Welcome to my review for the Fly Maverik boots. As a heads up, this is a review for the older style boots, not the new, redesigned Fly Maverik boots. Why am I bothering with reviewing the older boot? Well, this is for people like me who might see them on sale and wonder whether if they should get these or fork out that bit more for the updated boot. You could also be looking at getting a pair second hand. So let’s see if these are a buy, wait for a sale or don’t bother.
Price and Features
I purchased my Fly Maverik Boots for $80 from my local motorcycle dealer. In comparison, the new version from Fly will set you back $129 and the equivalent boot Alpine Star Tech 3’s are $199.
So what are the Fly Maverik’s? Well, they are a mx boot with 4 adjustable straps, quick lock buckles, a leather heat shield, Velcro to keep your leg strapped in, an articulated rear ankle (in normal speak, the ankle has a little bit of movement at the back), replaceable soles and for some reason, a steel toe guard. Maybe they really want you to kick people in the shins.
You are getting a ton of features for your money here. The only things they are really missing are an inner booty and a pivot. But this isn’t an issue as no other budget boots that I know of have them either.
Fit and Comfort
Let’s talk about the fit and comfort levels.
Initially I found the boots to be quite stiff and bulky, but still comfortable. Now after wearing them for approximately 1000 miles (1600km’s), they have worn in pretty nicely. Don’t get me wrong, they are no Asics, but honestly, these are easy to wear over a long day. Recently I did a 2 day trip in them and had absolutely no issues. You know some times at the end of the day you just can’t wait to get your boots off? Yeah, I haven’t had that.
I’ve found the straps have plenty of adjustment and the buckles are easy to use. The boots can dig in a tiny bit between the lower straps if you don’t take the time to strap them evenly. Besides that, they are easy as to put on and take off.
As I mentioned earlier, they are bulky. There are times when I have to move my whole foot to shift gears. My KLR’s small shift lever certainly doesn’t help, but I’m pretty certain this wouldn’t be an issue on a slimmer boot with a little more movement. There is also very little vertical ankle movement. Yes I know they aren’t pivot boots so I shouldn’t expect much, but there needs to be more happening here. It can make changing gears pretty awkward at times.
Off the bike, they are pretty cumbersome but serviceable.
Overall, these are comfortable, but not amazing. The new model Maveriks and Alpine Star Tech 3’s have a better shape and feel to me. But of course they should, they are more expensive! Your foot sits ”in” them with their molded sole and they feel more compact. I’m happy with these though, especially for the price.
Build quality and looks
First impressions of the boot are, they are bright! There is no missing these bad boys. I definitely like the look of them. I’m a sucker for bright shiny things.
Build quality wise, these are good but with a couple of minor things worth mentioning.
I like the buckles, they are simple to use and easy to replace. Replacements are also bloody cheap off the Fly website. My only issue with the buckles is every now and again they can fill up with mud which makes them a bit fiddly to clip shut. A couple of taps cleans out the mud. Realistically, what buckle doesn’t get a little mud in them from time to time?
The straps I have had no issues with. They ratchet to size fine and seem tough. As I mentioned in my unboxing video, I’m not sure how you replace the top 2 straps. Maybe someone can tell me how! I am positive you can replace them, I’ve looked online and the replacement kits all have four straps. The bottom will be easy to replace should you ever need to.
The boot is made of a combination of plastic and leather and I’ve found them to have great protection so far. I’ve hit my leg on rocks, sticks and clogs and have barely noticed them.
Its early days, but the boots have held up well. The stitching seems tough and the overall build quality is good. They clean up nicely with a pressure washer and brush at the car wash.
Oh and that stitched sole. This will be fantastic should you ever need to replace it. Just take it to a cobbler and get a new sole. The stock sole seems tough, but there isn’t enough grip on them. When you are walking around tracks they are slippery and cake up with mud easily.
Verdict
So are these a buy, wait for a sale or don’t bother? These are definitely a wait for a sale. You’ll be lucky to get a set new still. If you do see them, I say grab them. They are a good quality budget boot that does the job. If they aren’t on sale, grab the newer boots. They are lighter and more comfortable.
If you were looking at picking up a second hand set, I think they are 100% worth considering. They should last a long time, the buckles and straps are easy to source and because it has a stitched sole it will be easy to get them replaced when the time comes.
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