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Rev'it Fusion Boots
by Rick K. for webBikeWorld.com
More: wBW
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| Owner Comments (Below)
The Rev'it! Fusion boots are a new entry
within the Rev'it! family of motorcycle clothing,
expanding the scope of the Rev'it! product line.
Our opinion is that the Rev'it! line of
motorcycle boots also represents a new trend for Rev'it!
clothing because they provide the Rev'it! style and
attention to detail but at a price point that is very
competitive.
The Fusion boots have a high level of
quality and style, which is apparent as soon as they are
pulled from the box. They look just like something
you might find for sale for about twice the price at one
of those chichi motorcycle boutiques with the famous
blue-and-white three-letter roundel hanging over the
door.
The usual course of action for a motorcycle apparel
manufacturer who wants to flesh out their product line with
a couple of pairs of boots is to stick their logo on a
couple of models sourced from some
anonymous manufacturer near the bottom rung of the
global economic food chain.
After all, there's not much profit in
boots, and a good pair of motorcycle boots is probably
one of the last purchases a dedicated rider will
entertain. Sometimes an apparel manufacturer may
just want to offer a couple of pairs of boots just
to claim that they have a complete product line.
And by the way, there are some pretty good apparel
products sourced that way, sometimes at very high levels
of quality.
But it's become apparent that this is
not the Rev'it! modus operandi. Although they
still exploit the global economy by manufacturing their
products in cost-effective countries, the products are
designed at Rev'it! headquarters in the Netherlands and
the manufacturing process is tightly
controlled by Rev'it!, to ensure that quality is kept at high
levels.
Now for all practical purposes, boots is
boots, and as long as you like black, you can have them
in two basic flavors, lace-up or slip-on. The
point? Well, it's not easy to develop a product
like a motorcycle boot in a single color and with a very
inflexible style and shape and make it so that it stands
above the competition and helps to distinguish the
manufacturer.
What this means is that it's sometimes
hard to pinpoint exactly what makes one boot seem to
have high levels of quality when compared to others.
In general, all motorcycle boots with "sport touring"
style are black, have a sole, a side zipper, some protective
features and a lining. So what has Rev'it! done to
make the Fusion boot different?
Styling and External Features
Study the outside of a Fusion boot, and the
quality of the materials is apparent. Double
stitching is used throughout, and typical for a Rev'it!
design, the styling touches are cleverly incorporated
into the safety and protective features. The
Fusion boots are made from leather and DuPont's
ubiquitous Cordura, combined together in a modern and
sleek look.
The inner and outer sides of the Fusion
boots incorporate a section of leather that sweeps up towards
the top of the boot, which add a nice styling touch but
also offer some added protection to these two sensitive
areas.
Both the front and rear of the boots
incorporate Cordura-covered flexible panels, making
it easier to use the boots for walking, which isn't always the case with
motorcycle boots. The entire toe area is covered
and the heel counter are thermo-formed with thicker
sections of leather for added protection.
Both boots have an inboard shift wear
protector made from what appears to be some type of
abrasion resistant synthetic, to help absorb the wear and tear of
shifting the motorcycle. Take a close look at these
little patches in the photo (left) and you'll see a typical Rev'it! design
feature that illustrates their attention to detail.
While other boot manufacturers would
simply sew on a piece of leather or Lorica (a type of
synthetic leather) as a shift
patch -- which, by the way, would be more than adequate for the
job -- Rev'it! has carefully chosen the material and
added a few styled "swoop" designs that
incorporate a
textured surface to provide a better grip on the bottom of the
shift lever.
This level of detail will probably go completely
unnoticed by most riders, but it is one of the very
subtle features that add to the overall impression, in
both looks and in use, that these boots are a cut above
the rest.
This is the same design philosophy that
has brought the Japanese to such prominence in the auto
industry; that is, paying close attention to the
tiny little details that overall, very few will notice,
but that in the aggregate, all add up to registering a
high-quality experience in the owner's mind. It's
also the reason why we are such rabid fans of Rev'it!
products, because the attention to details like this is
uncommon.
Lining
All of the new line of Rev'it! boots are
claimed waterproof, and the Fusion model uses the
Hydratex membrane that we have previously seen in the
zip-out waterproof liners of Rev'it! jackets. A
small new style Rev'it! logo (that looks remarkably
similar to the Dainese logo to our eyes) is incorporated
on the top front of the boot. The logo uses 3M
Scotchlite for a minimal amount of nighttime
reflectivity.
Another unique feature, this one in the
"why didn't I think of that" category, is
found in the
zipper on the Fusion boots. The boots zip up on
the inside ankle, and the zippers have a nice, big
zipper pull tab, each of which incorporate a section of
"hook-and-loop" fastener. When the zipper is
pulled up to secure the boot, the hook-and-loop on the zipper pull sticks to
the inside of the boot and is hidden underneath an outer
leather flap, which also secures to the boot with hook-and-loop.
Brilliant!
This feature allows the zipper to be
hidden for
styling purposes, but it also adds to the safety factor,
because the zipper and the zipper pull tab are protected
from accidental opening by the leather flap that covers
them. This is
another example of combining style and function.
