Article: Daily Life at the Nagoya Store (Episode 9) What are motorcycle boots?

Share

Jun 20, 2024

Daily Life at the Nagoya Store (Episode 9) What are motorcycle boots?

Here we bring you some informative stories from the store manager, Kita, and new employee, Shirasawa, that are snippets from everyday life at the Nagoya store.

Episode 9: What are motorcycle boots?

Shirasawa	It looks like the rain won't stop until tonight.
Kita	It seems like it.
Shirasawa	On rainy days, you have to carry more things, so isn't that a hassle?
Kita	Rainwear or something? I'm used to it now. Besides, riding a bike on a rainy day isn't so bad. The best part of riding a bike is being able to experience natural phenomena.
Shirasawa	You're right, I haven't reached that point yet. Manager Kita is a big fan of off-road bikes. I'm the type who wants to ride smartly around town.
Kita	Really? Whatever you say, Shirasawa-kun is a reliable guy who always prepares for rainy days. When I see people riding bikes on rainy days, I think "They must love bikes."
Shirasawa	Are you a camaraderie type of guy?
Kita	That's right. "We are the sports-minded riders!" By the way, Shirasawa's rain boots are tough.
Shirasawa	First, let's deal with "Spokon Rider". Aren't you trying to make a strange word popular again? (bitter laugh)
Kita	In the past, there were sports anime that depicted the struggle and effort of those who faced absurdity, and they were called "spokon." Of course, I'm the only one who said that. Don't make me explain it, it's embarrassing. (laughs)
Shirasawa	I thought so. (sweat I don't have any Kadoya boots yet, so I use work boots.
Kita	Hmm, does that have a steel toe? For motorcycles? The other day I told you that there is a difference between regular boots and riding boots.
Shirasawa	No, I bought it at a workshop so it's not for motorcycles. Yeah, I was going to ask, what's the difference?
Kita	For example, the safety shoes and engineer boots worn in factories have iron cores in the toes, so they're safe, right?
Shirasawa	Yes, having steel toe on engineer boots makes them feel more authentic. But it doesn't come in your riding boots, right?
Kita	Yes, there have been cases overseas where the iron core has been deformed in an accident and caused the toes to be severed, so I think that at least Japanese manufacturers rarely use iron cores in boots advertised as for motorcycle use. Also, the leather gets pinched between the shift pedal and the iron core, which can cause it to tear. So, if there is one, it's a plastic toe cap.
Shirasawa	I see. I looked it up on the web, and there were a lot of articles and blogs that introduced engineers and safety boots with iron cores for use on motorcycles. But that's just a personal opinion, and are they not made by the manufacturer?
Kita	Well, there are some exceptions, such as work-related derivative models, but they are boots to protect the feet in the factory. The purpose is different. It is determined by a standard, I think it was JIS.
Shirasawa	That's right.
Kita	For example, when it comes to riding boots, racing boots for competitions don't have laces but use Velcro, and zippers are made of nylon coil instead of metal. They are lighter, and if the zipper melts due to friction in an emergency such as a fall, coil zippers or Velcro can be removed more forcefully and quickly. Also, to prevent the zipper from breaking and interfering with putting on and taking off the gear, the basic structure is to wear it on the inside of the body where there is less contact with the ground in the event of a fall.
Shirasawa	I see. But not all riders compete for speed, so there are many different types of boots, and even Kadoya has racing boots like the G2-RD BOOTS and fashionable models like the RAPTOR BOOTS.
	・4012 G2-RD BOOTS With front and back ankle shirring, it can be used for a variety of purposes, from racing to touring.
	・4337 RAPTOR BOOTS The padded design is a distinctive feature. Although it gives a hard impression, it is soft and light to wear, making it easy to use even for walking around town.
Kita	That's right. After all, there are now leather jackets in a variety of styles, from classic to casual, and the same goes for boots. I'm not denying the use of boots with steel cores, nor am I denying the use of leather jackets for everyday wear. However, it is up to the customer to decide what kind of motorcycle life they want to live, and at least Kadoya offers items that make riding a motorcycle easy, so I hope you will use them with peace of mind.
Shirasawa	Come to think of it, Kadoya's products are also becoming more casual, aren't they?
Kita	Yes. Leather jackets have become softer, and there are simpler designs that are easy to wear on a daily basis. Fabric jackets are also good these days.
Shirasawa	Kadoya has a strong image of leather, but what about fabric?
Kita	I see, Shirasawa-kun doesn't know Kadoya during his battle heyday. In the past, we had a lot of wild customers who looked like they were from the end of the world. But the image of leather was so strong that it may have limited our customer base quite a bit.
Shirasawa	Huh? What's a battle?
Kita	It's not even in the catalogue anymore... Well, I'll explain it to you slowly next time. So, it's fabric,