In my experience Sidi boots are always comfortable and do what they say they will. In the comfort department the X-Power boots are no exception as the fit and comfort are both excellent.
It continues to surprise me that boots like the Sidi X-Power, which are very solidly made, can feel exceptionally comfortable from the moment you put them on.
As I expected from an Italian manufacturer, I needed to go one size larger than I would ordinarily take, though adjustment through the side buckles gives room for thicker socks.
I have not considered in my review that the boots are not great to walk around in as I chose them for the level of protection they provide and for the comfort on the bike.
The labels inside say these boots meet EN 13634 2017 at Level 2 in all four categories, so there is no higher level of protection available for motorcycle boots.
I took on the X-Power boots in readiness for a trip to Spain and Portugal earlier this year, which included riding the Trans Euro Trail (TET) and Portugal’s Adventure Country Tracks (ACT)
A good pair of boots that provide lower leg protection are essential equipment for this kind of riding.
I was also attracted by Sidi’s description of the boots as being made of ‘waterproof fabric’ as this would be important when taking on hundreds of road miles to reach the trails and get back again afterwards.
That description turned out to be ambiguous and the X-Power boots are not waterproof, but I’ll come back to that…
Photography: Joel Blevins
Like most motocross-style boots the X-Powers are fastened by buckles on the outer side, in this case four adjustable buckles and a Velcro tab at the top.
The buckles can be a little fiddly to adjust at first, although I soon got used to how they operate. Once adjusted the buckles stay adjusted to the same place, so you only need to alter them again if you put on thicker or thinner socks.
The buckle components are replaceable if you break one or lose a component, not that I think it’s likely any of these very robust fastenings will break.
There is an elasticated gaiter at the top of the boots to keep out debris, which successfully kept out stones on a green lane trip into Norfolk when I rode with trousers tucked into the boots. As you might expect, small items like dust and grass seeds did get past the gaiter.
The boots are stiff at the ankle and this provides the level of protection I need for riding on unpaved surfaces. The hard plastic on the shin and around the ankles is very robust and withstood impact from rocks along the trail.
On one occasion this protected me from the rough edges and sharp rocks when I had a low-speed fall on a steep and challenging section of the Spanish TET.
Now… waterproofing. When Sidi said these are ‘made of waterproof fabric’ I took this to mean they were waterproof.
The boots are not waterproof. They did stand up reasonably well in lightish rain for a couple of hours, although the ends of my toes still got wet.
In five hours of torrential rain, on a motorway, they let in water and my feet were soaked. When I stopped, I poured a lot of water out of each boot.
Sidi's website is not clear on this. My take from their literature was that these were waterproof boots, upon reflection and re-reading their literature I am not sure this is what they intended to say.
My criticism is that you are not as clear in your literature as you should be, Sidi. It was not a big problem for me on this trip, though if this had been a longer trip in the wet and cold I would have been disappointed and very annoyed that I thought I was buying waterproof boots. *
In conclusion these are an exceptionally comfortable pair of boots that provide good lower leg protection. As I expected they are not great for walking in, and are very clumsy when climbing steps. I didn’t buy them to walk in, though - I bought them for the protection they provide when I have a tumble off the tarmac.
On the bike the comfort level is excellent and I was happy to wear these boots for a long day riding both on road and on the trails.
These boots have seen some tough conditions in the 4000 miles I have ridden in them, yet after a good clean they look as good as the day I took them out of the box and remain strong and rigid.
They display the quality I have come to expect from Sidi and are a pair of very robust and tough boots that will give many miles of service.
* Based on this review, we have ensured the product listing at Sportsbikeshop does not imply the Sidi X-Power boots are waterproof.
