Don't Ride a Motorcycle In Flip Flops by Gregory Potter

As the years have passed, I’ve learned of what to wear and what not to wear when riding a motorcycle. The most important rule is to protect you at all costs. First of all, only idiots and novices ride motorcycles in flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. Those kinds of people have never felt the rage of road rash. They have ever been ‘down’ on a bike, never seen the loose gravel on the curve or been hit by the unexpected motorist that doesn’t see them coming. They are the riders that say to themselves “that will never happen to me” and yet, too many times, it does happen to them and by then, it’s too late.

Leather riding boots or motorcycle boots, as some refer to them as, are a style of boot that protects the rider from, but not always, broken ankles and torn ligaments. When a biker goes down on a bike, he is subject to many injuries that I personally have seen over the years while working in an Emergency Room. Those injuries consisted of a foot peg embedded in the ankle of a man that was wearing tennis shoes while operating a motorcycle, thus the medics had to have the local Fire Department remove the peg from the bike in order to transport the motorist to the hospital. Another victim of his own stupidity was a man who thought he was a professional skier and as he skied across the pavement in his flip flops at over 60 mph, the bottom of his feet was shredded to the bone. I could go on and on about similar incidents, but I’m hoping you get the point.

Boots for riding come in a whole array of styles, material and uses. For instance, steel toed boots are offered in ankle high to knee high styles and protect the wearer from injuries to the toes. Unfortunately, if the person wearing such a boot, has something sharp dropped on his foot, the metal plate protects the toes, but chops them off about 2 ½” back. Personally, I would rather lose a toe or two than all of them, thus I don’t wear steel toes any longer. On the other hand, there is several boots on the market that are quite helpful in the protection of lower body parts. Leather made, knee high steel plated riding boots that protest a rider from all sorts of injuries, from road rash to amputations. They consist of a lace up boot that is incorporated with shin plates, not unlike motocross boots, but have more of a dirty old biker look to them. They kind of look a slight off kilter to what one would normally think a biker would be wearing, but most bikers I have met in the past, don’t wear their boots on the outside of their trousers and worn with the pant leg over the top of them, the boot looks like any other biker boot.

You can ride whatever you want to ride in today’s biker world, but only the smart riders have learned from other people’s mistakes and wear the appropriate gear for riding a motorcycle on the street of these United States.If you’d like to purchase some of these types of boots, you can see a 1 1/4" 6 Buckle Knee Leather Combat Boot w/Inner Zipper or 7 straps with metal plate accents, Leather boot at your local online store for American Bikers.

About The Author

I have been a Nurse for over 26 years, working in various fields of the industry when last year I developed a pain in my right foot that had this 250 pound biker on his knees. My physician called it 'Plantar Faciitis", a medical term for a ripped tendon in the bottom of my foot. Surgery was performed and I was able to stand on my feet less time than before the surgery. To make a long story short, my physician disabled me from performing as a Nurse. Over the past year, I've learned much about the internet business and thus have opened, ran and closed a business online so that I may open an improved business, without all the monies going into a company that never got off the ground. I presently own a website called Leather Biker Accessories that caters to the American Biker. I have been riding motorcycles for the last 35 plus years and have gained much knowledge of operating, maintaining and enjoying the freedom of being a biker. I seem to know an awful lot about leather products, motorcycle luggage and biker gear in general. I've been all over these United States and a few countries abroad on a motorcycle of one kind or another. I enjoy my '06 Harley Davidson Night Train Custom and I enjoy writing about my experiences on the road.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.leatherbikeraccessories.com