Royal Enfield E39 Waterproof Riding Boots Review - Great Daily Drivers

While I subscribe to the “All The Gear, All The Time” (ATGATT) school of thought, I also believe in wearing specialised gear for each particular use case, especially when it comes to riding boots. For example, I’ll always wear my trusty pair of adventure boots every time I ride off-road, and my race boots for the track (or when sport riding), but my go-to boots for everyday riding are a pair of shorties. Yes, they don’t afford the same level of protection as my race or adventure boots, but if I’m going to be spending just a couple of hours riding and about seven to eight hours at the office, comfort and practicality trumps all-out safety. So I was delighted to receive a pair of the Royal Enfield E39 short boots for testing, particularly for the monsoon. After spending a couple of months riding a variety of motorcycles with these on, I’ve settled on a few things I’ve really come to like about these, and a couple, not so much.

Likes

Safety

The primary function of any motorcycle boot is protection, and these E39s offer CE Level 2 protection for your feet using thermoplastic reinforcement around the toes, ankles and heels. I particularly appreciate the chunky armour around the malleolus (those protruding bones on the outside of the ankles). Those are extremely vulnerable in a low-side crash which might have your ankle grinding against the tarmac. Most other short motorcycle boots just get away with extra layers of leather in this region, but the E39’s hard plastic protectors are great to have. And though I fortunately haven’t had a chance to test out all this protection, the boots feel solid and I’m fairly certain my ankles will be able to escape damage in the event of a minor crash.  

Design

There’s no two ways about it. These RE E39 boots look really smart, especially in this tan colourway. Their full-grain leather construction and all-internal protectors ensure that they don’t look shouty or aggressive like any of my other motorcycle boots, and can easily pass off as a pair of premium leather hiking boots. While they still might not be the optimal choice for a formal occasion, they look great when rocking under a pair of denims. They look so good in fact, that the scuffs they’ve received near the heel (by holding the bike’s heel plates) and left toe (thanks to the shifter) actually break my heart. But this should be easily fixable with some tan shoe polish.

Comfort

Boot sizing is usually a bit of a concern for me as though size 11 (Euro 45) works in terms of length, my feet are unusually broad, so I need to size up to 11.5 or 12 (Euro 46/47). However these Euro 45 E39s are wide enough to accommodate my awkwardly sized feet quite comfortably, and in that sense, they really do run true to size. Keeping them on all day at work and walking around is simply a breeze, and thanks to the comfortable and cushioned insole, they have been my go-to boots for riding to work over the pair of Shima short boots that I own. Of course, walking in them all day long might not be ideal unless you’re used to doing so with a pair of large hiking boots on, but even that isn’t entirely unpleasant. Plus, thanks to the generous side zipper, getting in and out of these boots is a really quick affair too.

Usability

While these E39 boots might look bulky, the toe is short enough to easily fit under the gear shifter of most bikes that I’ve recently ridden, whether it was my own first-gen KTM 390 Duke, the new Triumph Speed 400s, the Royal Enfield Classic 350, or even the Continental GT 650. And the large accordion panels along the front and back allow you to comfortably flex the boot under the shifter to upshift.

Grip

Why does a motorcycle boot need to be grippy? Well, if you’re going to be walking around off the bike, grippy soles are useful, and also when you’re moving the bike around at standstill, you’ll appreciate all the grip you can get. I’ve seen too many people drop their bike when they were parking it because their feet slipped. No problems like that with the E39 boots, as they have  wonderfully grippy rubber soles. So whether you’re walking on a wet surface, or pushing the bike around on a slightly sandy road, you’ll never be left wanting for more grip.

Dislikes

Wide collar

As much as I have come to like these boots, my one gripe with these has been the collar. It simply doesn’t cinch tight enough around my calves to allow my riding jeans to slide over the top of the boot. Agreed, that this is a concern since my riding jeans are the skinny fit variety. But unless you have boot cut jeans or proper riding pants that have a side zipper, you’ll be left with stuffing your jeans/pants into the boots. Now I don’t mind that look when I’m riding. But off the bike, it comes across as a bit childish.

Waterproofing

The E39’s main claim to fame is the waterproofing. And for that, these do have a seam sealed waterproof membrane inside. For most light rain and water splashes you might encounter while riding in the city or at slower speeds on the highway, the waterproofing holds up wonderfully. But if the volume of the downpour goes up along with the speed of your bike, I found that there was some leakage from the toe area, which after riding for about an hour or so in a torrential downpour, spread to inside the entire boot. Now this is something that never happened with my Sidi Adventure Gore-Tex boots in the seven years I’ve used them, regardless of the intensity of the rain. But then again, the Sidis cost over twice as much as these RE boots. Which brings us to…

Price & Verdict

At Rs 12,990, these Royal Enfield E39 Short Boots aren’t exactly cheap. And to be honest, for everything they offer, I genuinely believe they could’ve been priced a little lower. A little below the Rs 10,000 mark would’ve been the sweet spot. Even then, if you have the budget, and style matters to you, I would overlook the minor issues and still recommend the E39s as they look quite smashing. No wonder these have absolutely become my favourite daily wear when riding to work and around town.