here’s plenty of good footwear available in the motorcycle industry, but less than three percent of street riders wear it. Icon has set out to correct that. Take a look at the Motorheads.

Icon’s Motorheads are real riding boots that are extremely comfortable.

Now, while there’s nothing wrong with most of those street boots currently on the market, as far as function goes, the problem seems to be that people just don’t want to put them on their feet. They’re not comfortable. What most street riders actually use are things like the Timberland boots, the Doc Martens, and ordinary leather construction boots. They may even wear pure motorcycling boots—the kind that feature a tight, aerodynamic shape that’s great when they’re riding, but not tremendously comfortable as walk-around gear. And that’s where the Motorheads are different. Icon’s turned that thinking on its head.

Icon’s taken a long, hard look at what people are actually wearing, those Timberlands and Doc Martens and work boots, and then made the modifications necessary for real motorcycle use. The height and overall shape of the Motorhead is pretty similar to all those construction boots, for instance, but the Motorheads offer all the added protection riders look for in a serious riding boot, and remain comfortable doing it. Completely constructed with rugged, top grain leather, there’s a motocross-influenced sole with a steel shank, there are two positive-lock buckles instead of laces, there’s an internal ankle-support system and the boots have been extensively tested by everyone from canyon racers to cruisers to stunt riders. They all loved it, calling it the ultimate protection they could put on their feet. And they all agreed it’s comfortable.

Features include rugged, top grain leather, a steel shank,
positive-lock buckles and an internal ankle-support system.

Easy on the feet, the Motorhead is still a serious riding boot. The steel shank in the sole keeps the boot from bending around the foot pegs when pressure is applied, definitely important to sportbike riders. The double-buckle system is a far more positive closure system, and lots quicker and easier than laces. And the thickness and quality of the leather here is way more durable than what’s found in ordinary work boots. There’s also a hardened toe, a hardened heel, and hardened ankle cups sewn into the lining, and there’s a true stitched-on solid rubber sole.

These boots are radically different than anything else on the market, and like most everything in the Icon line the Motorheads are aimed primarily at the sportbike rider. That’s not to say cruiser guys won’t appreciate all this. With the Motorheads there’s no need to pack along a pair of street shoes when you go riding, because when you get off the bike and you’re wearing Motorheads you’re already in your street shoes. Comfortable ones.

Available by February ’04, the Motorheads come in two colors, an All-Black version and a Black-and-White boot. They’ll be coming in men’s even sizes 6 through 14, with a suggested retail of $170. Try a pair. Real riding boots, they’re great on the bike—and equally as important, just as great off it.