Alpinestars S-MX R Boots

The S-MX R boots are a mid-price choice for those looking for a boot that can work well for street or track use. They definitely have many of the protective features of a race boot, such as toe sliders, shin guard, molded heel cup and some ankle protection. The higher end race boots will have elaborate ankle support mechanisms which this boot does not, but it’s designed for everyday practicality and should be quite comfortable after breaking in (unlike more elaborate boots which are not quite as practical for every comfort). The closure at the top of the boot has a size sliding buckle arrangement much like a ski boot, so it will be nice for those that haven’t been able to get a lot of adjustment for larger calves. The top also has an internal Velcro adjustment for size although its effectiveness is very limited, but no matter, the outside buckle does the job anyway. The boots have molded vent ports built into the outside ankle, shin and heel areas which are probably pretty effective as long as your pants are tucked inside (so you are not covering up part of them). I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but the molded heel cup with the vent ports is shaped just perfectly for helping grasp the heel of the boot to take them off. There is a perforated boot, but if you take a look at the close-up pics (take the “View Larger Pictures” link above), the holes are widely spaced and are only placed on a small area of the boot so don’t expect miracles from the perfs, but they do look neat and I’d choose those over the solid black boot just for the sport look of the perforations.