If you are a regular motorcycle rider, you likely know that wearing a helmet may prevent serious injury and even save your life in an automobile collision. Other parts of your motorcycle gear can be just as crucial in protecting you. One example is your footwear.
According to Ride Apart, national data shows that motorcyclists who have suffered an injury to a lower extremity pay as much as $21,000 on average in hospital bills. This means a broken leg or ankle may cost you more money than replacing your gear or repairing your bike. Here is a look at the kind of footwear that may or may not give you sufficient protection.
Footwear that does not protect
You want footwear that secures your feet and shields them from a sudden impact or abrasion against a concrete surface in the event you tumble off your bike. This disqualifies footwear like flip-flops and sandals which keep your feet mostly exposed to the outside world.
Some people wear ordinary tennis shoes while riding. These are a step up from sandals because they may shield your feet against impacting the pavement. However, tennis shoes do not provide the kind of support your ankles or legs need to prevent serious injuries like fractures.
Wearing boots while riding
Generally, a pair of leather boots offers the best protection against painful ankle and leg fractures. Normal leather boots stand a better chance of shielding your feet against abrasion and divert stress from your leg and ankle bones during a crash.
Ordinary boots are not made specifically for riding, so there is still the chance of suffering serious injury even while wearing them. This is why some riders wear riding specific boots. These boots offer more support to the ankle and leg and significantly diminish the chance of an open fracture. In combination with other riding gear, these boots may make a difference in a crash.