Product review: Royal Enfield long riding boots – Introduction

Royal Enfield Long Riding Boots

These are Royal Enfield’s Long Riding Boots, not to be confused with the other Long Riding Boots in the RE store. The difference between the two? This is a newer design and doesn’t have laces. It is, and we quote the RE web store here, “inspired by gear issued for soldiers of the British Army”. Hooks and loops have been borrowed from the off-road boot school of thought, and Velcro fastens things off. 

A moulded toe shifter, heel stiffener and moulded external heel protector are the hard bits that offer protection. There are also sole inserts that protect against sharp objects; the sole itself is an antiskid one. These are water-resistant boots, and the lining ends at a fair height – even higher than the waterproof lining in my pair of off-road boots. There’s suede on the outside of the boots to complement the rest of the boot. They’re available in (no points for guessing) black only, and sizes 42 through 45. I’ve got the largest available size, just like the RE Spiti gloves, and these promise to be just as easy to break in. 

At Rs 11,000, the RE Long Riding Boots are almost twice the price of the lace-up long riding boots, but they undercut competition like the Alpinestars Roam 2 and there isn’t any real competition to them in the Indian market. More on them soon, as we begin using them.

Photography by Kapil Angane