Comparative test of rain overshoes

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Comparative test of rain overshoes

Comparative test of rain overshoes
What piss weather…

…Waldi thought to himself and peed on the nearest rubber tree, which cursed loudly after the first drops. Rain overshoes do a great job against such attacks by four-legged friends with weak blisters and against all other unwanted penetrations of moisture in motorcycle boots. Eleven skins from different manufacturers in a practical test.

Holger Hertneck

07/09/1999

Admittedly, the scene shown is one of the exceptional situations in the life of a rain overshoe. The actual purpose of the overcoat is to protect motorcycle boots from penetrating water when riding in the rain. After all, not all two-wheelers have tight shoes. From the extensive range, MOTORRAD picked twelve pairs of rain overshoes in the price range 19 to 40 marks and subjected them to an extensive practical test.
Basically, the overcoats can be divided into two groups: rubber or latex boots and nylon boots. The material of the latex boots is similar to a conventional hose. The biggest advantage of the latex kicks is that they are completely waterproof, even after hours of driving in the rain. On the other hand, the donning and doffing procedure is more difficult, and the shafts are usually not high enough.
The nylon overshoes are available in different designs. With a full-length sole or with a partial sole in the forefoot area and an additional elastic band under the sole. Dressing and undressing is relatively quick and easy – this is usually ensured by long shaft fasteners. Specimens with a continuous outsole prevent splash water from penetrating from below and prevent the overshoes from snagging on gear levers or footrests, which has caused many a rainy rider to unintentionally disappear under the motorcycle at the end of the tour.
The shaft fasteners are also available in different designs: with Velcro or zip fasteners, some with additional plastic or metal snap fasteners. Both variants have advantages and disadvantages. Velcro fasteners tend to become matted after a while, but leave some leeway when adjusting the width. In addition, the overshoes can be crumpled up and packed without hesitation when not in use, which the models with zippers do not always appreciate.
In order to keep the tendency to flutter as low as possible, some overshoes have elastic bands or Velcro straps in the middle part. The model by Hein Gericke is particularly successful, thanks to a sturdy Velcro strap, it can be precisely adjusted to the size of the boot. The latex models are far less adaptable, the gauntlets of which are pulled down by the wind at speeds above 100 km / h. The nylon overshoes from Ixs are out of the ordinary due to their design: They do not have a fastener and are completely slipped over the boots – hence the wide cut, which gives the wind the opportunity to inflate the overshoes more and more with increasing speed.
Are you wondering who drives faster than 100 km / h in the rain? Possibly not many motorcyclists. But those who shimmy from cloud to cloud on the highway in rainy weather at least want to accelerate a little on the dry stages every now and then without taking off their fluttering overshoes.
Fortunately, the cut doesn’t affect the water resistance. The undisputed top marks here are the latex overcoats. Even after hours of downpour, your interior remains dry as dust. The prerequisite for this, however, is that the leg ends of the rain suit are pulled over the rather short latex cuffs so that water does not run into the boots from above.
The waterproofness of nylon covers depends primarily on the processing of the seams. Every seam represents a potential weak point through whose fine holes water can penetrate. A clear example of this are the red overshoes from Louis, which only offer sporadic moisture protection.
Ideally, all seams should also be welded so that they remain permanently sealed. Candidates that are only welded offer moisture protection, but the seams can tear when subjected to stress. And this is exactly what happened to the test copy of Held. Some water droplets found their way into the inside through a needle-fine hole in the weld seam of the left overshoe that ran over the back of the foot. Enough to get your feet wet after long rides in the rain.
Another source of danger lurks in the form of hot elbows or exhaust pipes, which sizzle a hole in the overshoes in fractions of a second when touched. Only the heat-resistant model from Louis shows, at least for some time, unimpressed. The widespread feeling of the sloping position with the toes of the boots should generally refrain from wearing rain overshoes, otherwise a super-water disaster threatens.
Incidentally, holes can also occur through frequent use. The gearshift foot in particular is at risk. Additional gear lever reinforcements extend the service life of the overshoes considerably. In an emergency, a few strips of textile tape in the right place will help.
There are less good prospects of repair success for overshoes with full soles when they are used on enduros. The sharp-edged footrests tear these specimens to pieces in no time. Terrain freaks should therefore opt for overshoes with partial soles in the forefoot area.
And if you want to be absolutely sure that you won’t get your feet wet while riding your motorcycle, you shouldn’t go on tour in the rain. Dogs are of course very little interested in the weather.

polo

Model: latex bootsSeller: Polo, phone 0211 / 9796699Price: 19.95 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 438 gramsShaft height: 32 centimetersPackage volume: 0.5 litersDesign: Seamless latex slip-on overshoe; Slightly profiled soleHandling: SatisfactoryWaterproofness: DenseFluttering tendency: High Conclusion: Even after 1000 kilometers in the rain, still tight; Shaft too low; difficult tightening procedure; Conceivably unsuitable for buckle boots; The overshoes slide down to the ankle at higher speeds. MOTORRAD verdict: Conditionally recommendable

