For those of us who grew up in tennis shoes and Levi’s, the development of technical riding shoes and denim pants is a gift from the motorcycling gods. It allows me to be perfectly comfortable riding around town while still confident that I have a basic level of protection. The Alpinestars Stated motorcycle riding shoes bring that protection to my feet, with a few extra touches. At $220 a pair, the Stated shoes are not cheap, though they are much less expensive than a cast on your foot.
Alpinestars is a European brand, so its riding gear, including riding shoes, conforms to EU standards. The Alpinestars Stated shoes meet CE Category II EN 13634:2017 standards for foot protection.
Category II indicates that the shoes are certified by a third party rather than self-certified by Alpinestars. There are also four performance criteria for which footwear can be recognized for meeting a higher standard, and the Alpinestars Stated shoes earn that rating for ankle-area rigidity and torsion resistance. That resistance to twisting is essential, even in lower-speed get-offs.
The first time you put on the Alpinestars Stated shoes, you’ll realize the designer is dedicated to keeping them on your feet. Rather than easily slipping into the shoes, as is often the case in the footwear category, you must put in some effort.
There are two ways the shoes are securely attached to your foot.
The first is traditional laces, which some riders don’t like because they can catch on a shift lever, brake pedal, or footpeg. However, that’s a look that many riding shoe wearers want, and I didn’t have any issues.
Additionally, there is a hidden diagonal zipper on the inside of each shoe. When the zipper is zipped up, your feet feel like they’re not leaving the shoes until it’s down. That’s a great feeling, and one that I like when riding. A riding shoe that comes off in an accident is not of much value. The downside is that it takes a bit of effort to move the zipper in either direction.
To get your foot in the shoe, you must zip it down, and you will probably want to loosen the laces. Either way, have one hand hold onto the tongue. If you don’t, it’s easy for your foot to pull the tongue into the shoe’s toe box area.
The first time I put the Stated shoes on, I thought I still had residual packing in the toe. I pulled them off and checked the interior. There was nothing there, and a bit of trial and error revealed that the tongue was the issue. It’s not a big deal, but know that going in.
Once in, they’re as comfortable as you expect modern riding shoes to be. They’re comfortable for all-day walking and look stylish in black, gray, and white with the always-welcome Alpinestars logo. The upper part of the high-tops is a flexible accordion fabric with dual-density ankle protection surreptitiously held within. This looks good and makes the shoes more walkable.
For riding, they feel perfectly natural. Feel for the foot controls is excellent. You have a great feel for the foot brake, and gear shifting is sure, even without a dedicated pad. I’ve worn them on big-inch Harley-Davidsons, and those Cruise Drive gearboxes require some effort. Whatever the Alpinestars designers put at the front of the shoe prevents gear changes from being painful or leaving a mark.
One area where the Alpinestars Stated shoes could be improved is the sole’s traction. I had an alarming foot slide on a smooth patch of pavement that didn’t seem likely to cause any problems when stopping at a red light. Fortunately, the right sole found some traction before the Benda Chinchilla 300 hit the deck.
I like riding shoes for around-town excursions. However, some of them leave me a bit unsettled about the level of protection. Between the CE certifications for the Alpinestars Stated riding shoes and the cocoon-like feeling I get when putting them on my feet, I find myself reaching for them more often than not.
Photography by Kelly Callan
Alpinestars Stated Motorcycle Riding Shoes Fast Facts
Sizes: 8-14 US
Certifications: CE Category II EN 13634:2017
Protection Level 2: Ankle area rigidity/torsion resistance
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