motorcycle boots

Boots are a good idea when riding to protect your feet and shins in the event of an accident. They also take the pressure off of your toes when shifting gears. If you ride a dirt bike you will most likely want to purchase dirt bike boots, if you are a track racer you will want street boots and if you are a street race you will want street boots as well, however, they are not very comfortable for walking any distance in and are quite rigid and heavy.

covers the ball of your ankle

A boot that does not cover the ball of your ankle, first off is not a boot, and second off will not sufficiently provide the padding you need when shifting gears with your foot.

traction

You want a boot that has good traction as to not slip off your pegs / gear shifter.

oil and gas resistant soles

A bike is sometimes a messy machine. Oil and gasoline are prevelant when riding, even if it does not come directly from your bike (walking around a gas station when filling up for gas). A boot that is resistive to oil and gas will be less likely to slip off the pegs / gear shifter or cause you to take a spill when walking around after riding on an oil leaking bike (and why is your bike leaking oil anyways? see our motorcycle maintenance section)

armor

Your boots should have some form of reinforced toe protection such as steel or Kevlar to protect you in the event of an accident.

reflective strips / material

As with all riding gear, reflective material on your boots will aid other riders in being able to see you.