Are you looking for a well-priced motorcycle boot with all the safety and comfort features you would expect from a much more expensive boot? Falco’s Scout boot may be exactly what you’re looking for.
At first glance these boots may appear to be leather, they are not. The Scout features a “Micro-Synth” upper. The name of the fabric is a certain indication this is not a leather boot. Sure, most of us hold leather in high regard as a choice for footwear. Leather of a quality to match the function and endurance of the Micro-Synth product would result in a much higher priced boot than the Scout.
The Scout also features a “High-Tex” membrane inside the boot for water resistance and breathability. While the sole has the appearance of Vibram, it is in fact a dual compound vulcanized rubber. With all these features combined with Micro-Synth, this boot is considered waterproof.
Scout boots are CE certified meeting standards for impact abrasion, transverse rigidity, sole delamination, impact cutting and other laboratory tests. Falco uses D3O in all of their motorcycle boots to protect riders. In the case of the Scout there are D3O reinforced ankle cups to provide an advanced level of protection for a vulnerable area of the foot. D3O is a viscoelastic material that provides substantial impact absorption. It has become the preferred armour for motorcycle gear of all kinds. As well, Scout boots have counters in the toe and heel to stiffen and reinforce these areas.
Making the boot easier to slip into is the side zipper. You’ll still need to untie the laces, but you won’t need to loosen them up as much as you would without the zipper. It seems there is a price to pay for this convenience. The D3O ankle cup on the inside of the ankle is reduced in size because of the placement of the zipper which kind of cuts the ankle cup in half. Given the choice, I would happily live without the zipper to have extra protection on the sensitive inside ankle. I experienced another penalty of the zippers. The top of the left boot zipper chafed the inside of my leg. I didn’t experience this problem with the right boot. The simple solution would be to wear taller socks to protect the area of my leg. Again, I would select a boot without the zipper.
There’s a fabric tab at the back of the boot to help pull them on. The great thing about the tab being light fabric is it tucks in the boot comfortably rather than sticking up at the back of the boot and possibly causing a pressure point on the back of your leg. There is a keeper loop on the tongue to run the laces through to keep things tidy. Another great feature of the Falco Scout is the “laces garage”. This elastic tab on the upper tongue is designed for you to tuck the tied laces under so they don’t hang loose getting caught up on controls or pegs.
A detail worth noting is the reinforced gear shifter area of toe section. This pad provides extra wear to a part of the boot that is used continuously. To keep the boots symmetrical the shifter pad is on both boots. Yes, there are some vintage motorcycles with right foot gear shift levers where the shift pad on the right foot would have a purpose. That being true, do boots need to have perfect symmetry with a feature such as this? I prefer the shifter pad only on the left boot showing clearly these are motorcycle boots.
The boot is comfortable enough, but not overly so. A work boot style tread on the sole and heel may leave the impression this boot is suited to walking or even some light hiking. I didn’t find anything exceptional about the interior of this boot that would make me want to do a lot of walking in it. For time on a cruiser or touring bike the Scout provides support and breathability that is quite adequate. A less aggressive sole and heel would make the boot less clunky and better suited to foot pegs or floor boards.
The Scout is a technical boot at a reasonable price. It is not a stylish boot nor is it a fashion boot. Considering Falco is an Italian company one would expect more attention to styling. That said, this boot seems to be exceptional in the Falco line up. Other models have the same and more safety and comfort features with CE certification while having some great designs and styling. The Scout may intentionally be the “gum boot” of Falco’s offerings, functional without drawing a lot of attention. I received a pair of black Scouts for this review. Looking at the boot on the Falco website I would select the brown version for myself as they have a lot more character than the black ones do.
Falco has been manufacturing motorcycle footwear for more than 35 years. The commitment to safety and quality is apparent across all of Falco’s product lines. There’s a wide range of men’s and women’s boots having a style to suit any rider. Combine design with affordability and Falco is definitely a motorcycle boot you’ll want to consider when you’re shopping for gear.
Complete details can be found online at www.kimpex.com.
Falco Scout Motorcycle Boot
MSRP:$329.99
Colours: Black, Brown
Sizes: 8 to 13 (men’s)
