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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Milwaukee Bike Sox - DeFeet Technology

In searching for new biker gear I came across the Milwaukee Motorcycle Clothing Company known as MMCC Leather when I was researching socks. You can go to any major department store, discount store, motorcycle shop, or H-D dealer and find socks. What I wanted was socks with new technology for all road and weather conditions.
According to the MMCC Leather website, the socks are designed for the ultimate performance inside leather motorcycle boots and shoes. The technology for these socks comes from DeFeet an American Company specializing in sports. These socks re engineered for motorcycles to keep feet cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather, eliminating the need for packing multiple styles of socks for different weather conditions on long rides.

The socks are ribbed at the top and made to stay where you put them and feature Aireator to transport moisture and vent better. They have extra cushion without bulk inside the shoe for comfort. They come in white if you want them, or biker black which is what we choose.

So I placed an order and they arrived about 7 days later and included in the box was a packing list with a handwritten note thanking us for our order and signed by a real person, not a computer generated signature. Nice touch.

Due to a boat fishing accident which left Larry with a dislocated ankle and a broken leg, we won’t be testing out these socks until next spring. Plenty of time to plan an adventure

Thursday, August 18, 2011

New boots: Magnum Stealth Force

I’ve owned my Harley-Davidson boots since Larry and I bought our first bike together in 1999. Steel toe with a steel shank, lots of tread, lace up, everything a girl could dream of! What did I know? I was used to wearing four inch heels and my closet was filled with shoes of every color, along with various exercise shoes for work and classes, and lots of pairs of flip flops for those sunny California days.


The boots have held up well even after a super glue repair job on a weeklong trip with friends in 100+ degree weather. I have been searching for a replacement pair since then, not knowing exactly what I wanted except I wanted them to weigh less than what felt like 10 pound weights every time I swung my leg over the bike.

I did Google searches, checked out what other bikers were wearing, and then while watching another police action adventure television show on TV one night, I knew what I was looking for, SWAT/tactical boots. Now the real investigation began because a quick Google search turned up multitudes of websites selling hundreds of brands of tactical boots with so many configurations of size, boot height, heels, prices that ranged from $80.00 to $350.00, water proof or not, zipper or not, that I was sort of overwhelmed trying to figure out the best brand and what I did or did not want in a boot.

Meanwhile Larry liked my idea and was much quicker in his decision making and bought a pair of Smith and Wesson tactical boots. They are waterproof, lightweight, side zip and lace up and now his leather HD boots are sitting in a closet with his cowboy boots and various assorted shoes.

So I asked the experts in my family, military and police for their opinions on what to buy. Several ideas later I was narrowing down my search to the Original Tactical boot and the Magnum Stealth Force. I didn’t need a steel toe riding on the back of a HD trike and the steel shank made it much harder to walk when you get off the bike for breaks and excursions on foot. I live in Washington State so they had to be waterproof. The boots needed to be breathable, moisture wicking, and antibacterial because we don’t always ride in the cold and wet weather on the west side of the state. Traction and stability, a zipper to keep them snug, and lightweight with memory foam to keep them comfy all day long. I choose the Magnum Stealth Force Series.

I placed my order with a company specializing in police/military boots/clothing after I found the best price including shipping and in less than a week the new boots arrived on my doorstep. When I picked up the lightweight box I didn’t even look at it, thinking it was something Larry had ordered and that my boots were probably still a few days out for delivery. Later that night when we returned home the box was still sitting on the sofa and I looked at the label and tore into the box. My new boots are pretty, yes I said pretty when referring to tactical boots because they are new without years of scuffing and they weigh only 1.1 pounds. Now to ride and try them out. I can hardly wait.

As much as I love these new boots, I do still have a much smaller assortment of three inch heels in various colors, prints, sequins, leather, satin, flats, and a few sandals that I wear when not riding on the back of our trike.

Last Saturday we took a 100+ mile ride with friends to Concrete for lunch at the Hi Lo Country Bar and Grill. My boots were comfortable and no break in problems. Light as a feather as I swung my leg over the bike seat and walking on flat ground and up a flight of stairs at Eagles in Flight to enjoy an ice cream cone were was easy and comfortable.



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