XPD X-Two Boots Review: Mid-Rise Motorcycle Footwear

The blur between motorcycle boots and riding shoes continues, with the XPD X-Two boots offering racing-like protection from the ankle down in a mid-height package. Not as short or slight as many riding shoes, the XPD X-Two boots are for sport riders who want protection balanced with comfort.

With components derived from MotoGP racers, past and present, such as Aleix Espargaró, Scott Redding, and Hector Barbera, the X-Two boots are CE-certified footwear. Helping the boots get that certification is a once piece plastic heel cup that is firm in its resolve, as well as pliable enough to absorb impacts. The toe area is not forgotten, as it has rigid interior protection reinforced by a replaceable stainless-steel toe slider and plastic shift lever protection. Further, thick plastic protects the ankle’s lateral malleolus.

Thanks to the short height of the XPD X-Two boots, getting your foot in them is easy. There’s a large flap with hook-and-loop closure covering a YKK zipper. Zip that down, and the boot is splayed open. Slide your foot in, and you are greeted with a plush interior that still offers control feel.

To give your foot a secure feeling in the boot, you zip up, positing the flap to taste, and slide the sawtooth strap in the buckle at the top front of the boot. This attachment is what gives the XPD X-Two boots a sense of security for sport riding. Happily, when it comes time to remove the boots, releasing the buckle requires a simple pull of a tab.

Comfort while riding is outstanding, and you never feel estranged from the pegs, shift lever, or brake pedal. A large neoprene over the bridge of the boot makes it easy to pivot your foot, and works with another neoprene panel above the heel cup. Rather than leather, microfiber is used in the body of the boot. That also makes this a vegan-friendly motorcycle boot.

Although not a perforated boot, some air flows through the neoprene and an array of ventilation pinholes in the ankle area. Any incoming air will flow out the screened vents in the heel cup, as well as the back neoprene panel. The venting isn’t enough doesn’t make your feet cold in cool temperatures, and it keeps the interior boot temperatures down a bit in the summer. The mesh interior also helps wick moisture away from your socks should you be sweating.

The sole has a short heel, plus a firmly flexible rubber sole that has a good feel for the pavement at a stop. The XPD X-Two boot is excellent for walking around at your local hangout, as long as you don’t mind its racing styling—it does not look like a street shoe.

For riders looking for high-end foot and ankle protection in a mid-rise boot configuration, the XPD X-Two makes a convincing argument for itself. It works as a fully capable boot for sport riding, sport-touring, and urban combat, while providing comfort and style, on and off the motorcycle.

Action photography by Kelly Callan, Don Williams, and Kevin Wing