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Daytona Lady Star GTX Boots. Long Term Review
By Sharon Parker
Review date July 2017
Being short was never a problem for me...until I began riding my own motorbikes. I had accepted my sum total of 5 feet nothing for a long time. However bike manufactures seem oblivious of small folk. Fortunately Daytona are very aware. So aware that they manufacture amazing motorcycle boots that have extra height added into the boots with clever inbuilt heel rises within the boots.
Hearing talk of such wonders I went in search and discovered the awesome boots known as Daytona Lady Star. However these boots were not cheap at around £350 mark. I may have got to try them on in the shop and been delighted how I rose an extra 2 inches from the ground but that price tag was beyond my purse strings. No prince charming to slip these onto my feet was provided.
The technical details for the Daytona Lady Star were impressive and I really, really wanted a pair. I quote
Daytona Lady-Star GTX Boots
Daytona Lady Star Gore-Tex Boots feature premium performance, protection and style, all backed with a GORE-TEX membrane, guaranteed to keep you dry. Safety is supplied by reinforcements at the ankles and heels while the boot has an adjustable calf to tailor the fit. The Lady-Star GTX Boots also feature a unique 6cm heel and 2.5cm insole rise to provide critical, extra height for better control of your bike when at a stop.
Features:
- Hydrophobic special full cowhide construction
- Waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex membrane
- 2.5cm integrated insole lift and 6cm heel rise
- Textile lining (80% polyamide/20% polyester)
- Rear VELCRO® brand closures fastener adjusts for larger calf sizes
- Two zip fasteners (one on each side) for quick and easy entry
- Plastic ankle protection both anterior and posterior sides, padded interior with open-cell foam
- Shinbone padding with latex foam interior
- Reinforced gear change cushion made from abrasion-resistant PU foam
- PU foam insole and gel layer to reduce vibration
- Anatomically formed insole
- Plastic reinforced inner sole with a hot-dip galvanized steel inlay that allows you to gently roll your feet
- 3M-Scotchlite heel reflectors
- Non-slip rubber touring sole
Being a fan of Ebay I soon added these boots to my watch list on a regular basis but prices often rose to around £150 plus even for second hand. Even £100 was out of my reach at that time. However one day while sat bored in hospital awaiting yet another operation I casually browsed through ebay and what do I spy? Only a pair of the fabled Daytona Lady Stars with an amazingly low starting bid of 99p in my size. A quick check of the seller's other items showed a range of non related bike items on sale. Was it possible that this was not a biker but maybe a person who dealt with house clearances etc and therefore had no idea what these boots were actually worth? They had not listed them as Lady Stars just motorbike boots but from the pictures they were clearly Daytona Lady Star.
As there were no bids as yet I decided to message the seller and ask if she would consider a buy it now price on the boots. The seller replied almost straight away - yes they would do a buy it now price of £30...including postage. WHAT!! I could barely contain my excitement. They'd better not come to take me to theatre right now, I have the business deal of the century to complete. I casually agreed that such a price would be acceptable and I purchased the boots.
I tried to not to get too excited. After all what if the seller suddenly realised that the boots were worth far more than they sold them for? They could cancel the order or simply not post them claiming they must have been lost in the post. I never dared believe I would actually get the boots but a few days later the boots did indeed come to my door. I was so thrilled with my super bargain I posted up the below message on Bikes and Travels' facebook page. I quote
My Bikes and Travels post September 2014
Oh my, oh my, oh my ... I am soooo excited. You know when something is just too good to be true and you dare not believe it but then unbelievably it does come true. Well that happened to me today when these beauties arrived in the post for me. Daytona Lady Stars. They sell in the shops for £350. You are lucky to pick them up second hand for around £160 to £200. Well I got these from Ebay for the total sum including postage for £30. Yeah haaa steal of the century. Happy, Happy meeeee......Sharon
My new to me, therefore secondhand, Daytona Lady Stars
My first ride in the boots however took my smug smile right off my face. The boots are quite chunky and I really struggled to get my foot under the gear lever to enable me to change gears. Damn it. Not one to give up easily I decided to go on a long ride the next day and hey presto I learned how to change my gears slightly differently to accommodate the thicker sole of the Daytona Lady Star.
Thus began my love affair with these boots. Not only did they give me the much needed extra height but also due to the adjustable Velcro strips on the back of the boots I could also get them to zip up over my "cankles" (fat calves no ankles). Not only that but they also were super comfortable, super warm and amazingly absolutely 100% waterproof. I finally began to understand the full expensive price tag for these boots. Yes I had indeed bagged the bargain of the century with these boots.
Through rainstorms, deluges and the floods of Boxing Day 2015 the Daytonas stayed waterproof.
My trusty Daytonas came on all my adventures. They were given a tough life by me. They had to endure frequent rain and the harsh salt of winters. While camping they would be crawled around in and walked around in. All this abuse began to take its toll and they eventually began to scuff up and lose their shine. Even after a good polish they still looked rather tired.
Finally, tragically my most amazing boots grew too old and too tired and the rains of Scotland last month while riding the NC500 (North Coast 500 2017) brought their demise. These tough old boots sprang a leak. I traced the leak to the gear change area of the boots which is always the place most likely to go due to sheer wear this part of the boots gets. Just imagine how many times I must have changed gear during 25,000 plus miles of riding.
I had owned the boots myself for 3 years and put over 25,000 harsh riding miles onto them. Other ladies who have the Lady Star have told me they have achieved 10 leak free years. Of course I have no idea with mine being second hand how old these boots actually are. More importantly I do not know how many miles they had on them prior to me . You see it is not really simply years that wear boots out. It is more how much usage and miles they have on them. It is how harsh those miles are. If someone puts 2000 miles a year on them them in 10 years they have only done 20,000 miles. Like bikes its the mileage that really matters and also like bikes it matters too if those miles were all warm sunshine or wet salty harsh winters.
