Men’s Condor Lace-Up Riding Boots
Harley-Davidson Footwear
$154.00
www.stepintoalegend.com
Tromping a path through way too many rally venues combined with literally thousands of bike take-offs and stops result in me wearing out a pair of boots about once a year. Just about the time they start to get comfortable, a heel will fall off or I’ll wear a hole in the sole. My last pair failed when the inner support liner in the back quarters gave way and gouged a hole in my Achilles tendon for an annoying three days until I ripped it out with a pair of long-reach needle-nose pliers. So before taking off for Sturgis last summer, I picked up a pair of Harley’s Condor Boots for men. I know better than to hit the road with footwear not fully broken in, but I was desperate.
The Condor uses a full grain leather upper and features Goodyear welt construction (much superior to cemented construction). A heavy, waffle-lug tread pattern on the sole and heel provides excellent traction even while maintaining the balance of an 800-pound bagger on rain-slick pavement. The sole also has a peg bar placed in mid-arch, a solid chunk of hard rubber about 3/8″ thick with a concave back section so you can better hang onto a footpeg. Pretty cool. For those wanting an even greater stretch, the heel has a patent pending heel rest, a dished-out cavity designed to accomplish the same thing. Along with the standard glue and nail form of fastening, the heel also a hefty metal screw dead center to ensure long-term attachment during even the most severe abuse. Using a series of eyelets and mini “D”-rings, once you get the boot laced to a proper fit, a 6-inch zipper on the inside ankle eliminates constant re-lacing and the boot becomes a quick pull-on style. A tongue latch is provided that aids in keeping that errant item in place. A full-length cushion sock lining completes the package and makes for a comfortable fit.
Not being one who goes for excess flash, the Condor is not overly adorned, suiting my style with a simple Dark Custom skull logo that adds just the proper amount of bad-boy attitude. The H-D-badged side buckle is not overstated and seems designed more for looks than function. Bright orange 3-M reflective material is used in several points along the sole to help increase visibility at night. Available only in black (what did you expect?), the Condor comes in sizes 7 through 13.
The Condor has been my daily motorcycle footwear for over nine months and almost 15,000 miles. The break-in time seemed long, which only means they should have a life span surpassing my normal one-year replacement time frame. I lost a few of the reflective tread bars on the sole of the left boot (excessive foot dragging while coming to a stop), but other than that, along with some scuffs and a few leather abrasions, the Condor seems to only get more comfortable with time and wear. They’ve seen me safely through many a bad thunderstorm and even offered decent protection while trudging through the snows of New Mexico during Christmas holiday. A quality product that seems to only improve with age, the Condor soars above lesser competitors.
