A proper bike boot that would look good on any American motorcycle, the Drizzle is more than an existing regular boot that has been tweaked a little to make it suitable for riding, Lindstrands started from the base requirements and made a boot to meet them.
My only nervousness was how well the ‘Brown Yellow’ Nubuck leather would stand up to sort of use I was going to give them … and how quickly I could break them in with a 2,000 mile ride ahead of me?
That they were well-built was apparent as soon I put them on: a snug fit – exacerbated by quite a low instep – but not so much that the next size up would be better. I normally take a 10 and these were a 9½ – or a 44, which takes out a lot of the guesswork out of identifying UK and US sizes – and the next UK equivalent would be 10½.
I would sooner have good fitting boots than a pair that require thick socks when new and get progressively looser, and while that requires patience the reward has always been a pair of boots that fit like slippers. The only downside is that I wouldn’t be able to rely on riding through torrential rain to assist in that process, as is normally the case, because water doesn’t penetrate the outer skin.
I stood in the bath in them and waited in vain for the colour to darken, but all the did was convince me that they would indeed keep the water out: the water just beaded on the leather and ran off as I withdrew the submerged boot after fifteen minutes!
The short-term solution: remove the insoles and wear thin socks, but to be safe, I packed my FXRG boots as well and headed south.
All early indicators were excellent: good grip from its oil resistant sole, secure fastening – the Velcro strap across the tied laces prevents them from snagging on anything or otherwise becoming undone – and nothing is getting in. The fit is right, and comfort is coming.
The bonus of the Dryway+ lining – that backs up the water repellence of the Nubuck leather with an impermeable barrier to wind and rain – is that it does allow the escape of any moisture from inside. It is a more flexible version of the company’s existing Dryway lining, and better suited to extreme loads.
In terms of the CE certification, while that can’t guarantee protection from everything – nothing can – you can feel the reinforced toecap that extends more than three-quarters of the way back towards the laces, and substantial, supportive panels of soft CE armour built into the side of the ankle above the heel. The steel shanks in their soles are less evident.
It’s worth noting that the padding at the ankle does make it bulge out a little, but that will only be an issue if you like a tight trouser: I favour a boot cut these days and the impact is negligible.
The other concern mentioned earlier – that of colour – only applies if you go for the Brown Yellow option, and some darkening is inevitable, indeed desirable because they are quite a bright colour out of the box: more yellow than brown.
I confess that in terms of discolouration, I was thinking more of road dirt than rubber transfer off a gearshift – or perhaps the action of the rubber retaining and then rubbing road dirt into the surface of the leather – but either way, by the time I’d got back from Biarritz, there was an unsightly black smear across the top of the left boot.
It was time to look out the ‘user Information’ booklet, which contained a section on care, maintenance and storage. Clean cold water to dampen a soft clean cloth, it said, and while I needed a lot more water than ‘damp’ suggests, the black mark was quickly reduced to a mere smear: you only discover this once you’ve allowed it to air dry, because the leather colour does change when wiped with a wet cloth. Further brushing lightly with a soft brush and clean water has reduced it to a shadow of its former self and I haven’t finished completely yet, but I’m pleased to say that the colour of the leather is toning down nicely. It is heading towards brown.
We will revisit them in a future issue – as they bed in properly and as the upper is exposed to more elements – but all good so far and I’m glad I broke from tradition in going for the lighter colour … although a second pair in black is tempting, and more affordable than you might expect.
Lindstrands Drizzle Boots
750041-30 Brown Yellow
750041-00 Black
Sizes: UK 5-12½ / EU 36-48
RRP: £149
www.jofama.se