TCX Pro 2.1 Boots Review
COMFORT
The TCX Pro 2.1 boots are a comfortable boot, even if they are not necessarily the lightest on the market. The inner boot adds to the comfort and importantly can be removed to freshen up.
DURABILITY
Being designed with motocross in mind, these boots are harder than a bear with a switchblade. If you are trail riding these will last years and scrub up pretty well when cleaned. See our boot cleaning life hack coming soon!
VALUE
The TCX Pro 2.1 is a high-end boot and is priced that way. But it’s worth it to keep your feet and ankles well protected so pay up and walk tall.
APPEARANCE
The TCX boots look the bomb, and white boots are the only boots to wear – oh yes they are! OK so maybe we are biased but whichever colour you pick, the Pro 2.1s will make you look the part, even if your riding doesn’t ..
Choosing the right boots to go riding is very important. While it is tempting to go for the full-on sexy stormtrooper look of the latest motocross boots from the likes of Alpinestars and Sidi, boots that were designed for the stadiums and GP tracks may not necessarily be the best when you are walking your bike through knee-deep water in the middle of a jungle.
Thankfully the TCX Pro 2.1 boots seem pretty good as a choice for both, they are used by top motocross and enduro riders but still remain a solid choice for the trail rider – good work chaps.
In case you don’t know, TCX used to be Oxtar, but a tussle with the legal department at Alpinestars forced a name change. The result was that the company became TCX and to be honest it’s far better than the original company moniker and the publicity over the case only served to highlight the companies products – bit of a win-win really!
OK – to the boots. We went for the orange and black option as they look killer and Julian can’t stand black boots. The design is great – with a well thought out combination of leather, plastic and vinyl in the construction to give the boot strength, comfort and flexibility. The front panel is suitably tough to protect your shins, and the way the boot cradles your ankle is both positive and comforting. It has a stitched on sole with some element of grip and steel on the front edge.
As with many boots in this category, the TCX Pro 2.1 uses an inner boot – or bootee as it is somewhat bizarrely known. This means fitting the boot is easier and more importantly they don’t get anything like as fragrant as you can remove and air the inner boot properly and even wash or replace them as necessary – this is a major bonus.
On past versions of the TCX boots we’ve owned, the buckles have left a lot to be desired – they simply didn’t like staying done up. Thankfully TCX have listened to customer feedback and totally changed the design so that – fanfare please – they now stay done up until you undo them – lovely.
The Pro 2.1 boots are comfortable enough to wear all day and on multiple days, so ideal for everything from a two-day enduro to Ride Expeditions tours of Cambodia and beyond. But are they waterproof – err – no. But in fairness they never claimed to be and once you stand in water over boot height none are. Our advice is to wear waterproof socks like Sealskins (review coming soon) and your pinkies will stay drier than an Egyptian tomb.
There’s a Velcro fastening at the top and a softer cuff to fit around your calf, big plastic panels on the top of the boot to prevent damage from gear changes and crucially the toe is not over deep to allow correct gear lever placement and changing.
At around £300 or $430 dollars, these TCX boots are a top end product but are good enough to justify that price and you can find bargains out there as the boot has been upgraded since coming out in late 2013. Recommended.
RIDE EXPEDITIONS RATING - TCX PRO 2.1 MOTOCROSS BOOT
Visit the TCX website for more info on their boots. Or, if you’d like to find out about the motorcycle expeditions we offer around the world, visit our Ride Calendar to see what’s on and when.