through the upper part of the tongue area.

To date, I have close to 2500 miles of riding on the shoes, along with endless walking; every time I wore the M16, they were also my walking shoe, whether that was wandering the streets of downtown Milwaukee or strolling along a riverside path in Northeast Pennsylvania. After all this testing, the Fly Racing M16 Waterproof shoes look just as good as new, with minimal sole wear. Also, I wear a 12, and the shoes fit perfectly.

Comfort, style and protection, if needed—can a rider ask for anything else when in urban riding situations?