Dainese Metractive D-WP boots in brown

The Dainese Metractive is a short, ankle boot. And at first sight it looks like several similar boots from any of the regular suspects. But there’s no two ways about it, the Metractive is more solid and robust than any of them. Now, of course, this may, in the margin, imply a trade off in terms of all-day wearability, but it’s still a lightweight boot, and we reckon it will still be a pretty comfortable boot to ride in, and walk around in.

The chassis of the boot is made from an oiled, full-grain cowhide. Oiling softens the leather, and helps waterproofing, but the Metractive is more than water resistant; it’s got a membrane so is going to be properly waterproof. With one caveat. A short boot like this will never be particularly waterproof because the rain will hit the road and then bounce up and either seep into the boot over the shaft, or will wet the hem of the pant such that it will drip from the trouser into the boot. If you want a fully waterproof boot, get a taller one!

We have said already that we think the Metractive is more robust than many motorcycle ankle boots, by which we mean that it feels as though it’s going to be more protective. You get a really, really strong counter in the toe, another in the heel, and protective pucks on both ankles. What adds to this impression of strength is the incredibly stiff Groundtrax sole that contains a shank for added rigidity. This is one stiff sole. There’s also a gearchange pad on the toe.

Now the boot has both laces and a zip up the inner side, but here’s the thing. The zip is pretty short; just four inches in length, so it doesn’t open up particularly wide. And this is made worse by the fact that there’s a waterproof gusset behind the zip. So you get a zip, but you’re still going to need to undo the laces to get in or out of these boots. The zip might mean that you don’t have to undo the laces quite as far, but in truth the zip is so short that it doesn’t help a great deal. One nice touch, though, is that at the top of the laces there’s a poppered ‘lace  garage’ that allows you to tuck the laces out of the way, so they don’t get caught on the pegs, or anything else.

For comfort, you get an Ortholite insole for your foot to mould into. The top of the shaft is also nicely padded; again in the interests of increased comfort, both on and off the bike. Finally, there’s a tough pull loop at the back of the boot to help you pull it on. The loop also has some reflective detailing on it.

In summary, a short, ankle boot that looks like many others, but this one is simply stronger and more protective. Try one on, and you’ll see what we mean.