Product Review: Alpinestars Tech 7
By: Jason Giacchino
To the editors of ATV Connection, boots are serious business. Since we balance our time fairly evenly between exploring trails and ripping up the motocross track, there is really no such thing as too much protection or comfort.
To that end we’ve enjoyed a long history with Alpinestars and their impeccably crafted products. We recently had an opportunity to sample a pair of their Tech 7 moto boots and quickly put them to use on some of the sandy trails of Western NY, the loamy motocross tracks of District 4 and all the spaces in between.
Options Galore
Before we get to the nuts and bolts of the Tech 7 itself, let’s take a moment to ease concerns about the mental overload that accompanies taking a look at the Alpinestars lineup. This is a company that understands the specific demands of various powersports and caters to the infinitesimal nuances between them. In English this means a lot of different boot models to choose from!
At the time of this review’s writing, their off-road line alone consists of eight different boot options. However, a closer look reveals that many are segment specific: The Teach 6 caters to youth riders, the Tech 3 has a woman’s variant (the Stella) and a lugged version (All Terrain), and the Tech 7 is available in a Supermoto configuration.
What that leaves us with is essentially four boots: The 9 Tech 3, 9 Tech 7, 9 Tech 8, and 9 Tech 10. Confused yet? Don’t be. The top two (Tech 8 & 10) contain the love-it-or-hate-it inner bootie while the other two (Tech 3 and 7) do not. The Tech 8 is a carry-over from yesteryear for riders who are reluctant to adapt to Alpinestars’ revolutionary rubberized outsole (and hence still makes use of traditional layered compound complete with outer steel-toe connector plate). Believe it or not, this test represents our first experience with the new all rubber outsole and without giving away too much this early on in the review, we can state for the record that it would be very hard indeed to find reason to go back to anything else.
Hard Facts
The Alpinestars Tech 7 is constructed of full grain leather coupled to an abrasion resistant polyurethane (PU) shell. The tow box makes use of Alpinestars’ dual injection process to offer greater flexibility and comfort while the TPU shell integration protects the toes, foot, ankle, and lower leg from impact.
The closure system is made up of four aluminum buckles (with setting memory) and a self-aligning locking system/quick release. A TPU rubber gaiter with Velcro latch up top keeps the elements from getting inside.
A shin plate injected with high modulus PU covers the front uppers and a similar contoured calf protector plate covers the rear. The inner sides of the boot are made up of knobbied dual compound PU designed to grip the machine’s frame spars and flex zones are integrated to the Achilles region so that the boot can provide some motion, even when brand new, for walking.
Perhaps the biggest stat however belongs to that high grip rubber double density compound outsole (replaceable arch piece) that is exclusive to Aplinestars and taken directly from the premiere Tech 10.
Fit & Feel
Concerns about an Alpinestars boot not offering unsurpassed comfort apply only to individuals who have never experienced an Alpinestars boot and the Tech 7 is no exception. We are no strangers to the blistering experience that usually accompanies new boot break in around here but that simply wasn’t the case with the Tech 7. The boot felt supportive and fairly stiff initially but without the friction burning or “hot spots” that usually surface early on.
In fact, it’s no exaggeration to report that somehow Alpinestars manages to do the impossible by building a boot that feels more like a high quality gym shoe right from day one that doesn’t compromise on external rigidity.
We wore these boots for three weekday trail rides then used them for a weekend’s MX racing and while it isn’t unreasonable to report that it took about a week of frequent use to fully break these boots in, make no mistake that blister-free performance and dare-we-say comfort was a given right off the bat. We could go as far as to say there has never been a more immediately comfortable/less painful boot break in here at ATVC.
The Test
Trail rides were beneficial in speeding up the break-in process but the true beauty of the Alpinestars Tech 7 is revealed on the motocross track where harsh landings, bar banging, and heavy roost showers are commonplace. A total lack of horizontal movement results in a notable confidence increase.
Attention was paid to keep the insides of the boots good and flat and this pays off with decreased contact to the machine’s frame spars (particularly the snag-prone area where the subframe and main frame connect).
Perhaps the most raved about aspect of the Tech 7 during our testing came in the form of that outsole we mentioned above. The grippy dual rubber compounds are absolutely incredible at finding foot peg traction even on well-worn pegs famous for feeling like ice with traditional firm compound stacked sole designs.
Conclusion
Everyone who sampled our pair of Tech 7s came away with nothing but praise for the boot. Even our diehard Tech 10 supporters commented that they were impressed with the 7’s ankle support despite the lack of the rod-equipped bootie. In fact some of our testers went as far as to suggest that the lack of bulk and increased airflow of the bootie-less Tech 7 took them by surprise.
It is no coincidence that the starting lines of professional MX events are dominated by the presence of Alpinestars Tech Series boots. The combination of comfort, protection and dedicated innovation are truly second to none. We thought we were amazed with the Alpinestars Tech 7 until we went back to the boots we were using prior. Then there was no doubt!
Contact
For more information on the Tech 7 or any of Alpinestars’ product line, visit their official site:
http://www.alpinestars.com/
Impressed by the Alpinestars Tech 7 or would you rather spend your money elsewhere? Talk about it here!