Alpinestars Tech 7 Boots

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Besides a helmet, boots are considered the most important piece of safety equipment that a rider should invest in. For both of these items, there are numerous choices ranging from very cheap (less than $100 on clearance) to very expensive ($600 or more for the best-of-the-best). For many of us, such a large purchase is a dance between price, protection, and style. In an effort to provide the price-conscious shopper a quality boot that offers good protection with similar styling as its high-end brother, the Tech 10, Alplinestars offers the Tech 7 boot.

Alpinestars Tech 7 Boots Features:

• Utilizes a molded dual-compound sole with integrated steel shank.
• The Tech 7 is CE certified.
• Bio-mechanical pivot (aka hinged ankle) offers extra flex while maintaining strength.
• Sole and footpeg insert are replaceable.
• MSRP: $349.95.

First Impressions

When ordering a pair of Tech 7s, I was pumped at the amount of color combos that were available. Considering that my personal bike is a Kawasaki, I ultimately chose the black and green set. When I received the boots, I was not only excited about the actual color but the fact that the Tech 7 resembles its eldest brother, the Tech 10, and even has a similar molded sole.

The first thing I noticed is that sizing runs large, somewhere between a half-size to a full-size. While I typically wear a size 11.5 in athletic shoes and a 12 in moto boots, I found that in the Tech 7s I wear a size 11. Once I had them on, I was impressed on the overall interior comfort of the boot. Unlike the Tech 10, the Tech 7 doesn't have an interior bootie but instead has a hinge point; which can be viewed as an advantage to some and a disadvantage to others.

I found the buckles very easy to adjust and felt that the overall shape of the boot was form-fitting. In the past with some boots, I've had to extend some buckles a large amount while almost completely tightening others. The Tech 7’s design allowed me to get a good fit without extreme buckle adjustment. With that being said, I did notice that it was easy to overtighten the middle buckles and create pressure on the arch of my foot. The initial plushness of the Tech 7 is above anything I've ever experienced. The amount of padding and internal fabrics made me stop and think how far boots have come since I was big enough to borrow a pair of my dad's old High Points.

On The Track

A large portion of the Tech 7's outer shell is constructed of plastic or is armored with plastic, leaving me to feel like the boot was never 100% broken in. Even after months of riding, I still struggled to find a setting that didn't cause pressure points but held my foot firm enough to keep it from moving in high-impact situations. That being said, the break in period I did experience was surprisingly short. After the first 30 minutes of riding, I could tell a difference in the fit of the boot and within a half-a-dozen rides, I felt like the boot had made it to its broken in state.

I found the molded sole of the Tech 7 to be harder than the typical rubber sole. This has led to less wear, but made my pegs feel a little slick when moisture or dirt was present. The molded sole design did make the boot feel shorter than a traditional boot. When you have a larger foot, like I do, any decrease in outside measurements is welcome.

In an effort to fight arm pump, I have a tendency to squeeze the bike a significant amount with my feet and lower legs. The Tech 7 is less bulky in these areas, making it more difficult to grip the bike. For some riders, I imagine the decrease in bulk would be welcomed. But for me, the thickness of the wear pad on the upper inside portion of the boot needed to be thicker to properly grip the bike. Finally, I felt that the toe box of the Tech 7 was rather stiff and tall, making it difficult to feel the gear shift and forced me to move my shifter up one notch to properly engage the next gear.

Long-Term Durability

I have come to really appreciate the durability of the Tech 7. After several months of riding, the boots showed very little wear and all of the seams still look new. My previous boots required me to constantly monitor a series of small screws, the Tech 7's molded design eliminates the need for such screws and worry. The buckles, similar to the sole, showed little wear and function as they did when they were new.

As mentioned above, I have a tendency to squeeze the bike like a fat women working a thigh master, so I normally see wear on the inside of the boot. The lack of bulk on the inside of the boot did decrease my ability to squeeze the bike, but it also decreased the amount of wear on the boot and my bike frame.

The Last Word

The Alpinestars Tech 7 is a mid-range boot, and like all mid-range boots there are compromises in an effort to decrease cost. I felt like Tech 7 had many great qualities, Tech 7 fell short in a few areas, such as the heavy amount of plastic, which decreased ability of the boot to completely break-in. I did have to adapt to the height of the toe box and thinness of the wear pad on the upper, but neither changes were something that would keep me from buying the boot. Overall, I feel that Tech 7 provides good value for the price point, but I was never able to feel completely comfortable; therefore I would give the boots 3 1/2 stars. For someone with a different riding style or foot shape this could be a higher rated boot.

Vital MX Rating

Check out Alpinestars.com for more info on the Tech 7 and Alpinestars other boots.

About the Test Rider

Review by Thiess Lindsay // Photos by Michael Lindsay