MO Tested: TCX Baja Gore-Tex Boot Review
A good combination of extra dirt protection in a street-reasonable package
Adventure tourers who are looking for a boot that can handle the rigors of light off-road while still maintaining on-pavement comfort should take a hard look at the TCX Baja Gore-Tex Boot. These fully-waterproof puppies might be overkill for mere street touring, but the protection they offer should make riders who don’t stop when the pavement ends happy.
TCX Baja Gore-Tex Boot
| Aesthetics | 9.0/10 |
| Protection | 8.0/10 |
| Value | 8.0/10 |
| Comfort/Fit | 9.0/10 |
| Quality/Design | 9.0/10 |
| Weight | 8.5/10 |
| Options/Selection | 8.5/10 |
| Innovation | 8.0/10 |
| Weather Suitability | 8.75/10 |
| Desirable/Cool Factor | 8.0/10 |
| Overall Score | 84.75/100 |
MO Tested: TCX Touring Classic / AirTech EVO Gore-Tex Boot Review
The Baja Gore-Tex features a full-grain upper for strength and durability. The inner calf also has a softer suede heat guard where the boot is likely to rest against the bike. Inside the upper, a Gore-Tex liner gives waterproof protection all the way up to about four inches above the ankle.
For protection, a thick, padded shin plate should keep impacts from hurting, while the ankle joint receives a pair of padded cups. Heel and toe cups also protect from impacts. The footbed is also flexible enough in the toe area for comfortable walking, but the arch is plenty stiff to provide support for extended periods of standing on the pegs.
Donning and doffing the Baja Gore-Tex is easy, thanks to the wide top opening that extends down to almost mid-foot. A 3-inch swath of hook-and-loop fastener gives the adjustability to handle a variety of calf sizes, and the soft, padded collar allows for the boots to be worn over or under your riding gear.
Tuning the fit of the boot is easy via the three micro-adjustable closures. Because of running foot injuries, I like the toe box of a boot to be a little large, so I order boots a half-size too big for my feet. However, I like a snug fit across the ankle. The lower buckle on the Baja allowed me to cinch the tightness to my preference, which is a huge deal for me! The two upper buckles allowed me to easily adjust the boots’ fit for highway cruising or off-road snugness.
Although high-end dirt boots will offer better protection, the trade-off is less usability when not riding. The Baja Gore-Tex, despite their thick leather uppers, broke in quickly and allowed me to walk around – and even do some scrambling over rocks – as I photographed the bikes for the Big-Bore Adventure Touring Shootout. At the end of the day, while my coworkers were immediately removing their boots, I was content to walk around in them as I set up my tent.
Since it rarely rains during the Summer in my little slice of the motorcycle world, I usually wear vented boots. So, I expected the Baja Gore-Tex boots to be oppressively hot during our time traveling through the 105° desert. However, I was pleasantly surprised that they weren’t any hotter than my other, thinner non-vented boots. I could easily have worn them across multiple states on my way to the dirt I intended to ride on.
In summary, the TCX Baja Gore-Tex boots offered the additional support and protection I wanted for trips off the pavement yet remained quite comfortable when walking around off the bike. While riders who spend most of their adventure touring time in dirt mode might opt for a more dirt-focused boot, I think that adventure touring riders, whose ratio of street-to-dirt riding leans a little more towards the pavement side, will find the TCX Baja Gore-Tex boots to be great traveling companions.
TCX sells its boots through dealers and online vendors for $359.99 in US sizes 5-13 (EU 38–48). For more information, visit TCX’s website.
To buy the TCX Baja Gore-Tex click here.
Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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The tcx x cubes i had were the bees knees. Comfy enough for walking, and technical enough to feel secure, like the Bajas, it seems. Nice write up ☝