XPD X-Adventure H2OUT boots in black

The starting point of the XPD X-Adventure boot is a chassis made from a full-grain, oiled leather. Now there are lots of adventure boots out there that look a bit like these, but a lot of them are made from synthetic fabrics rather than genuine leather. Now there's not necessarily anything wrong with that although it has to be acknowledged that synthetic materials do not soften and mould to the shape of the foot in the way that real leather does. Synthetic materials also don't breathe as well, sometimes making them a bit hot and sweaty when the going gets tough.

 

In terms of protection you get a formidably strong toe box, a heavily reinforced heel counter and a sole that even Arnie, at his prime, would have had difficult bending or twisting. There's extra protection in the ankles too. And a large, foam-backed plastic pad to protect the shins. There are probably tougher boots out there than these. I'm thinking particularly of those big Alpinestars jobbies and even Klim's Adventure boots. But if you like the idea of being able to change  gear on the bike, yet still be able to walk around when you get off it, neither of those will cut the mustard.

 

These boots are as tough as most of us are ever going to need. This is a boot you could use on any bike; adventure of not. But it's also a boot you could walk around the ABR festival in. All day long!

 

The boot is waterproof, and utilises Spidi's well-known H2OUT membrane. It's a membrane that's totally reliable, and even though the Italian brands cannot always be relied upon to keep the wet stuff out, we have never had any issues with Spidi's gear. And we've been working with them for a few years now.

 

Now XPD seems inordinately proud of the X-Adventure's sole construction, and like many boot companies they seem very good at making it sound as though the moon landing couldn't hold a candle to the technical challenges involved in putting their wares together. and so XPD talks about the lugs in the sole that are designed to aid traction when walking uphill! And to aid braking when walking downhill! They talk about grip and stability on the pegs, and the extra tough insert in the mid-sole area to prevent the rough edges of the pegs from wearing into the rubber.

 

Inside the boot, the insole is from Ortholite. Over time this will mould to the shape of the foot for comfort. But when it no long provides the necessary level of support, it can be replaced.

 

There's a moulded, gear-change selector on the toe box. The toe box itself is reasonably large, although it's still going to be easier to change gear with these boots with than would be the case with the Klim and Held equivalents. But if you do have a problem changing gear on your bike, we'll happily throw in a brilliant 'solshiftr' that allows you to change gear as though the boot had a pronounced welt.

 

In terms of adjustability, fit and comfort the boot does everything you would expect. You get two, adjustable, aluminium-buckled straps. The top of the boot fastens by means of a Velcro flap. There's a cushioned and baffled pad in the heel. And the entire shaft is foam lined. At the top of the shaft, at the back, there's a Lycra strip that is designed to aid comfort when you're sat on the bike.

 

In truth, the spec. on these boots is not a whole lot different to the spec. on many other adventure boots. But whereas many clothing brands meet with footwear suppliers at the EICMA fair in Milan, and take one of their standard styles off the shelf, the Adventure-X has been put together from scratch by XPD.

 

Whereas most adventure boots look very similar to one another - perhaps for the reason I have alluded to - the Adventure-X boots look different. They are going to pretty comfortable, we reckon. They are going to be hard wearing, long-lasting and protective.

 

There's one other thing. They are much lighter than some of the adventure boots out there, and whatever bike you're riding, and in whatever conditions, that's got to be a plus.

 

We can't say how the Adventure X boots are going to perform in the long run, because they are so new. But we know and trust the people behind Spidi and XPD, and so we reckon you can buy these boots with a degree of confidence. We think they will do what they are meant to do.

 

But perhaps the most important thing is how they fit; and the best way to resolve that is to come and try a pair on.