The Unkillable Sidi Cobra Rail Boots

A quick look around the Motorcyclist office is all it takes to determine what gear gets the most love. By love, naturally, we mean use. And by use, we mean abuse. At the front of that pack is a pair of Ari's trusty Sidi Cobra Rain boots, which have seen years of hard service.

A word about California’s rainy weather: We don’t get a ton of it, but when it comes, it’s torrential. Combine that with dense traffic, constant grime and grit, and a culture that’s forgiving to the kinds of folks who will walk around in their motorcycle gear, and we make for a surprisingly good place to test a rain boot. Three months out of the year, anyway.

No surprise then that Ari’s tastes lean practical. Ours all do. And the Sidi Cobra Rains line up nicely with that purpose. Besides resisting moisture, they’re well armored for a commuter or fast touring boot. Toe and heel cups, ankle plating, shin armor, and some hard bits on the outside and top of the foot can take the hard knocks of daily wintertime use.

It's what you'd expect of top-quality gear, and the Sidi's are, but they don't come with a prohibitive price tag. At $250, standard Cobras make a fantastic compromise between thrift and capability. The waterproof Cobra Rains with a Gore-Tex membrane elevate the price to a still-thrifty $350. Well worth the cost of admission because when Cobras are looking worse for wear, MotoNation offers a zipper and sole repair service that will keep them kicking down the road for years.