Bison Boots Review
April 29th, 2025 - Mason Leuck
I have been riding in Bison leathers for the past couple years, and they have been fantastic. Unfortunately I did not have a matching pair of boots to go with the suit, which I felt would have really brought the whole look together. I am sure many other Bison customers felt the same way I did, and fortunately Bison has a great answer. They began teasing their boots last racing season with a limited order available to their sponsored riders, and have recently released them to the general market, allowing anyone to design their own pair of custom racing boots.
I ordered my boots this winter, and within a short period of time I had them at my doorstep. I chose to make a custom design - anyone taking this route can expect arrival within 60 days after their design has been finalized. Bison offers some ready to wear boots that can be shipped more quickly than that. They offer the boots in half sizes, and it is a simple measurement with their provided style guide to figure out where you fall on the scale. The offering of half sizes is unique to Bison as far as I am aware, other popular gear companies do not seem to readily offer their flagship boots in half sizes. Bison offers their fitment guarantee on these boots.
The custom design process with Bison is personal and a member of their staff provides design services to you - bridging your vision to the real world look of the design. The design staff is very helpful and can make a design from a simple drawing scanned on paper. I used Adobe Illustrator to make my design with vector graphics. Redesigns cost $25 after a number of revisions. I have never needed to use more redesigns on any of my Bison orders beyond the number they provide for free.
I have worn the boots on all of my rides for the past six months, and I would say they are comparable to a traditional flagship race boot with some nice additions. They offer exceptional peg feel, and very easy mobility. Moving around with the boots on the bike and shifting or using the rear brake is smooth and not cumbersome at all. They have reinforcement in the traditional areas of most motorcycle boots: above the toe where the shifter is located, and on the edge of the toe with replaceable metal toe sliders. The toe sliders are solid and the retention screw is placed in an area unlikely to be damaged. My toe sliders haven’t worn down at all and only have scratches from collisions with the rearsets of my bikes. I do not drop a foot off the bike very often but I would be comfortable doing so. The heel protection is well made and has ventilation, I expect it to continue performing very well.
The fitment of the boot is super flexible, and once broken in they slip on very easily. The internal ratcheting system is super cool and avoids the issues of a traditional slider and string system. I am a big fan of it on these boots and it makes putting them on and off very easy. The system tightens easily and doesn’t create any hotspots. I suggest regularly lubricating the zipper on the side of the boot, as it is close to the grime of the road. The accordion panel attached to the zipper makes the closure easy. The ratcheting system along the cuff of the boot allows for simple adjustment and I have not had it bind on me.
One of the unique features of this boot is the hinged cage around the back of the ankle and heel. This system creates a flexible, but firm area to protect this area of your foot while maintaining freedom of movement. It looks very protective, and extends into the back of the cuff of the boot where it slides in and out. It is very confidence inspiring to have on the boot and I would expect it to provide a ton of rotational stability in event of an off.
Another interesting addition is the reflective panels included on the heel. They can be seen in the photos above. The reflective panel has pretty good performance, and shining a flashlight at it is very bright. I would expect it to increase visibility during night riding.
The boots ventilate very well, the mixed plastic and fabric panel on the shin allows for air to enter, and I was able to get perforated panels included on my boots for extra airflow. Paired with the right socks, they feel like slippers. The boots aren’t overly thick in areas that don’t need it, so they do not insulate a ton of heat. In cooler weather, thick wool socks are good enough to keep your feet warm. As mentioned above, they do ventilate quite well, so the performance is not the best near or below freezing. I would suggest wearing heated socks if you plan on riding in them around those temperatures.
These boots are a serious performer in the racing boot market, and I am very pleased with them. They are competitively priced at $450, and the ability to get a half size fit and custom design opens up the opportunity for anyone to feel comfortable. They offer great mobility and protection, and punch way above their weight class. The custom design is the cherry on top, I am sure we will see a number of people rocking these with some sweet designs around the paddock.
