As much as I adore my Sidis, I had to change my boots recently due to a change in the size of my tiny feet.
When your feet are size US 6.5 / Euro 36 (Euro 37 for really narrow shoes), there aren't many options for truly protective motorcycle boots. When I say truly protective, I mean boots that have full ankle protection to keep your ankle from twisting like these from Dainese. For me, these are the best compromise to achieve a better fit and still have a higher level of protection.
My Sidis (size 37) offer lots of impact protection. And in fact, I can attest to this by the accident I had 2 weeks ago where I lowsided due to hydraulic fuel in the entire right lane of a right hand curve. I only had bruising on my right foot. No broken bones or fractures. And that definitely saved my foot. I absolutely would buy another pair if my feet were just a half size larger!
Somewhere in the last few years my feet have changed sizes slightly. I wear 2 different insoles in my Sidis because my ankles and heels are skinny. Without them my ankles and heels are swimming, and then my toes smush into the toebox and then I'm in pain. I also added a couple of foam pads to the inside of the boot above my ankle to further stabilize that area. I also have shorter slightly wider toes so the Alpinestars also give me a better fit in the toebox.
The SMX-6's in a 36 fit much better, slightly shorter and more fitted and secure in the ankles/heels. It's a slight compromise since I lose some impact protection but gain a piece of ankle support on the outside of each boot (the long plastic looking piece running vertically along side the outside of my ankle).
I think these are going to work better for me, given how much better they fit my tiny feet. And for me, a really good fit has a slightly higher priority. If you're looking for a great summer boot, these are also available in a vented version!
I can't wait to test ride them this Sunday and on a nice long, weekend getaway. Stay tuned for a review.
