You wouldn’t normally expect to read a review about boots good enough to be ‘dress shoes’ in a Motorcycle magazine concerned with long distance travelling. But our reviewer, Derek Mansfield, is not altogether conventional.
Extraordinary.
I don’t normally wear motorcycle boots. When I discovered waterproof socks, the need for waterproof boots moved to the back burner. In fact, I’ve been wearing fine English brogue boots with commando soles for the last few years.
Commando soles? When I’m travelling I fill up with petrol three to four times a day. The further east, it seems, the greasier the diesel spills become, and filling station forecourts become a bane. So oil-proofed non-slip commando soles seemed to be the most important factor in boot selection.
But lo and behold, a pair of non-slip-soled boots appeared on my desk in a slightly maroon shade of brown. And they shone like good dress shoes. With “malleolus inserts” (which means ankle bone protectors), toe and heel boxes and transverse rigidity to protect you on an off, they are also designed to perform and are CE approved.
The boots are Italian, which already augers well. Montebelluna, Italy, hosts the headquarters of TCX, and is an area well known for motorcycle gear production, with Alpinestars, Sidi, Gaerne and Spidi all located within 15 miles.
Back in the rest of world, if you commute, or dance the Argentinian Tango in as many countries as I do, these TCX Metropolitan Boots with Gore Tex interiors are certainly extraordinarily useful, if not pretty close to perfect.
I’m size 8 UK and quite a wide foot. Out of the box, the boots fit well, room for some warmer socks in winter or additional insoles if you want them, to really customise them for all-day comfort. There are no half sizes in the mid-range, so I’d stick with your standard sizing. Heels are about 3cm high, soles are standard boot thickness. The heels hook nicely over my Guzzi V7 footpegs and gear changing with the slim-toed boot is a dream.
The TCX Metropolitan boots are very light in weight; certainly all day, all night easy wearing. The leather is a good quality; I polished them once and the gleam came through. I would think a few more polishes will have them red carpet ready and indistinguishable from normal office attire. Except they’ll look better! TCX offer an additional, removable ‘shifter pad’ to protect the boots; but they’re a bit industrial and do nothing for the looks.
Waterproofing is an internal membrane from the Gore Tex stable and the tongue and gusset are going to keep the driving rain out – although I haven’t tested wet conditions yet; I’ll revisit this review in a couple of months.
Conclusion: ‘Out of the box’ commuter smart, great leather and wear-all-day comfort.
TCX Metropolitan Boots. Extraordinary.
EU male sizes 39 – 46
RRP £199