REVIEW: RIVER ROAD CROSSROADS BUCKLE BOOT

My friends over at Riders Discount recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing a pair of riding boots. I’ve been looking for a new pair for the upcoming season so I agreed and last week I received a brand new pair of River Road Crossroads Buckle Leather Boots.

They actually gave me a choice but after looking at their different offerings, I chose this particular brand and model because of my riding style and frankly… because of the way they look. I am all about the plain black leather appearance and the buckle/strap gives this boot a way cool engineer-like vintage vibe that I love.

When they arrived, the first thing I did was take them into my studio and snap the pictures you see here… and it was immediately evident from handling them that they were well constructed. The stitching was consistent, soles were substantial, the tongue is nicely padded and the leather uppers looked and felt great with none of the faded edges or stiffness that you sometimes see.

Here is what the marketing materials say about the Crossroads: The Crossroads feature a 1-1/4” lugged heel, an oil-resistant rubber outsole, a treaded outsole for improved grip and traction, Goodyear welt construction for durability (not sure what that means but I do know they can be re-soled) a fully padded insole for comfort and breathability, a tempered steel shank for outstanding support and wear, a 5” tall upper and a side-strap with buckle for added appeal and a secure fit.

Sounds great right? Sure but what really matters is real life comfort and functionality so I wore the Crossroads around for three days straight to get a first hand (or foot) experience with them. Do you remember the boots you got when you were a kid that wore blisters on your feet and legs until you “broke them in” because they were so stiff? Not a problem with the Crossroads. Right out of the box these boots were very comfortable and offered good support both in the arch and ankle. A quick test ride on the Electra-Glide proved the Crossroads to also be warm, protective and road-grabbing at stop lights… and speaking of traction… day three of my test brought snow and ice so I even got to test out their grip in the poorest of conditions without incident. Another plus.

There are a couple things that I wasn’t real thrilled with. One being that although the buckle and strap look great, I could see how after a while of putting these boot on and off, you might get tired of the constant buckling and unbuckling. And… for some reason River Road decided to add an eyelet at the top of the upper instead of just another latch. This probably helps with a secure fit but doesn’t make a lot of sense. I ended up just skipping the top eyelets altogether and my guess is that most people who purchase these boots will do the same.

The bottom line is… I like these boots a lot. They look and feel great and though I obviously can’t speak to their durability at this point… they do come with a 1-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. At around $90 you can hardly go wrong with them. Here’s a link to them at Riders Discount: CLICK HERE

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free from RidersDiscount.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Furthermore, this review indicates my own personal opinion of this product and should be taken as just that. Yours may vary and you should try this product yourself before drawing any conclusions about it.

© 2010 Biker Swag, All Rights Reserved. No part of this review may be reproduced in any format without express written permission.

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