Modeka

Model: Wellington Boots Supplier: Modeka, Telephone 02521/85030 Price: 24 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 422 gramsShaft height: 34 centimetersPackage volume: 0.5 litersDesign: Seamless latex slip-on overshoe; Slightly profiled soleHandling: SatisfactoryWaterproofness: DenseFluttering tendency: High Conclusion: Even after 1000 kilometers in the rain, still tight; Shaft too low; difficult tightening procedure; Conceivably unsuitable for buckle boots; The overshoes slide down to the ankle at higher speeds. MOTORRAD verdict: Conditionally recommendable

Louis

Model: Heat-resistant Supplier: Louis, Telephone 040/73419360 Price: 29 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 434 gramsShaft height: 44 centimetersPackaging volume: 1.43 litersModel: Overshoe made of two-layer, tear-resistant and heat-resistant nylon; Partial sole made of nylon fabric; wide Velcro fastener; Elastic under heel; Velcro strap for width adjustment in the ankle area Handling: Good Water resistance: Tight Flutter tendency: Very low Conclusion: Dense, somewhat misshapen, stable overshoe with too slack elastic at the shaft end MOTORRAD judgment: Recommended

Gotz

Model: Nepo Supplier: Gotz, Telefon 07476/933150 Price: 39.90 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 468 gramsShaft height: 55 centimetersPackage volume: 0.47 litersModel: nylon; combined Velcro / button fastener; profiled partial sole; Elastic under the heel and in the ankle area; Seams additionally welded; Gear lever reinforcements on both overshoes; Width adjustment in the heel areaHandling: GoodWaterproofness: DenseFluttering tendency: LowConclusion: Very well made, exceptionally high overshoe with a good fitMOTORRAD verdict: Highly recommended

Hein Gericke

Model: Nylon rain boots Supplier: Hein Gericke, Telephone 0211/98989 Price: 34.90 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XLWeight: 318 gramsShaft height: 44 centimetersPackage volume: 0.7 litersModel: nylon; Velcro fastener; profiled partial sole; Elastic band under the heel; Seams additionally welded; Velcro strap for width adjustment in the ankle area; Elastic band at the shaft end; Gear lever reinforcementHandling: GoodWaterproofness: TightFluttering tendency: Very low Conclusion: Very well made, tight overshoe with high shaft MOTORRAD rating: Highly recommended

Louis

Model: Overshoe Supplier: Louis, Telephone 040/73419360 Price: 29 MarkSizes: UniversalWeight: 269 gramsShaft height: 47 centimetersPackage volume: 1.1 litersModel: nylon; Zipper; Textile part sole; Elastic under the heel and in the ankle area; Seams not welded; Gear lever and inner ankle reinforcements on both shoesHandling: GoodWaterproofness: All seams leakyFluttering tendency: LowConclusion: The splash of color under the overshoes; only makes sense from shoe size 43; Inadequate rain protection MOTORRAD judgment: Not recommended

Ixs

Model: Yukon Supplier: Hostettler, Telephone 07631/18040 Price: 22.90 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XLWeight: 394 gramsShaft height: 45 centimetersPacking volume: 1.02 litersDesign: Nylon slip-on overshoe with smooth, continuous sole; only welded; Elastic at the shaft end; Gear lever reinforcement on both shoesHandling: Very goodWaterproofness: TightFlutter tendency: High Conclusion: Very wide cut, misshapen, but dense overshoe; Unfortunately only welded MOTORRAD verdict: Still recommendable

Krawehl

Model: uberstiefel Supplier: Krawehl, Telefon 040/78919450 Price: 29.95 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XLWeight: 240 gramsShaft height: 44 centimetersPackage volume: 0.65 litersModel: nylon; combined Velcro / button fastener; profiled partial sole; Elastic band under the heel; Seams additionally welded; Width adjustment by means of press studs on the shaft end and in the heel area; No gear lever reinforcementHandling: GoodWaterproofness: DenseFluttering tendency: Very low Conclusion: Well-made, dense overshoe with a good fitMOTORRAD verdict: Recommended

polo

Model: ProfiSeller: Polo, Telephone 0211 / 9796699Price: 29.95 MarkSizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 383 gramsShaft height: 48 centimetersPackage volume: 0.95 litersModel: nylon; combined Velcro / button fastener; profiled partial sole; Elastic under the heel and in the ankle area; Seams additionally welded; Gear lever reinforcement; Width adjustment in the heel areaHandling: GoodWaterproofness: DenseFluttering tendency: LowConclusion: Well-made, high overshoe with a good fitMOTORRAD verdict: Recommended

hero

Model: nylon overshoe Supplier: Held, Telephone 08321/66460 Price: 39.90 MarkSizes: S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 493 gramsShaft height: 49 centimetersPackage volume: 1.18 litersModel: nylon; continuous, profiled sole; Zipper; only welded; high-reaching inner bib; short elastic band above the ankle; Gear lever reinforcementHandling: GoodWaterproof: Slight leakage at the weld seam on the back of the footFluttering tendency: High Conclusion: Somewhat misshapen, unfortunately only welded and in the test not completely tight overshoeMOTORRAD judgment: Conditionally recommended

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