Still not a backrest Jayne on Emily's bike Jayne shall eat now in Alwinton, EnglandGlacier National Park 2010 Jayne is not quite ATGATT

Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers:
FOOTWEAR

 
See the TravelAdvisor map of where I've been
(not just by motorcycle).

 
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jayne_a_broad
My tweets here are about travel, motorcycling, tent camping, bicycling (mostly as a commuter), and things I find amusing. I tweet maybe up to half a dozen times a day, on a really good day - usually much less.

International trips by motorcycle
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Northern England & Scotland, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden

Trips riding my own motorcycle
California ("Lost Coast" and gold country), Idaho, Montana (Glacier NP), Nevada, Oregon, Washington (state), Wyoming (Yellowstone), Canada (Alberta and British Columbia, Jasper, Banff & Kootenay).

 


disclaimer

  When you fly, luggage space is at a premium. But when you travel by motorcycle, space is even more precious - you can't pay some outrageous fee to take another bag; you have an absolutely limited amount of space, period. And what shoes to pack on a motorcycle trip is something I have frequently struggled with. I'm not sure the struggle is over.

Which shoes to take for a motorcycle trip depends on a lot of things:

  • What you will be doing while traveling (how much walking will you do? what will the terrain be like? will you be doing any hard core hiking?)
  • What will the weather be like where you are going? (which, if you are doing a RTW trip, means planning for every scenario)
  • Will you be camping, or staying in hotels?
  • How conscious are you of your shoes, in terms of what other people see in you/think of you?
When I have traveled by motorcycle, I've been camping some or all of the time, and a lot of walking is always a part of the trip: we sometimes go to a spot and camp there for a couple of days, taking day trips and doing a lot of hiking or sight-seeing by walking. That's dictated what I need in terms of shoes. Therefore:
 
 For many years, I wore a pair of hiking boots, rather than motorcycle boots, when I rode. I changed to a pair of Irish Setter work boots in 2012. I would love to wear motorcycle boots when I ride and then use them for hiking as well, but I have yet to find motorcycle boots that fit me AT ALL, let alone that would be comfortable enough for walking around a city or hiking for a few hours. These boots provide me the protection I need - they are even tougher than any lace up motorcycle boot I've handled in a store. And they are comfortable enough to walk in. The space I save in my panniers by not having to pack what I'm going to walk in is so awesome for extra clothes or saved for something I buy during the trip. Go for comfort and durability, and make sure the boots are at least somewhat waterproof.

 
 
 I pack Teva sandals. I can hike in these as well, as long as the terrain isn't too crazy. They are also great for wearing down to breakfast in a hotel or for around the camp site. Even in cold weather, as long as its dry, a thick pair of hiking socks make these wearable even outside. I even wear them when I swim in a lake. Only downside: you have to be careful how you pack these, because to much stress on the plastic buckle will break it (both mine and my husbands' pair broke this way; luckily, we had bought them at REI back when they did great refunds).

 
 
 Cheap plastic flip flops, for the sketchy shower floor or for running around a hotel room. Seems like a space waster, I know, but I think they are worth the space. 

 
No "dress" shoes - I'm not going to work and I'm not going dancing.

   
My husband, Stefan Dietz, an experienced adventure motorcycle traveler, designs and sells aluminum top boxes and side panniers. They are tough, light-weight, affordable, German-designed, made in the USA & come in silver or black. Here is the top case:

Motorrad Aluminium Topcase

Motorrad Aluminium Topcase

Motorrad Aluminium Topcase

20 liter (5.3 gallon)

400 x 250 x 200 mm
(15 34" x 9 34" x 7 34")

1.6 mm (116") thick aluminium

Motorrad Aluminium Topcase

Motorrad Aluminium Topcase

And, yes, that's my own bike. 

Take a mix of hiking socks and light-weight socks. I have both winter hiking socks and summer hiking socks, and the weather forecasts determines which I take. I like hiking socks because they provide more support for walking - something I do a lot of during motorcycle trips. I also take some hiking "footies" to wear with the Tevas, or those super-light-weight airplane socks.

Also see:

general information and advice for packing (non-motorcycle trips)

Tips for Women: Getting Started as a Motorcycle Rider (just to ride, not necessarily to travel as well)

For Women Who Travel By Motorcycle (or want to)

Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Transportation and Accommodations Choices

Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Suggested Books and Web Sites

Suggested short motorcycle routes in Oregon and Washington state (from an hour to all-day; many can be linked together to create longer trips).

general information and advice for novice traveling women from the USA

health & safety considerations especially for women novice travelers.

the importance of complaining & complimenting.

transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good." advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping.

links to resources to help women traveler

Disclaimer
Any activity incurs risk. The author assumes no responsibility for the use of information contained within this document.

 


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by Jayne Cravens, 2010-2018, all rights reserved

The personal opinions expressed on this page are solely those of Ms. Cravens, unless otherwise noted.