I purchased these boots because of the very detailed reviews that the owner does on the products that they sell. His review of the Gaerne Fastback Boot is spot on. Very comfortable with good hinge movement.
I'm a hardcore Astars guy. I was looking for a better ventilated Tech 7 replacement and found Atomic Moto over on ADV Rider and then YouTube. I couldn't find a bad word about A.M. or Brian.
After a good phone call to discuss my sizing issue with the Tech 7, Brian had a pair of these on the way. My first ride was 200 mile off-road trip, and I never missed the trusty Tech 7 once. This was a fantastic swap, and it's absolutely a better, more technical, and more comfortable boot.
You can see and feel the quality in every part of this boot. Buckles are especially great. Surprising at this price point. I expect to be wearing these for a long time to come. Normally wear 10.5 shoe, but the 10 boots fit just right.
These boots feel very good! I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth in value for the amount of protection and comfort they offer. I’ll definitely be buying another pair in the future.
I also want to thank Brian for calling me after I had placed my order. He called me to confirm my order and to see if I had any questions on the boot. He guided me through the sizing to ensure the size I had ordered would fit and even asked me what type of riding I will be doing to make sure the boot fit my needs.
I’m happy he called as this made me feel more comfortable in the purchase I had made. This was a great example of going above and beyond.
Thanks Brian!
Watch Brian's youtube videos on this boot (or the enduro version) and you'll see why they're a great buy. I had half a dozen pairs of boots to try, from Alpinestars tech3 all the way up to high-end Sidi, and the fastback felt like by far the best combination of comfort, durability, and protection. The enduro sole wasn't available when I ordered, so I got these. Can't say that'll be a problem (and a welted sole could always be replaced if I wanted more tread.) I wore these at the desk for many days and they felt a bit tight in the ankles but otherwise good. Then I wrapped my ankle in a 3mm neoprene supporter, strapped into the boots, and hit them gently with a heat gun to reform the plastic in those areas a bit. That got me clear. The other thing you should do if you are experiencing a little ankle-bone tightness on one side or the other is shim up your insole. (you'll need an aftermarket insole for these). take off your socks and look at your ankle bones while standing. Now, tilt your foot left or right along it's long axis, just slightly, and look how much your ankle bone shifts right and left. That's enough to make the boot hurt at the ankle bone. Shim insole with a bit of 1/8 felt to even things out and you're golden. (I learned both those tricks from old ski-boot message boards BTW). I'm new to offroad riding, but I used these for an all-day dirtbike course and they were comfortable all day.
Great padding around the ankle. I have a wide foot and these fit great.
A benchmark boot lives up to the hype. OK, we know that Gaerne makes a premium motorcycle boot, and the Balance Oiled are, if not their apex offering, pretty darn close to it. It is genuinely hard to describe how beautiful these boots are until you hold them in your hand. Everything about them oozes quality and attention to detail. At the same time, these boots are clean and simple. Everything you need and nothing you don't. Instantly comfortable and the gum rubber sole is awesome on and off the bike. I didn't purchase these for off-road use because they don't offer the requisite level of protection for anything more than a fire road. For me, these are an urban or weekend street boot that feels good, looks good and does everything I need it to. And boy are they a looker. People who know nothing about motorcycling comment on these boots. The consensus is that they are "wicked cool".
The Gaerne Oiled Leather Balance boots are a pretty complete package out of the box, but swapping out the OEM insoles for these babies is a very nice upgrade. Super comfortable and takes an already awesome pair of boots to the next level.
Fit was true to size. Very comfortable so far. Havenot hit any water yet so not sure how waterproof they are. Very happy with the purchase so far. Would recommend them.
You guys are always fair and consistent. Good company to deal with.