Comfort
All of these features are nice, but what about comfort? We have quite a collection of
motorcycle boots in the webBikeWorld cloak room (now
taking up about 1,000 square feet; "one of these days",
we're going to have a webBikeWorld auction of all the
products left over from reviews and photo shoots), and there are a few
pair that can only be used to walk from the bike to the
other end of the garage. They work perfectly for
riding, but they're just not designed for walking.
Not so with the Fusion boots. Not only do the
size 44's fit my size 10.5 US feet perfectly, they're
very comfortable. The boots have a cushy lining
along the sides and on the footbed.
The sole is made for Rev'it! by
Skywalker of Italy, who also supplies soles for many famous brands of
hiking boots, including Vasque, Alt-Berg and others.
After the initial sheen is worn off the bottom, the soles
get a "sticky" feeling, which provides good traction for walking
and which add stability and a feeling of security for
the rider holding up the bike with both feet down during
a stop at an intersection or on an uphill slope.
This
is another feature that an experienced rider will look
for in a motorcycle boot, and one that is not apparent
when evaluating boots at the retailer.
Motorcycle boot sole friction, or "stickiness" is
especially important for riders with short inseams, or
for riders (like me) with a tall adventure-touring bike,
where tip-toes are sometimes necessary to muscle the
bike around in a parking lot or on an incline. A
sticky sole is a safe sole!
Another nice feature that might not be readily
apparent to some motorcyclists is that the Fusion boots are
designed with an ankle fit that tapers down the correct
amount to hold the boot securely on the foot for walking
and riding. This is both a comfort factor and is
necessary for safety reasons, to help prevent the boot
from coming off during a crash.
Pros and Cons
One negative aspect of the Fusion boots is
related to the issue of water resistance vs.
breathability. Current technology, hype and claims
notwithstanding, mean that these features are mutually
exclusive.
It's been very hot and humid around
here lately, and in this type of weather, the Fusion
boots can get a bit toasty. They don't have the
cooling vents that can be found on some non-waterproof
boots, but then again, those cooling vents are direct
inlets for water.
Also, the tops of the Fusion boots don't open as wide
as some other boots we've tried, so some motorcyclists
with very wide calves might find that the Fusion boots
might be a bit snug. Our feeling is that the
Fusion boots are best worn underneath a touring pant,
like the Rev'it! Airvent Mesh Pants, or paired with the
Rev'it! Ultimate pants
and
Cayenne jacket.
Conclusion
We really like the new Rev'it! Fusion boots. They
have style, quality, features and they're comfortable
for riding and walking. The best part? The
list price is only $189.99!
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Product
Review: Rev'it! Fusion Motorcycle Boots |
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Suggested
Retail Price: $189.99 |
| Colors: Black |
Made
in: Romania |
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Product Comments: High quality. Nice styling.
Good compliment of safety features. Comfortable for riding and
walking. Zipper hides underneath outer flap for protection.
Claimed waterproof. Can get warm in hot weather. Narrow top
opening may be too restrictive for large calves. Review Date:
July 2005. More:
More Rev'it Fusion Boots Photos |
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►Your Comments and
Feedback
Please send comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published ( details). Comments may be edited for
clarity prior to publication.
From "D.": "I purchased these boots in Fall 2005 based largely
upon the wBW review, which was spot-on! I had a sizing problem (turns out
my size 7.5 US foot best fits into a Euro size 40 Fusion boot) at first, but
that was corrected. The Fusions are comfy, get great traction and proved
to be very warm during my Winter exploits, which is very important to me as I
ride year-round. I was often able to wear thinner socks than I would
normally.
Only when temps were below freezing did
I need my thickest wool socks. In fact, they're so
toasty I fear I may need to go back to my trusty ol'
Bates Fastlanes for those hot, humid days we have here
in late Summer. My only negative thus far, and
it's a small thing, is that the "hook" side of the hook
'n' loop closure is destroying the threads on the zipper
pull-tab, so eventually the "hook" on the pull-tab will
fall off and need to be re-attached. I may try to
head that off by glopping the appropriate type of
sealant on the one side of the pull-tab in an effort to
protect the threads. All in all: great boots at a
good price!" "D's" Follow-up:
"Because Rev'It! is new to the US market, I thought you might appreciate some
long-term data on one of its products. This is a follow-up to my comments
from last May (above) on the Fusion boots.
Despite my initial concerns, I wore the
Fusions all Summer and never felt they were too hot to
endure. Sealing both sides of the zipper pull-tabs
with a thin layer of Marine Goop stopped the threads
from further damage (I'd recommend every Fusion-owner do
this).
Somewhere between 5K - 6K riding miles one of the zipper tapes
developed a tear of approximately 1/2 inch, compromising the boot's
waterproofness. I've sealed the tear with Marine Goop, which is holding so
far.
Also, areas on the inside of the boot appear to be
wearing/fraying/thinning quickly. My Bates Fastlanes with 70K+ miles on
them show less wear in the uppers and insoles! On the plus side, the
Fusions' outsoles are wearing nicely, which is somewhat surprising given how
sticky/grippy they are and the amount of commuter miles (many "foot downs")
they've endured.
In summation, the Fusion is a great design at a very good price,
but I wish they were more durable."
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