What is the best way to properly road test a brand new pair of Puma Roadster V3 boots? How about a nearly 1000-mile trip through the hot deserts of Southern California to the chilly, damp weather along NorCal’s Pacific Coast Highway? I put these boots through the ultimate test on the annual trip to the U.S. motorcycle racing mecca at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for MotoGP.
I came across the Puma Roadsters as I searched for boots that offer top level protection but in a petite size (women’s 7.5, men’s 5.5, European 38). I credit Puma for producing top-of-the-line protection at sizes small enough for me—a tall order in the motorcycle marketplace these days. Since I was already riding a flat black 2013 Yamaha FZ8, I opted to go full ninja and roll in the all-black Roadsters.
For the first leg of the two-day trip, black was certainly not the ticket. Leaving the Inland Empire and riding through the congested freeways of North Valley in 102 degree heat was truly oppressive. The Puma Roadsters lack ventilation and my tootsies felt cooked in the hot summer air. But like the age-old adage of street riders everywhere: I would rather sweat than bleed. And whatever the Roadsters lacked in ventilation they made up with in protection.
The sole is also identical to its premium race boot, the 1000 V3. What this equates to is excellent grip against the footpegs and after a few months of use there are hardly any signs of distress.
The Puma Roadster V3 boots have most motorcycle boot essentials: sturdy leather upper construction, accordion panels for mobility, a reinforced toe box for shifting, and a zipper and Velcro closure. The Puma Roadsters up the ante with TPU inserts on the medial and lateral ankle level for 360 degree protection. They also boast a rugged heel cup for impact protection. The sole is also identical to its premium race boot, the 1000 V3. What this equates to is excellent grip against the footpegs and after a few months of use there are hardly any signs of distress.
As I left the desert inferno of inland Southern California for the cool breezes of the Pacific Coast Highway I was no longer vexed by a lack of ventilation. The Roadsters performed beautifully with every gear shift and maneuver. Speaking of beauty, the quality and attention to detail of these boots is amazing. The subtle hints of texture in the injected plastic, the Puma logo in metal on the shin cuff, the fine grain leather, and that classic Puma styling all equated to a really good looking boot on and off the bike. I am a sworn “tuck in the pants” kind of girl, but once off the bike I would roll my pants over the boot’s cuff and blended in with any crowd at the circuit, or at parties on Cannery Row.
The Puma Roadster V3 boots survived California’s Route 1 in complete opposite extremes, and I expect they will last for several more thousand miles to come.
The Puma V3 Roadster Boots are available at Motorcycle-Superstore.com
MSRP: $264
