Falco Durant 2 boots in brown

The 'adventure boot' category encompasses a wide spectrum of different boots. From the kind of boot that you could wear on a round-the-world tour to the kind that you could wear on your GS when picking up a ready meal at Waitrose.

 

The Falco Durant 2 sits somewhere between these two extremes. It's got a lot of the protective elements that one might seek if adventuring off road for a bit of green laning, but the boots would still be comfortable for a long-distance, road tour.

 

There's no leather involved in the construction of the Durant 2. The material is similar to what many people know as Lorica, but Falco actually call it Micro-Synth. Now leather has long been the go-to material for the best motorcycle boots. And it's true that leather is durable. Yet it softens with use, and becomes more comfortable the more you wear them. Synthetic materials don't mould to the body in the same way, but they need less caring for, and they often last longer. They also respond better to harsh treatments like jet washing, because synthetic fabrics don't dry out.

 

Anyway, let's take a look at Falco's Durant 2 in a bit more detail. 

 

There's much more protection built into an adventure boot than there is into a typical touring boot. And those protectors tend to be larger and more prominent. 

 

Here you get a large ABS reinforced shin plate. The ankle cup insert is backed with D3O. There's another strong ABS protector in the toe that, again, is much stiffer and more rigid than you'd find on a road boot. You get the same in the heel. There's a gearchange pad across the toe.

 

You get two, adjustable buckles. Some boots have three, but two makes for something more comfortable, the top of the boot closes by means of a large, Velcro flap.

 

This is a fully waterproof boot, the membrane coming from 'High Tex'. It meets the EN 13634 standard for waterproofing, but this is no Gore-Tex boot. Waterproof the Durant 2 will be, but only up to a certain point.

 

In the forefoot, in the shaft of the boot at the back, but also in the heel, you get a panel of concertina padding; and it is this that, to a degree , is going to make the boots comfortable to walk around in off the bike.

 

Up the inside of the boot there's a suede-like panel of material to provide better grip when stood up on the pegs. Obviously it's not real suede. No animals were sacrificed in the construction of the Durant 2.

 

Inside the boot, and for comfort, you get a cushioned, removable sole. There's a Nylon-reinforced midsole. This is then moulded to a grippy, abrasion-resistant, rubber-injected outsole

 

The Durant 2 is going to be more than up to the job for most adventure bike riders. It looks the part. And it's tough enough. But this is still a boot that's going to be easy to live with, whether you only ride at weekends or commute daily.

 

It's a relatively inexpensive boot that represents excellent value for money.