ViaTerra Bronson Retro Riding Boots

ViaTerra Bronson

Introduction

Wearing full-length riding boots - of the track, tour, or adventure variety - every time you get on a motorcycle can be a hassle. Especially, if you have a day at the office or a mall marathon at the end of the ride. These can also feel excessive if you happen to ride a scooter often. That’s why I like shorties. These can be ankle-length versions of the full-length boots or regular lifestyle boots that have been beefed up in the right places to make them motorcycle-worthy.

The ViaTerra Bronson Retro riding boots are the latter. These are your traditional, lace-up, work boots in terms of styling and can be had in either tan or black hues. Sizes, meanwhile, range from 39 to 47, EU.

The construction

The Bronsons are crafted from leather, feeling stiff and hard out of the box. This gives the impression of being solidly built. In fact, there’s a note in the box that says breaking in these boots will take time, but ViaTerra promises high comfort levels once conformed to the rider’s foot. We will only be able to confirm this in the next report after putting some miles in them.

Protection-wise, the Bronson uses SAS-Tec armour around the ankle area. The toe box and heel areas have also been stiffened. But unlike the ankle, these don’t meet any CE certification. These are essentially hardened plastic cups to handle minor impacts and retain the boot’s shape. Additionally, the shoes come with a steel shank in the sole to give them greater resistance against twisting. Moreover, as an active safety measure, ViaTerra claims that the soles are designed to offer good traction on and off the bike. And, there is some 3M reflectivity built in at the rear for those night rides.

The features

The thought behind the Bronson was to offer a motorcycle riding boot that doubles up as your daily wear off the bike. In that regard, these come with lace and zipper closures to make them easier to wear. The insole, says ViaTerra, has been specially designed to absorb shock and reduce fatigue while walking.

KTM 390 Adventure [2021] Left Front Three Quarter

These come with gear shifter protection on both boots in case you also ride one of those older Royal Enfields. Finally, the sole is stitched to the shoe’s carcass instead of being stuck on so that you don’t have to rush to your local mochi after a couple of years of rough usage.

What’s next?

The most obvious first step is to break these in. We will tell you how long it took and also our experiences on day-long comfort, both on and off the bike, to assess its suitability for urban commuting versus long-distance touring. We might also put them through some light scrambling. So, all that and more in the next report.