Sidi ST Boots - Review

Sidi's new offering are the ST, with less emphasis on full race and more subtle for street use they offer all the protection you would expect from a boot at this price point, I grab a pair and head out to Cartagena for some track time and see how they fare.

Initial Thoughts

Having last ridden in Sidi's a few years ago when the Vertigo was still current I was expecting much of the same from the ST, the only problem I really had with the Vertigo was the fit was narrow and on hot days they were a touch restrictive, the next size up was far too big and thus not right for me, the ST seems to be cut a little bigger across the foot in what I would call a more neutral sizing throughout. The stand out feature on these new boots is the cam lock system for entry and closing the boot, lifted from Motocross they are perfect for this application.

Construction

Sidi are well know across the globe for their high quality and high end price tag to match, the ST sits in the middle of the range and therefore most accessible to a regular buyer, it's big brother the Vortice comes in at over £300 and with all the straps and adjustments sometimes does not appeal to casual riders. That said the ST offers top level protection in a more subtle body, with the usual Vertebrae system we have come to know protecting the ankle and hamstring area from damage and a shock absorbing heel cup and ankle support brace to top off the list of safety features.

Getting in to these new boots is a simple affair, unpop the cam locks  and the back folds down exposing the boot from the external armour, Sidi now utilise their Teflon Air Mesh Liner which works incredibly well at not only increasing the comfort of the boot but also creates a micro climate in the pockets of the mesh to keep you cool and dry when warm and warmer when cold (I say warmer as they are not the most toasty boots in winter but average for their style). On to warmer weather again we go again as the Sidi ST Boot features a switched ventilation system on the outer of each boot, this simply rams air in to circulate fresh air around your foot, keeping you dry as you go - tested in the heat of Southern Spain. If you want a more summer oriented boot you can always opt for the ST Air model, exactly the same features as the standard ST Boot but a perforated Lorica upper shifts a ton of air as you ride

One thing that did show itself in the hot weather though was the very top of the boot stuck to my leg when riding and started to rub a little, wearing long socks would have been a perfect solution to this but in temperatures up in the high 20's (centigrade) and having come from 9-10 degrees I had not considered this may be required, this of course does not happen when wearing leathers tucked in to the boots. On that very subject I can report that having large calves was not an issue with thse boots, the ST10 straps and cam locks allow for a large range of adjustment to suit riders large and small and coupled with typical Sidi styling I feel the ST's offer a great package to a wide audience