Alpinestars Corozal Adventure Drystar Motorcycle Boots: Off-road Review

Introduction Control Shift Sole Purpose Walk the Talk Works Off-road?

Introduction

BMW R 1250 GS Alpinestars Corozal Adventure Drystar

Let me just say this at the outset – the Alpinestars Corozal are one of the best pair of adventure riding boots I have ridden in. Be it comfort or protection, or the balance between stiffness and suppleness, or the fact that these can be worn all year long (well, almost) make them usable, likeable, and very wearable indeed.

But, this experience so far, has been solely on the road, in the rain, and walking around in the office. Which, as it turns out, makes them good touring and commuting boots. But, what about off-road performance? These boots do have ‘adventure’ in their name, after all.

Control Shift

One of the difficult bits about most off-road specific boots – apart from their inherent stiffness – are their big toe boxes. The meaty toe-boxes are in place to enhance protection against rocks or hidden tree stumps when riding trails. With the Corozal, Alpinestars has managed to marry protection with a slimmer toe-box.

The end result is easier gearshifts, especially when standing up and riding off-road. What also helps with the shifts, and the rear brake to an extent, is the inbuilt-in suppleness of the boot. Not only does that give you more movement from the word go, it also adds more feel.

Sole Purpose

Another difficult thing to get right on boots, which need to work both on the road and off it, are the soles. For on-road use, the boot soles need to be more flexible. And thinner even for better feel and more movement. But, off-road, a thinner and more flexible sole would result in aching feet with all the standing up and riding. The Corozal’s sole fits both purposes well.

The right density of the sole meant, even after a couple of hours of riding – quite a bit of which was spent standing up on the pegs – my feet didn’t hurt. Plus, the thickness was enough to shield my feet against poky rocks my feet landed on every time I touched down to regain balance. And, here’s the thing – the thickness isn’t that much to take away the entire feel from the soles.

Walk the Talk

Now, when one rides supercross or on a dirt track, there’s very little walking involved. But, with ADVs, one ends up walking quite a bit. And on a variety of surfaces, at that. One has to traverse over rocks and sand, on riverbeds and through water crossings, and in our particular case, tackling lots of slippery and slushy inclines. The Corozal, as it turns out, proved to be just as good off-road, off the bike as they did on it. The unique sole design meant these boots don’t slip and slide as much no matter what the surface.

Plus, the overall suppleness of the boot allowed me to walk normally instead of dragging my feet. They're folded at the right places, which meant that unlike proper off-road boots, which leave you with the robot walk, these make you appear more human on the move. But, as we have mentioned in earlier reports, these Corozals are a bit heavy, and that can leave some riders tired after a trial walk.

Works Off-road?

These sure do. The Corozals have the protection. These aren’t as bulky as regular off-road boots. And, despite being stiffer than most adventure boots, these are also supple in the right places. And that means not only are the Corozal boots comfortable to be in, these are also comfortable to walk, trek or stand up on a bike in. And lest we forget, with the Corozal, we didn’t have to adjust the foot controls at all; we just rode the bike in its road settings.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi