Alpinestars Afrika Shoes are a new-for-2010 offering of the Italian apparel company. Quite frankly, I am a bit confused by this boot…or shoe. First, there is the name. When I connect Africa (no matter how you spell it) and motorcycling, my mind conjures up visions of adventure touring on a BMW GS or a KTM Adventure. Furthermore, I see a rider outfitted in full, rugged apparel. The Alpinestars Afrika shoes fit nowhere in this picture.
What you get with these shoes is footwear with some motorcycling-friendly features, but in a package that may be more at home in the bar than on the road. The motorcycle-inspired features include a suede upper construction with extended high abrasion resistant mesh inserts. There is also the nice feature of a GoreTex membrane insert. However, in the extremely low rise design of the Afrika shoe, I question its effectiveness. It also has a unique closure with a kind of drawstring function rather than a traditional lace-up affair.
In the end, maybe I was just turned off by the overly ambitious naming of these shoes. I see them as a nice pair of shoes that can be worn on a bike rather than a serious protective boot. Maybe that was what Alpinestars was going for.
My suggestion would be to go for something like the Alpinestars Armored S-MX 2 street boots. They are still a comfortable offering, but are much more protective.
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