I’ve been wearing Supertechs for the last five years and they are easily the best sport boots I’ve used. The only reason mine needed a replacement was that I’d worn some areas of the sole down on various foot pegs over the years at the race track.
Beyond that, the boots are still perfectly usable on the street and I actually enjoy using them on sporty bikes for their excellent ventilation in this season. You’ll see the old ones in our comparison of the R3 and RS 457. The revised Supertechs have been out for a couple of years now and they were a no-brainer when it came to a replacement. As it turns out, these new boots have quite a few small changes and refinements, beyond the funky new colour schemes.
What hasn’t changed is the outstanding comfort. The boots needed no breaking in and felt completely comfortable from the very first time I used them. This is what makes the Supertechs so incredible. And they’re so comfy that I’m happy being in them all day long. The only reminder of their sportiness comes in the thin, firm soles.
I’ve always associated stiff, unyielding boots with maximum protection and sometimes wonder how protective the Supertechs really can be – but if they’re good enough for scores of world champions, they’re good for me too. The updated version has redesigned armour around the upper shin area with a slightly more pronounced section that will provide better slide protection. The inner side of the boot that faces the bike has also been redone in a new soft rubbery finish that replaces the previous suede-like material. The new material provides plenty of grip and it should hopefully age better than the suede, which got slightly chewed up in a few areas that make direct contact with the bike.
The inner bootie has also been redesigned with a focus on improving the comfort through a new, lower profile mesh material. It is this inner layer that provides a bulk of the biomechanical protection and prevents the ankle from bending to extreme angles along the sides.
Removing the bootie, wearing it and then wearing the outer boot over it was quite a faff, but I soon discovered that you don’t need to take it out. Instead, you can just slip your foot right into it with it installed in the boot. That makes wearing and removing the Supertechs as straightforward as any other boot.
Another change on the outside is that Astars has removed the ventilation perforations around the very edge of the boot. I suppose that has been done to increase the strength at the edges because perforations cause weakness in the material. Truth be told, the ventilation here is still superb and I’d have never noticed if I didn’t inspect the new boot next to the old one.
The Supertech R can be found on sale in India for anything between Rs 60,000 - 75,000. As always, it’s way more affordable to bring them back with you from overseas where they sell for about $550. If you want top-tier track protection and comfort, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Where: alpinestars.com
Price: Rs 45,000 approx
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
