Gear Review: Puma Desmo Moto Boots

By: Steven Peltier

Picture that perfect morning commute. The sun is starting to warm the air. You exit the 56 and pull onto Carmel Valley Rd. for that quick connection along the lagoon. Torrey Pines State beach is just around the bend. You curse the road construction, but you're jolted by the sweet smell of the cool ocean air, and you see the joggers and all of surfers jockeying for position in the line-up. Don't these people have jobs? O.k. focus. You're captivated by the mighty Pacific and once again you are centered. You realize that life is pretty good, and, better yet, you still get to blast up the hill towards the golf course for one last thrill before you park it at the office. You open up the throttle and do that sinister chuckle that only crazy people do in the movies. Hehehe. Yeah. You're loving this. Then it happens. Your concentration is blown. You ease off...then speed up again...ease off...speed up. What the hell? Why is there cold air blowing through the BOTTOM of my boot. Yep. My trusty Sidi Strada Evo Airs have finally succumbed to all of my abuse. Hmm. Is it a coincidence that I've also been pining to try out the new offerings from Puma. I think not!

As someone who has enjoyed the pure comfort and unique style of Puma's casual driving shoes (the Future Cats are a favorite of mine), I was thrilled to see the introduction of the Puma Moto Performance line of motorcycle boots. If there ever was a company who could figure out how to blend comfort with aggressive styling and top notch functionality, surely it would be Puma. Well given my current boot predicament, it took me all of three seconds to start hunting for the right pair. As luck would have it, Puma created a Ducati Corse influenced design, the Desmo. Perfect. These will work great with both the Monster and the Tiger. Not a full race boot, but not quite dad's Red Wings either.

Puma describes the Desmo as featuring "internal nylon ankle bone protection, TPU shinplates, moulded TPU heel counter and additional TPU sliders on the shaft. The forefoot and heel of the Desmo boot wear zinc sliders, the toe has a rubber gear shift pad and a pre-moulded sock-liner absorbs vibration."

"The sole is made of high density rubber to provide stability, grip and abrasion resistance while the upper features highly abrasion resistant MicroFibre, a water resistant zipper system, a breathable fabric lining, flexible inserts at heel and forefoot for easy instep and comfort as well as a moulded rubber insert for good contact with the bike."

In my usual style, let me show you some pics and offer a few observations:

	Fresh out of the box. As you can see I opted for the Black w/ Dark Shadow Accents.
	From this side view you can see the diversity of textures (smooth, perforated, ribbed) along with the blend of microfiber, rubber and zinc sliders and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) components. It is obvious a great deal of thought has gone into the design of these boots.
	Again, even on the business side of the boot, you can appreciate the nice blend of materials and the strategically placed sliders and molded protection points at the heel, ankle and the shaft.
	From the front, you can see the molded shin plates and the soft ribbed joint that surfaces the front and back of the ankle. When you are walking around in these boots, one of the really nice comfort features is the freedom of forward movement at this joint (as well as the lack of lateral movement/stability of the ankle). You can really lean forward even with your feet planted. This is obviously nice for sitting as well. You can also see that the width of the boot is quite substantial. This is a huge plus for those of you with wider feet. The height of the footwell, however, is not equally large. I still feel a little pressure on the top of my foot that I hope will lessen as the boot breaks in.
	Here you can see a glimpse of the non-slip rubber sole. The meat tenderizer checkerboard pattern seem aptly designed for gripping your foot pegs. I found the grip to be excellent in this regard. I did, however, find them to be a bit slippery on the epoxy covered garage floor...something I'm a bit picky about given the seat height of my Tiger.
	Here you can peak into the boot. I really love the feel of this liner. It really does a nice job of molding around your foot and keeping any seams from digging into your flesh. At least compared to my Sidi Evos, the liner feels thick and quite plush. You can also see here the large width of the velcro top flap. This is great because you can adjust how tight you want the boot to fit, and still be assured that it will be securely buttoned up. Like many boots of this genre, I think the nominal position of the secured flap is bit on the tight side, so if you have monster calves you may find this to be a problem.
	Of course I have to show a side-by-side with my Sidi Strada Evo Airs. Immediately you can see the comparative width of the boots, and the substantial thickness of the shift pad.
	Here's a side view. Notice the differences in the design of the sole. You'll also notice that the boot lacks the vents (engineered and self inflicted) of the Evo Airs. This is one of those trade-offs - weather and water resistance vs. heat. I think the liner is reasonably breathable on the Puma, but I wouldn't plan on wearing them around off the bike for extended periods.
Click for larger view	One bit of warning, my experience with the boots is that they fit about 1/2 US size too small. Here's the sizing chart from the box. Apparently my foot length lies smack between the length of a small french stick and a wine bottle. Uh...o.k...whatever.
	Here are couple shots showing the boots in use. Obviously they work well under jeans.
	A closer look. I think the styling is really apparent here.
	O.K. now I'm just gratuitously showing pictures of my Scorched Yellow Triumph.
	Of course the boots come in other flavors.
	And for my fellow Ducatisti, the color scheme that motivates the name.

So I guess your wondering. Do I endorse these boots or not? Well yes and no. As you can guess they are a quality product with, in my opinion, pretty exceptional styling, an excellently appointed mix of quality materials, and a design that clearly is mindful of safety, function, and comfort. So great. Where the rub? Well, given my experience with other Puma footwear products, I was actually hoping for comfort that simply transcended all other motorcycle boots. Yeah, I know this is a bit unfair, but I bet there are a lot of you out there who are (or were) thinking the same thing. They make such comfortable shoes that their boots must be simply amazing. Well they are pretty nice, but if you don't have holes in your current pair, you're not going to be blown away as you were when you tried on those Speed Cats.

Published: Jun 21, 2007

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