A lot of riders like to ride their motorcycles in the most comfortable of attires ditching all the protective gear that is actually meant for safe riding when going for short rides.
In this regard, they often wear slippers, or sandals, or flip flops or even high heels and hop on to their two-wheelers, which to say the least, is an unwise decision on their part.
In this article, we will expand on why you should not wear flip-flops when riding a motorcycle and what is the best way to keep your feet and ankles safe when you are cruising on your bike on an empty highway.
Reasons Why You Should Not Wear Flip Flops on a Motorcycle
Uncomfortable For Riding
Causes Soreness Around Your Feet
Exposes Your Feet and Ankles to Road Elements
Compromises Your Safety Hugely
Uncomfortable For Riding
First of all, riding a motorcycle is an uncomfortable affair in itself. It is after all not a very leisurely activity to undertake. You cannot rest your feet anywhere or sit back and relax.
So, if you are wearing flip flops then it would be very difficult for you to ride without making too much fuss about how uncomfortably they are feeling on your feet. Apart from these, regular shoes are also risky to wear while riding a motorcycle as the laces may tangle. Also, they’re too soft to offer any protection from rough road surfaces and have no ankle support in case of any motorcycle accident. Therefore, it’s better to avoid wearing flip flops while riding a bike. If you wear sneakers, it can also put you at risk.
Of course, the summers are just around the corner but there is no reason why you should hurt yourself this badly by wearing something which does not provide enough cushioning or grip to keep you intact while riding on your bike.
Causes Soreness Around Your Feet
It will feel like walking on hot coals when you try out walking in flip flops even for half an hour. Your feet will be sore very quickly and that is not something you would want to go through when you are out riding your bike.
If you are riding your motorcycle for prolonged periods of time, you will find red marks or strap marks on your feet and the next day all you will be wanting is to put your feet up and bring some life back into them. Riding the next day with those sore feet will be anything but possible.
Exposes Your Feet and Ankles to Road Elements
Flip flops provide absolutely no protection for your ankles or heels, which means there is every chance of you injuring yourself if you try to stop your motorcycle in an emergency by putting all your weight on the footpegs. Such cases can break bones in your feet or cause more serious damage to you.
Your feet will be open to injuries from rocks, gravels, pebbles, sharp metal pieces along with the road, etc. if you wear flip flops while riding.
Compromising Your Safety Hugely
Last but not least, this happens to be one of the most important reasons why riding with flip flops on a motorcycle is risky business- it compromises your safety hugely.
Having no protection around the ankles or at the back will mean that you are vulnerable in case of an accident. You could injure your feet or even break them by stamping on them, which is one of the most common injuries bikers get while riding motorcycles.
Also once your foot gets caught anywhere, it can cause serious damage to your leg and hip joints along with the motorcycle itself like the gear shift, etc.
So, it is better not to wear sandals to avoid any motorcycle accident. Next time you hop onto your bike, regardless of what kind of bike you ride- be it sports bike, cruiser, commuter, or adventure tourer – do not forget to wear proper protective gear including appropriate shoe gear appropriate for riding a motorcycle.
Best Way to Keep Your Feet & Ankles Safe When Riding a Motorcycle
Motorcycle boots are definitely the best option for keeping your feet and ankles safe when you ride a motorcycle. For example, touring boots are ideal for long highway journeys. These are heavy and offer adequate protection. The ideal boots for dual-sport riding are adventure boots. Even though they resemble touring boots, these are made to handle all kinds of weather conditions.
They provide ample protection to your ankle bones, heels along with the toes and also cover all of your foot including providing insulation from road elements such as heat and cold. If you want to wear gloves, you can also consider wearing gauntlet gloves to protect your hands.
They come in wide varieties so there is no dearth in choice even if you have larger than average-sized calves or large feet size. You can find them in any style whether it’s adventure touring motorcycle boots, riding leather boots, motocross boots, etc.
Apart from this, there is something known as braces which go up and around the lower parts of your legs offering extra protection to both of them together, while also providing flexibility at the same time so that they don’t hinder your riding or freedom of movement.
Conclusion
So with all this information, you now know that it is never a good idea to ride wearing flip flops on a motorcycle.
Just because it is the summer doesn’t mean you should wear something which cannot be worn at any other time of the year and expect not to hurt yourself in some way or another- physically as well as mentally. If you wear shorts, t shirts, or tank tops, you run the danger of getting scrapped. Also, wearing shorts leaves your legs exposed to possible burns from the motorcycle engine or exhaust pipes. So, it’s important to avoid wearing shorts and choose the full gear for riding to prevent the risk of a bike accident.
It will make even more sense if you are someone who rides their bike every day or perhaps is out for long rides frequently- then wearing proper protective footwear like Steel toe boots would become absolutely essential for keeping yourself safe along with keeping your feet happy and healthy throughout.
Road rash can potentially expose your bone and muscle. So next time you go out to buy boots, do not forget to choose what is best for your motorcycle riding needs instead of only considering the comfort factor and compromising on the safety front.
There are many good-quality riding boots available in the market which are extremely comfortable to wear even for long road trips or cross country commutes. You can always settle for them.
Happy & Safe Riding!
