Product Review

AlpineStars GP-PRO Boots

In mid 99, I was in the market for a pair of "real" riding boots. Having read and seen AlpineStars everywhere (magazines, tracks, TV, etc) I focused in on them. Besides, if they're good enough for Mick Doohan, they've gotta be good enough for me right?!?!

I managed to pick up a pair of Doohan replica GP-PRO boots on a discontinued closeout from an online store which I'd care not to mention. (Trust me, you're better off spending your money elsewhere anyhow) I paid about $125 and the boots were mine.

Sizing of the boots was a little big, but I knew this ahead of time so I compensated accordingly. I wear a size 12 street shoe, and the Alpinestars fit me fine in a sz 11.5. Out of the box, I was a little disappointed. This was my first pair of 'real' riding boots (normally wear Doc Martins) and they seemed pretty cheap. I didn't know how well they would hold up, but I was game...

A few points about the boots from my experience:

They fit fine either over leathers, or under jeans.
The calf sliders lasted about 5 miles. I had a rider complain that #2 bounced off his faceshield.
I lost 1 toe-slider, but it held on for over a year before going MIA.
The soles are *very* thin which is nice because you can feel everything your bike is doing under you.
They are much warmer than normal boots in cold weather.
They don't even pretend to be water resistant.
They protected my feet through 5 or so crashes before retiring them.
They are much more resilient than they first appeared.

All in all, I am happy with the way they performed. I ended up replacing them with a pair of Sidi Vertebras because I wanted to have more protection on my ankles and on the outside of my foot where I do most of my sliding. Plus the Sidi's have 'bolt-on' parts so nothing should be flying off.

Here are some pics of my AlpineStars which are hereby retired...

Click on any pic to see fullsize

In this second pic, you can see how the heel wore through because my big hoof would hit the tire when I was cornering. Eventually it wore through the zipper and I had to safety wire the boot. A change in riding style and the different placement of zipper location on the Sidi's should prevent this.