Royal Enfield TCX Stelvio WP Adventure Riding Boots Review: Tested

Introduction Things We Like Things We Didn’t Like To Buy or Not to Buy Product Details:

Introduction

As we mentioned in our last report, we did spend considerable time with the Royal Enfield TCX Stelvio WP Adventure Riding Boots (whew, that’s a pretty long name), all of last month. We used them on our daily commute; we did a 300km long one-day highway ride in them; and we took them for some mild off-roading.

And this is what we found…

Things We Like

Lightness. The RE TCX Stelvio barely weigh a kilogram a boot; that’s nearly half the weight of a proper dirt or motocross boot. Which means, not only are these easy to carry around, walking in them is a less tiring affair as well.

Fit. I wear a size 42 on almost every type of riding boot. It’s the same for these RE TCX boots too. And these fit really well. The toe box is cosy but not tight. With the adjustable buckle, getting the boots to hold the ankle snuggly comes easy too. And one can get a pretty tight close, up top around the shin area too. Overall, these feel close-fitted, but never uncomfortable.

Protection. Like we mentioned in the previous report, the Stelvio offer good protection against both impact and abrasion. The toe box and heel have well made protective cups; there’s hard protection around the shin area to keep the soft branches and stones at bay; there’s fair amount of rigidness to the boots, which helps fight mild twisting forces.

Water Proof. To be honest, we haven’t experienced pouring rain in the Royal Enfield TCX Stelvio. But, whatever mild rain we rode through, and the sissy water wading we did, it did leave our riding denims soaked. Not so, our socks and feet, however. And so we are inclined to go with RE and TCX’s claim here regarding effective water proofing; at least for now.

Easy to wear. A hint of rigidity these boots might have, but these still open quite wide. As a result, it’s easy to slip one’s foot inside the boots. Plus, the closure buckles rarely get stuck, if ever. The closure straps are easy to pull-out and push-in to adjust their length for a good fit. The velcro for the top closure is not excessively binding, which makes it easy to open, close, and make adjustments. There’s decent room around the heel cup that makes pulling out the boot - even when the socks are a tad sweaty - a less tedious task.

Good feel. The one aspect where ADV boots score over proper motocross boots, is in the feel they offer; especially when it comes to modulating the rear brake. And, yes, these are much easier to break-in as well. The Stelvio, for instance, needed almost no break-in. But, it’s the feel from their sole that had us completely charmed. Off-road, one needs to use the rear brake. And one needs not to lock it to keep control, and avoid a terrible high-side. The Stelvio made easy work of it.

Things We Didn’t Like

Abrasive top closure. The first time I wore the Stelvios, I did so with regular length socks and the denims riding over the boot. In half a day, the abrasive elastic ring around the mouth of the boot had cut into my calves. Since then, I either tuck my denims or riding pants into the boots, or pair the boots with tall socks so I can run the pants over the boots. And my calves, I am happy to report, have been perfectly fine since.

Can get hot. Royal Enfield and TCX claim the Stelvios use breathable-waterproof tech. Now, we know the Baja - on which these boots are based - come with the option of Goretex. But, the Stelvio can only be had with TCX’s own T-dry. And in our weather, our humidity, and our heat, well, the sweat doesn’t wick as quickly as it accumulates. Plus, there’s no active venting on the Stelvio, which makes an afternoon ride a hot one for the feet.

To Buy or Not to Buy

The Royal Enfield TCX Stelvio retail for Rs 21,000. And for what the boot promise and deliver, the pricing is more than fair. So, if you want ADV boots for highway trips and some off-roading that are comfortable, offer good protection and water proofing, and won’t be bothersome to spend a day in - provided you have the right length socks - the Stelvio fit the bill perfectly.

I, though, would be more inclined to go for the short version of these boots. Firstly, at Rs 18,000, these are cheaper. These also work better for commuting, and for walking around in the office or during a rest stop. And given there’s still enough real estate on the boot to hook the bike properly when standing up and riding, I see them fairly usable off-road too.

Just don’t go foraging into the forest, or play chase with another ADV on a gravel road. Think about your shins.