Alpinestars Supertech R Boots
ALPINESTARS SUPERTECH R BOOTS
IGNITION
CW EVALUATION
A small step for Alpinestars, a big step for roadracers
Bradley Adams
ALPINESTARS SUPERTECH R BOOT
alpinestars.com
PRICE: $499.95
UPS + Lightweight + Limited break-in time + Same simple, great styling
DOWNS - Nice and stylish, until they’re dirty - Pricey by anyone’s standards
Racing improves the breed: Alpinestars developed the latest Supertech R with input taken directly from Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, and its other sponsored riders, each of whom wanted more flexibility, a better feel at the contact point between the boot and the frame, plus more abrasion resistance. At 5.4 pounds for a pair (size 10.5), the new R delivers.
Have a little mercy on designers tasked with developing modernday protective apparel. Riders continually lust for added flexibility, increased comfort, and improved feel, yet racebikes are getting faster and the crashes...well, not exactly smaller. Can a company really make a product that’s protective and at the same time more comfortable than what came before it?
Alpinestars suggests it can. The company’s latest Supertech Rboot features a lighter-weight main shell; updated front flex area for improved mobility and abrasion resistance; medial-facing microfiber panel with new texture for added bracing when pressed up against the frame; redesigned rubber compound sole for better grip at the footrests; and a new toe slider with TPU/aluminum protector that lives outside of the slider’s attachment screw. The TPU shin protector is updated as well and is designed to better spread impact energy across the protector’s surface.
However small those updates might seem, they are in fact beneficial. The latest Supertech Rs feel noticeably lighter and require less (if any) break-in time, the redesigned front flex area allowing them to flex as needed the first time they're worn. At the track they offer peace of mind with the solid-feeling support offered by the internal ankle brace (which is unchanged) but mostly go unnoticed as they almost disappear on your feet thanks to the weight and added flexibility.
I’ve ground through the toe slider on a pair of previousgeneration Supertech Rs in a matter of two track tests, which essentially rendered the boots useless—you couldn’t replace the toe slider once you’d ground through the screw that held it on.
But with the new toe slider design, that’s a nonissue. This means more time with the Supertech R boots, a thankful point considering the overall comfort and performance they offer.
