Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX boots provide near motocross boot protection with the comfort of high-end, all-weather adventure footwear. The features are an engineered combination of expensive materials, earning a CE Level 2 motorcycle footwear protection rating. This boot is comfortable for all-day and all-weather use. If you have concerns about protecting the critical parts below your knees, these premium boots should be high on your consideration list.
I unpacked the Touratech box with a high level of curiosity and anticipation—I had never worn a pair of $839 boots. The first thing I noticed was the unique appearance of the SuperFabric front and the Destino Ultimate GTX boots’ almost 16-inch height. I put the EUR 44 size boots on a scale, and they weigh 3.5 pounds each.
I pushed as hard as I could on the thermoformed toe and couldn’t dent it. I pulled apart the six-by-eight-inch Velcro section that secures the TPS shin guard. That much Velcro provides about two inches of calf adjustment. I pulled the Boa closure button forward, and the tongue was instantly in the fully open position. There is a substantial yellow entrance strap on each boot to assist with pulling them on. I found the pull strap necessary to keep from smushing the back of the inside of the heel cup.
Instead of using buckles to tighten the Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX boots, the wire-lace Boa system evenly cinches the boot from instep to within an inch of the top. The TPU shin guard, which is attached to Touratech’s protective dynamic support frame (DSF), wraps around and fastens with a large Velcro pad. Once on, the boot’s overall comfort was a recognizable sensation. The OrthoLite footbed, SeeSoft foam tongue, and quilted anti-microbial interior felt more like Après ski boots than crash protection.
I put the other boot on and wore them for eight hours, right out of the box. With all the snow and rain in Oregon delaying my test riding, I wore them all day for another five days, walking around in my normal course of life. I didn’t find any uncomfortable spots or reason to give my feet a break. With the shin guard in the tightest position, my jeans fit over them, and the only issue was the squeak of the forward and backward movement of the DSF pivot points.
Back when I was riding dirt only, I wore motocross boots for the protection offered. Hyperflexion, twisting, crushing, and impacts were all things to be concerned about. The right pair of motocross boots would give me all the foot support I needed to stand all day. However, walking around at a lunch stop or gas station was not an enjoyable experience. Touratech, partnering with Rev’It, has created the combination boot I have been seeking—comfort with protection.
The thermoformed toe box, which fits under the gearshifter on the Ultimate Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike, has a rubber covering to protect the already abrasion-resistant SuperFabric instep. The SuperFabric is on the front, where you require it to be bendable in order not to walk like Frankenstein.
The heel cup is also thermoformed and attached to a wrap-around TPU with a hinged calf support. The back of the calf has a bend-resistant reinforcement system to protect the back of your leg from the heel up. The rigidity of the upper structure should only allow fore and aft bending within safe limits.
The pivot points for the upper structure are precisely aligned with your ankles for added impact protection. In addition, the pivot points resist twisting and side-to-side bending to further protect your ankles while contributing to walkability.
The thermoformed toe box wraps around the inside and outside but ends 2.5 inches from the beginning of the TPU heel box on both sides. That space is required to allow the toe area to flex when walking.
I have history with that two-inch location. Two times in my off-roading career, I have smashed that flexible outside area while wearing motocross boots. Both times, one on the left and one on the right, I was moving at a good clip, and my front end bounced off a rock, sending my bike on an angled trajectory into a rock outcropping for the left and a hidden cut-off branch on the right. With my boot stuck between the rock/branch and the engine, the only direction for the force to go was into the side of my foot. You can believe that checking the protection at that spot was high on my priority list.
Like all boots you want to be able to walk in, they have to flex there, and flexing means minimal protection. Fortunately, that is a tiny target for precision-guided rocks and branches. I am willing to take that chance so I can show up at a ride destination and walk around comfortably.
The rest of the foot, ankle, shin, heel, and calf muscles and tendons are well protected. These boots meet the highest level of European Safety certification for motorcycle protective footwear.
As a standing rider, I need the arch area to be stiff so the boots don’t fold over the footpegs. Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX boots have a composite arch that I haven’t been able to flex, even standing on my pegs for over six hours.
It has been raining on every ride I have been on while testing these boots, and the Gore-Tex material has kept my feet dry. I also tested them in a muddy waterhole with the same waterproof result.
Testing in the winter and early spring means riding temperatures range from 38 to 68 degrees, and my feet never felt cold. The SuperFabric, which I thought could collect mud in its textured surface, acted like Teflon, shedding any evidence of the muddy water I stood in several times.
The Vibram Apex soles have six lug patterns on them—smooth at the front of the toe and rear of the heel to mini knobbies fore and aft for grip while walking on soft or uneven terrain. At the ball of your foot, where you are moving around your footpegs and don’t want to get hung up, there are little flat squares.
These Vibram soles were specifically designed for the Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX boots. At this writing, I am still trying to find out if they can be replaced when worn out. If you like to drag a foot along the ground or pavement for fun, I suggest waiting until you know you can get these soles replaced.
Leaning against the SeeSoft foam on the tongue when standing is a pleasure to experience. It is soft and nonabrasive against your foot. On one ride, my right sock slipped down after a long stand-up ride, and I hadn’t noticed. On any other boots I have worn, I would have immediately recognized that the cushion of the sock was missing.
Initially, I had to occasionally re-tighten the Boa after a short time. The Boa doesn’t loosen. Instead, the slack in the wire at the toe end of the Boa was not always taken up evenly on the first wearing of the day. I developed a solution: I tighten the Boa about two-thirds of the way, flex my toes back and forward a few times, and then tighten the Boa to snug. No Boa adjustments are needed when using this technique.
As for the sizing of the Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX boots, I had to use guesswork, as there was no way to try them on first. I wear a size 10.5 D (wide) in men’s dress shoes. I measured my foot at 27cm, which equates to EUR 43. On Touratech’s chart, EUR 43 equals US 9.5. For winter sock room, I sized up the EU 44, which is US 10. It fits me perfectly and has just enough room for thick winter socks. As always, nothing beats trying the boots on in person.
Just as they have different lengths and widths, some people have broader or narrower calves. There is a lot of adjustment in the top of the boot, and I think anyone with a large or small calf would still have a good fit at the top of the boot.
The Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX is a very comfortable, all-day, all-weather protective adventure boot. The boots also have motocross-equivalent twist, crush, bang, flex, and stretch properties. To be almost all things to all aspects of comfort and safety requires the engineering of diverse and expensive components together. While my preference is protection over comfort, you can have both if you can find it in your budget to spend $839 on your feet.
Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX Boots Fast Facts
- Sizes: EUR 39 – 47
- Protection certification: EN 13634:2017 Level 2
- Color: Black
Touratech Destino Ultimate GTX Boots Price: $839/pair MSRP
