If you spend much time around the adventure riding crowd, you’ve likely noticed a healthy number of GS motorcycles, but a curious absence of BMW GS Rallye Pro boots. This is not to say BMW’s beefy off-road stompers are not a popular option, they’re just not as ubiquitous as other boots on the market. My interest peaked, I set out to see first hand how these boots measured up. Not only inquisitive, I’m also not always the brightest bulb, so I slipped on a pair and within the hour embarked on a 2,000 mile trip to the deep reaches of Baja. Within the first few hours I wondered if I hadn’t made a horrible mistake and doubted I could fend off the inevitable blisters to come.
Rallye GS Pro boots offer a high level of protection aimed squarely at the bonafide off-road rider. Sliding them on for the first time they had the heft and feel of a ski boot, something that did not bode well for comfort, or ride-ability. After closely inspecting the multiple layers of reinforced plastic, I doubted any of those components would yield to my best efforts to break them in.
Common to heavy off-road boots, the GS Pros use a removable inner sock to maximize fit and provide much needed padding to protect against the harder shell of the outer boot. This seems at first blush to be an unnecessary complication, but after using it a few times I found it actually made getting the boots on easier. I also liked the ability to remove the inner sock to aid in drying at the end of a long day. My biggest concern, one provoked by the promise of 100º temperatures, was the threat of my feet stewing like ham hocks. To my surprise, and completely defying physics, my feet remained relatively comfortable. I still wouldn’t say they were cool, but given my 2,000 miles through Baja’s warmest deserts, they did rather well.
With regard to fit, I have fairly long and thin feet with relatively low volume. I found the fit to be spot on, a shape that might be problematic for those with wider, duck-like feet. I did find the four buckles provided ample adjustment and there was obviously a lot of consideration applied to the placement of the buckles. None of them produced uncomfortable pressure. I will say, given the use of so many solid materials, if these boots don’t fit immediately, there’s no chance of them forming to your feet.
If you get a chance to hold a pair of GS Pros in your very own paws, you will, like me, be almost intimidated by their physical presence. They are huge, but like their namesake motorcycle, that size shrinks once in use. They’re even light on my feet, something that again seems to defy physics.
As the week in Baja came to a close, I was surprised and relieved to discover the boots had started to succumb to break-in, and didn’t produce a single hotspot or blister. In that week I also dropped my motorcycle in the sand with a hard pannier landing right on my foot. I felt nothing. I was even bitten on the left boot twice by the same dog, not feeling a single tooth. I also walked in them each day more than I would have anticipated with surprisingly good comfort. There’s no doubt, these are not bunny slippers. They are vaults for your feet and that level of protection is noticeable but, should you require supreme amor for your lower appendages, I would recommend giving them a try.
