Introduction
We have already told you what the Alpinestars Tech 7 boots are like in terms of construction, comfort and protection. Now, we have the Tech 10 from Alpinestars, which are a proper step up from the Tech 7s.
Launched last year, the new Alpinestars Tech 10 boots are the best that the Italian gear maker offers when it comes to off-road boots. Meant for both competition and serious off-road riding, Alpinestars says the new Tech 10s are lighter, more comfortable, and offer better protection and durability than before.
Now we will be testing these claims in the coming months. But for now, here’s a detailed walk-through of the boot itself.
The Construction
The Tech 10 uses a mix of micro- fibre and hard TPU for a narrower profile, added protection, and lighter weight. For starters, the toe-box is slimmer which should help with gear shifts.
The TPU profile around the foot shell has been revised to improve protection and cut down the bulk. In fact, the foot shell, even though a single moulded piece, uses different density materials to save weight and improve impact protection. The metallic buckles are cold forged now for higher strength.
Additionally, the Tech 10 now sports Alpinestars’ multilink system for added flex. This added flex means the boots should be usable straight out of the box instead of needing a significant breaking-in period. The flex blade system, which includes slides both at the front and rear of the boot, continues unchanged to help maintain the boot’s structural integrity even with the added flex. And of course, the new Tech 10 continues to come with an inner booty.
As is the case with the outer shell of the boot, the inner boot too uses a narrower toe profile. And it comes with its own set of braces on the side for increased rigidity to prevent the ankle from twisting.
The Protection
Let’s start with DHCP or Dynamic Heel Compression Protector. It’s a poly-foam insert as part of the heel area of the boot’s sole. So, if the rider does end up landing on his or her heel with great impact, DHCP is supposed to absorb some of it and reduce the severity of the injury. This apart, the TPU on the outer boot is designed to be both impact and abrasion resistant. And the boot overall is CE rated as a result. There’s improved protection in the heel and toe area. The boots continue to get shin and calf plates to reduce the ill- effect of an impact against tree branches, flying rocks or one’s own motorcycle parts in case of a crash. And, the flex blade system, helps prevent hyper-extension.
There’s significant improvement made to the inner booty as well on the new Tech 10. In fact, Alpinestars says that one of the defining features of the new boot is the redesigned bio-mechanical inner ankle brace. It now uses lighter torsion arms on both the medial and lateral sides of the foot. This allows increased range of motion and control, but without compromising on the protection for the ankle against torsional and vertical impact forces.
Then there’s the patented Frontal Flex Frame. Alpinestars says it prevents over-compression and hyper-extension. And it does it by acting as a shock absorber. It absorbs the energy and then distributes is across the boot’s frame while also limiting excess flex. It is essentially a dual density TPU connector system that connects the lower and upper buckle and the shin plate.
The Comfort
The fact that the outer boot has more flex built into it should automatically mean the new Tech 10s will be more comfortable to spend long hours in than the previous iteration of the boot. Plus, the boot is lighter now, which means less weight to drag around and that again should translate into higher levels of comfort.
What's next?
But, of course, we will only know how truly comfortable these are after having donned them, ridden in them, and spent some time walking around in them. And all that and more is coming up in our next report.
Product Details Make: Alpinestars
Model: Tech 10 Boots
Price: Rs 43,000 (excluding taxes)
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
