Is anyone wearing Sidi Blades?

[Skydyvyr]

I'm looking for some footwear that will offer me ankle support & protection while riding, hide under jeans, approximate the look of a business casual shoe, be comfortable to walk around in all day & be available in a men’s size 14 (I'd be 8' tall if I didn't have so much curled under). As it turns out, this can be quite a tough.

I was originally looking at the Alpinestars Articolo 80 boots, but can't find them anywhere in my size. Pic Below


As I continued looking, I came across the Sidi Blades:


Is anyone wearing these, and if so what is your experience with them? Are they comfortable enough to walk around in all day? In general would you recommend them?

I am very open to alternative suggestions if someone has a boot they really like, but before you recommend something please consider my requirements:
--Fits under jeans
--Comfortable for all day wear
--Approximates the appearance of a business casual shoe

Thanks for all of your feedback.

--Sky

 

[cheferman65]

I am a fan of the Sidi boots, I love their products and have been wearing them for 15 years.
All day comfort...that is in the individual. I don't ride all day, nor do I do extended walking in my Sidi's. 4-5 maybe 6 hours tops. They are for protection #1. They are vented but still get toasty. They do limit the range of motion but that is part of their purpose. I prefer the full boot and cannot comment on the blades or burners(half boots) For me it defeats the purpose of wearing boots.

 

[Rollin20z]

I would say the Blades may sound like what you may be looking for because I have a pair of the Sidi StreetBurners and they are nice. Not quite buisness casual look though. ???
SIDI Street Burners

BUT..
I also have these Alpinestars S-MX2's and compared to the Sidi Streetburners these Alpinestars feel like bedroom slippers, most comfortable,wear all day,go good with jeans, all black so pretty casual looking. And 9/10 I always grab these when I ride. right pic
Alpinestars S-MX 2

They also have the S-MX1 which have straps instead of buckles and are a bit cheaper, and I had a pair of those before and they were just as comfortable as the 2's which is what lead to them. left pic
Alpinestars S-MX 1

And I guess I have a lil different opinion than some others on full boot versus 1/2 boot. Yeah, of course the full boot may add the shin/calf protection over the 1/2 boot. But they still offer 100% more protection over say a regular tennis style shoe with the toe,ankle,sole, heal protection, nice ventilation and are comfortable enough to wear all day if needed. Besides you don't have to walk like your in need of taking a serious bathroom break or you have fused ankle joints as you do with most full boots.

But seriously even regular work boots are better than most stuff you see people wearing now-a-days.

 

[KRZMSL]

I just purchased a pair and love them so far... I'm still in the "breaking In" period but so far I think they're going to be a great replacement for an older pair of Sidi boots I've had for 11-12 years... yes, they've held up for that long. I love Sidi and my old boots still fit and look nice... The soles are worn obviously but I mainly ride in them and try not to walk around too much. I did have to push my Busa home one time (about 6-7 miles) and man I couldn't wear them for a couple weeks but that's not what they're made for anyway. Sidi is top notch and I was going to go with the Sidi Apex but the upper part of the boot wasn't tight enough around my calf and it couldn't be adjust to be tighter. I tried these on and it was just what I was looking for. By now as I see the date of this post you may have already gotten them but if not I hope this helps!

 

[GNBRETT]

I wanted the blades last year but they were on back order for whole f-en year. so annoying. I ended up with the Astar smx-1 and pretty happy with them since I can walk in them withoiut feeling like im a storm trooper although, I cant seem to get them to tighten very tight. I might give the smx-2 a shot this year. seems like there are more adjustments but they look a little hot the smx-1 breathes very well in the summer.

 

[GNBRETT]

I would say the Blades may sound like what you may be looking for because I have a pair of the Sidi StreetBurners and they are nice. Not quite buisness casual look though. ???
SIDI Street Burners

BUT..
I also have these Alpinestars S-MX2's and compared to the Sidi Streetburners these Alpinestars feel like bedroom slippers, most comfortable,wear all day,go good with jeans, all black so pretty casual looking. And 9/10 I always grab these when I ride. right pic
Alpinestars S-MX 2

They also have the S-MX1 which have straps instead of buckles and are a bit cheaper, and I had a pair of those before and they were just as comfortable as the 2's which is what lead to them. left pic
Alpinestars S-MX 1

And I guess I have a lil different opinion than some others on full boot versus 1/2 boot. Yeah, of course the full boot may add the shin/calf protection over the 1/2 boot. But they still offer 100% more protection over say a regular tennis style shoe with the toe,ankle,sole, heal protection, nice ventilation and are comfortable enough to wear all day if needed. Besides you don't have to walk like your in need of taking a serious bathroom break or you have fused ankle joints as you do with most full boots.

But seriously even regular work boots are better than most stuff you see people wearing now-a-days.

if those street burners were a little more watered down I would be all over em. I wish they were all black. they kinda remind me of the wicked witch of the east slippers for some reason??? I like that u get the protection of a full boot around the foot without the added weight or bulk.

 

[sixpack577]

The trunk mod works on the gen1 also.
I'de just do that and put whatever work shoes you like in there.
Or just carry them in a backpack.
Riding boots aren't made to walk around in comfortably all day.
They are made to limit the motion of your foot and ankle in a crash.
It's also hard to make a tough riding boot that stays cool when the wind isn't blowing on it.
Good luck with whatever you buy, but it's going to be hard to get the best of both worlds.

 

[PandaNin]

The Sidi blade is about the best of both worlds as you can get. I work in an office and I can wear them all day without anyone noticing I'm in a m/c boot. When I have to wear a suit I drive the car. When I can get away with wearing my 5.11 pants I wear the Sidis. They look business casual and are so comfortable it's uncanny. I have not crashed wearing them (thankfully) so I cannot comment personally on their protection level. Sidi has a reputation of being a good boot so I'm trusting that reputation is built into all 3 of my pairs.