Waterproof boots. Unless you're strictly a butterfly biker, at some point you're going to need a pair. Or accept that you're going to get really wet feet. And that's fair enough - there have been decent waterproof boots on the market for some time, and they don't necessarily even need to look like wellies any more. The trouble really starts when you ride a sports bike, perhaps do the occasional trackday, but can't really afford, or justify, a second pair of boots just for the occasional bit of bad weather. What you need is a pair of properly sporty boots that are also waterproof.

Happily, that's exactly what we have here.

The Alpinestars S-MX 5 WP boot is a proper sports boot, with armour where you'd expect, toe sliders, almost everything. But it's got a Gore-tex membrane inside that makes it waterproof. That's despite being vented. I truly have no idea how that works, only that it does. At least that's what Alpinestars claim. The Italian firm are renowned for making stylish clothing that works well on the track, and they also make the most comfortable trainers I have ever owned. But though they make touring kit and it's generally well regarded, it's not exactly their core market. And while they're no strangers to exotic materials in their race suits, employing magic to make boots with holes that don't let water through is a new departure. Presumably there's a department staffed by wizards somewhere in Alpinestars, perhaps researching making gloves from unicorn hide with goblin skin reinforcement.

Anyway. let's have a look at the boots rather than going off on tangents. At first glance, these look like pretty normal, albeit unusually understated, sports boots. They lack the complicated inner boot/sock arrangement of the S-MX Pro and other full race boots, but everything else you'd expect is there - replaceable toe sliders, armoured heel cups and shin armour - as well as the usual beautifully detailed Alpinestars sole. Closer examination reveals some neat rubber air vents on the top and sides, all of which rather point toward a boot with a more sporty bias. The gearshift reinforcement on the top of the left boot is routine for just about any purpose made motorbike boot, so that doesn't mean anything. In fact, the only external indication that this is anything other than the spots boot it seems comes when you approach the opening. Because there is a large gusset, which means that even when the zipper is completely open the boot itself remains sealed up the side. And of course that's a Good Thing because there's no conventional zip fastener on the planet which is waterproof.

Putting the boot on is extremely straightforward. because there are none of the usual Alpinestars race boot fiddly bits inside, it's simply a case of sliding your foot in, tucking the gusset out of the way and doing the zip up. hmm - neat touch. the zipper has a velcro tab which keeps it out of the way when it's done up. And the flaps which go over the zip outside are very well secured with lots of velcro, too. And once the boot is on, oh boy is it comfortable. It's easily as good as the pukka race boots I've got, and the ventilation puts it a step ahead of the last pair I had. These are genuinely all-day comfortable boots, and you're just about guaranteed not to have appallingly smelly feet at the end, too, thanks to that ventilation.

Hmm. The ventilation. There are two things you should know about the ventilation. First, it ventilates. And second, it doesn't let the water through. Now the ventilation is a really good thing to have, because as I've already hinted, waterproof bike boots can rather encourage your feet to, um, sweat rather a lot. And that lovely airflow not only reduces the sweat, it also sweeps away the inevitable after-effect. So your boots, and their contents, remain relatively unsmelly.

Now there is a downside to this ventilation, of course. Well, there had to be, right? When it gets cold outside you don't necessarily want a howling gale coming through and nicking any warmth you may have managed to get around your feet. I'm not quite sure how I'll deal with that as Winter comes in. At the moment the most likely option is simply taping over the vents, but if anyone has a better suggestion then I'm all ears...

Waterproof boots are, of course, no use whatsoever if they aren't actually waterproof. And on that score I am happy to confirm that these most definitely tick all the boxes. Even in a couple of really torrential downpours, even on the motorway where the fairing lowers jetwash my toes I've not had even the slightest hint of water coming through.

Overall, then, the Alpinestars S-MX 5 WP are astoundingly good boots. They're not especially cheap, retailing at around the £199 mark, but for that you effectively get two sets of boots for the price of one. There's no reason at all why you couldn't wear these on a trackday, you could most certainly use them all year round as your regular boots, and when the weather lest you down you still stay dry. Plus they're comfortable as anything and look pretty damn' good as well. What more could you reasonably ask?

SB