Dainese Imola72 boots review

THE DAINESE SETTANTADUE RANGE, which means 72, is a retrospective look at the firms roots in motorcycle clothing. Mixing up to date design and manufacturing techniques with classic designs and colour schemes that hark back to the 70s and 80s.

I’ve been wearing the Imola72 boots now for about a month now, using them on my commute into London, an on and off-road launch with Triumph and the occasional walk to the pub too.

What does Settantadue mean?

If you are wondering what the hell Settantadue means, it’s 72 in Italian and signifies the year the company was founded by Lino Dainese. The Settantadue range is a retro take on the riding gear worn by bikers in the hazy heyday of the two-stroke revolution. While the look and feel is retro, all the garments are designed and made with modern day materials and construction techniques.

The range covers everything from jackets, boots, jeans, casual t-shirts and even belts, with it all available to buy online or at your nearest D-Store.

Price

With an RRP of £299.95, they aren’t the cheapest ‘street styled’ boots money can buy, for the same money you could fit yourself out with a pair of race-spec Torque D1 boots. The thing is, I have a shed full of Power Ranger styled boots already and the Triumph Scrambler launch seemed like a good reason to go for something a little more classically styled.

Construction

The upper is 100% full grain leather with a thin but still comfortable sole. The leather is extremely good quality making the boots a pleasure to look at and wear. There is a breathable fabric lining on the inside of the boot which helps to keep you feeling fresh and a cushioned insole for when you are off the bike.

Fit

My boots are a 7.5 (EU 41) and although I struggled getting them on initially, they soon softened up and required almost no breaking in. The overall shape of the boot is quite slim and is fine for my shape of feet, I could imagine those with more Hobbit-like stompers may struggle with fitment – best to get to a shop or show to try before you buy.

To keep with the stylish design of the boot, the upper is slim and close fitting, with a YKK zipper and Velcro flap running the length of the inside of the boot. I’ve tried the boots with jeans and leathers and found them comfortable to use with jeans, but the thick leather of my RST trousers proved to be too bulky for them, preventing me from zipping them up all the way. A thinner pair of leathers would probably work though as shown in the stock pictures below.  If you wear trousers over boots the Imola72s are great as even the slimmest of riding jeans with cover them easily.

Protection

The boots are certified to CE - Cat. II - EN 13634 Standard and include a tough Nylon insole, rigid inserts to protect the ankle, polyurethane shin inserts and a gear shift pad on each toe. Except for the shift pads, all the protection is located within the boot so there is no unsightly plastic to spoil the lines or squeak when you walk. The protective elements are also fairly small and unobtrusive meaning you can’t feel any of the internal parts when you are moving about although the placement of them still feels like they would offer a good level of protection.

Comfort

As I mentioned above, the boots took almost no time to break in – I normally consider a week to be about the amount of time it takes to get comfy in some new riding boots but these were good to go almost straight out of the box. Considering the slim style and shape of the boots they don’t pinch my feet at any point and I never feel like I’m getting pins and needles regardless of how long I have worn them for. When riding, they give great feel of the bike’s controls thanks to the thin leather and although they aren’t waterproof or thermally lined, they are still good for rides of an hour or more in cold weather.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a well-made, stylish and above all else comfortable riding boot, the Dainese Imola72s are a very good choice. They look lovely and manage to retain the retro styling of the Settantadue range while still providing high levels of protection.

If fast road riding is your thing you may want to opt for something with a higher level of protection – a little more ankle support maybe – but for pleasure riding and generally looking cool they are absolutely spot on.