Esquad Jeans

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Ducati Protective Jeans

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by “A.L.” for webBikeWorld.com

Summary: Expensive as far as jeans go, but if they live up to their claims -- a bargain.  Are any jeans worth $399 a pair?  Only you can decide, but for me it’s cheap insurance.

This reviewer caught the motorcycle bug again, 15 long years since selling his last bike, a 1989 Honda CBR 600.  Back then -- short on funds and long on optimism -- a pair of Levis, an old leather jacket, and a helmet would do for riding gear.

Fast forward to January 2007 and the purchase of a very slightly used 2006 Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE, along with a gift subscription to the Robb Report, that nouveau riche catalog of products that regular working stiffs can never afford but Hollywood celebrities get for free.

While perusing the February issue, I noticed an article about some brand-new jeans by a company called Esquad (see the comments section for more information on the company).  I was intrigued with their claim of “Those preparing to push a Superbike to 175 mph might consider wearing Esquad jeans during the ride.”

My Paul Smart 1000LE is no 160HP 1098 S Tricolore (the $25,000 Superbike in question), but with abrasion protection claimed to be superior to leather and with the comfort of denim, the acquisition of these Esquad jeans became a top priority in my quest for understated but highly protective riding gear.

A visit to Esquad’s website (see summary table below), however, left me frustrated.  At the time, and as of the writing of this article, no U.S. retailers of these fantastic new jeans are listed anywhere on their site.  After some web surfing, I landed at the Pro Italia website and a listing for a brand new product for 2007: Ducati Protective Jeans.  A little more research confirmed that Esquad was supplying the Ducati pants in sizes for both men and women.

I ordered-up a pair of size 34’s immediately, only to find out the jeans were so new that they would not ship for 2-3 weeks.  No big deal really, it was January 31st in New Jersey, and temps were hovering around freezing.

The Pro Italia website lists even waist sizes from 32 to 38 inches.  DeSimone Motorsport carries even sizes from 32 to 42 inches plus a 33-inch waist.  There appear to be no inseam choices -- I guess everyone in Europe has the same length legs (Editor's Note: The Esquad website lists 30", 32" and 34" inseams for the European market).

The pants arrived within the time frame Pro Italia stated.  The waist on the 34’s I ordered actually measure 36.5 inches, but they fit very well.  Any tighter would be uncomfortable and would not allow for shrinkage. 

The inseam measures 31 inches.  I have a 30-inch inseam so they were just a bit long when standing, but when crouched in the café racer style required of my bike, they cover my ankles well.  Riders with longer legs may have a problem.

As you can see from the photos below, the bottoms of the jeans are curved in the back.  Riders with very short legs probably won’t be able to hem them as a result, and based on the work that Esquad purports to put into the seaming process I don’t think you would want to mess with them anyway.

The jeans are made entirely from a fabric called Armalith, which is claimed to be “the most resistant of all textiles” and is blend of cotton and high-tech fiber.  The website doesn’t disclose the “high-tech fiber,” but the tag inside the jeans says its polyethylene -- yep, plastic.  Probably an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (known as UHMWPE) that is so strong and elastic it has replaced Kevlar in bulletproof vests.

Esquad has several video clips on its website that are pretty amazing, including a slide by a stuntman off a motorcycle from 100km per hour, a stuntman being dragged behind a specially equipped van at 40km per hour, and a pair of the jeans holding up a 4 ton truck.  The dragging video compares leather (of unknown thickness) and nylon to the Armalith -- the Armalith wins, of course.

The styling of the Ducati jeans is clearly based on Esquad’s Technik design with just a slight modification that deletes a small front left thigh pocket but includes all of the other pockets typical on a pair of jeans.  They are not your typical western style jeans, but are described as “avant-gardist“.

They are quite comfortable with a loose fit and a high waistband in back that keeps air from getting down your pants when wearing a jacket.  The Esquad website claims the comfort is due to “morphological data used in the work specifications.”  I think that’s equivalent to pre-curved fingers on a good set of gloves.  The inside seat and knees of the pants are lined with a Nomex III heat shield.  The Ducati jeans have no internal pockets for armor.

So far I have worn these jeans in temperatures ranging from the mid 50’s up to the low 80’s and I would rate their warmth and ventilation as very similar to a pair of standard jeans.  They are not quite as soft as regular denim, but not uncomfortable.

The stitching and construction are very nice and straight and everything is reinforced well.  As you can see, you also get a few Ducati logos thrown in.  I like the small one on the pocket, but I’m not so crazy about the one on the waistband.

Fortunately, my belt covers the large Ducati lettering and logo there and it looks like the embroidery would easily come out.  The only negative I have found is the hook closure on the waist, which has a tendency to come undone while riding.  There is a small strip of metal that is supposed to provide friction to the hook, and it may just need to be pried out a bit.

Conclusion
So are the Esquad jeans worth the price of admission?  The Ducati Protective Jeans are cheaper than a pair of leather racing pants.  And if you’re looking to gain the protection of full-on leathers and avoid the boy-racer look these jeans just might be the ticket.  One thing is for sure – $399 is cheaper than skin grafts.