Like me time and miles is taking its toll on these old boots
With a unknown past history and over 25,000 harsh miles on them and with a super bargain price tag of £30 I have no complaints what so ever over the value these superb boots gave me. Of course I am very sad that they now leak and therefore I am forced to look for a new pair. But I will be looking for Daytonas again because I now know they are worth the money. These boots are quality and I would not hesitate to recommend them and give then a resounding 10 out of 10. Maybe they should really lose a point for style because they are not really the most attractive of boots and are also a bit heavy but these a mere quibbles compared to the numerous plus points. Daytona Lady Star boots gave me everything I needed. A much needed lift into the biking world, warm dry feet and comfort. Plus not to forget the great safety features built into the boots making them strong, robust, protective motorcycle boots.
So I cannot tell you the true longevity of the boots as I did not own them from new. I can tell you they are fantastic quality and I would buy another pair of Daytonas at a heartbeat...if I could afford to. The new prices have risen even more now to nearer the £400 mark at £380/£390, so out of my reach today just as much as they were 3 years ago. However as they are handmade in Germany if you order them from a German supplier you can usually get them cheaper at around £290/£300. Better of course but still too expensive for me. Ebay search it is then..So Mr Finnigan lets begin again.
Daytona Lady Star GTX Boots. A gold Star 10 out of 10...If you can afford them buy them.
We'd like to publish your review of your motorcycling boots here on bikes and travel. Please contact ren@bikesandtravels.com
Reader's Comments
Borsuk said :-
Sharon. Try the prize draw page on their website, maybe you can win a new pair
24/07/2017 22:51:15 UTC
pocketpete said :-
A very sad story that the Daytonas have sprung a leak. Mine are still going stgrong but have not covered the distance and time of yours. But I fully agree most comfy snug warm boots you coudl ever wish to have and never seem to leak. I stood in 5 inches of water to test them and water was 2 inches above the zips they were bone dry.
I keep polishing them from time to time and use the waterproof kit. So far so good.
25/07/2017 22:10:10 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I'm sick to death of hearing how good these boots are! Fear not Pocketpete there's another post coming soon which may cheer you up a little.
26/07/2017 16:34:03 UTC
Stephen Latchford said :-
I've had a pair of alpinestars web goretex boots now for 3 years and approx 25-30,000 miles. Only yesterday(28/07/2017) after getting off the ferry at a miserable and wet Portsmouth, my boots had the ultimate test, getting me home some 255 miles with dry feet, and they performed admirably. It rained all the way home and they didn't leak, I would also recommend my one piece Richa typhoon over suit that didn't let a drop in. My gloves on the other hand are a different story but I digress, the point is my boots were on sale at £79 clearance, and the over suit £35 full price and my opinion money very well spent.
29/07/2017 05:48:59 UTC
Stephen latchford said :-
And my over suit
29/07/2017 05:50:13 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
The best pair of boots I ever had were Gold Tops which I bought in the 1980s. They cost me over £100 then (which I could ill afford) but lasted 20 years and were still almost waterproof after all that time.
I replaced them with German Paratrooper boots from Anchor Supplies: https://www.anchorsupplies.com/boots-shoes/german-para-boots/german-para-boots.html which I used for a further 8 years or so till I had a bike where I couldn't get my foot under the gear lever. Again, totally waterproof - tested like Stephen in a trip down from the Lake District in torrential rain.
I would go for the para boots again as they're tough, comfortable off the bike (very important) and very easy to put on / take off with their speed lacing. And cheap! But not many sizes available these days.
29/07/2017 09:18:09 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Damn they ain't got the para boots in my size right now! Grrrr.
I think the key is "gore-tex". According to everyone it seems to be the only stuff that can achieve waterproofness with some degree of consistency.
I'll check back on the para boots
29/07/2017 10:47:37 UTC
Tom McQ said :-
Well done Sharon on bagging such a bargain!!! Just bear in mind next time, that you can adjust the height of your gear-lever (and rear brake lever for that matter) to suit your boots or riding style. I do it almost every time I get a new bike.
As for waterproof boots, Goretex most definitely IS the way. Same for clothing. In 2006 I paid what I thought was a CRAZY amount (£700) for a Goretex textile suit from Hein Gerick but I still have it to this day and it is still 100% waterproof, 11 years on. And there's no reason to suggest that I won't get another few years out of it.
01/08/2017 15:15:20 UTC
Andy Gray said :-
Have you got in touch with Daytona? I was told when I was looking at a pair that they resole worn boots.
That's one joy of premium products, the after sales service is often rather good.
Might be cheaper than buying a new pair.
01/08/2017 17:58:28 UTC
Sharon said :-
Hi Andy,
To send your Daytona boots back for repairs you have to do so through the shop you bought them. As mine was second-hand I have no shop to go to or receipt.
At £30 I have no complaints but I will bear the repair service in mind for my new pair as I have a receipt for them.
01/08/2017 18:55:48 UTC
CrazyFrog. said :-
I can echo your comments about Gold Top Ian. My first gloves were Gold Tops and I wore them all year for the first ten years of my biking life till they finally gave way. I've not had a pair of gloves by other manufacturers last more than a year since!
As for boots, I had a pair of German Para boots which lasted about ten years, and have now replaced them with Altberg army boots which seem likely to last just as long. My waterproof winter boots are a pair of £15 fur lined rigger boots bought from ScrewFix and liberally soused with liquid dubbin on a regular basis.
02/08/2017 08:00:06 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
Yes, I've seen your rigger boots Pete. The sort of thing Ren should be wearing to go with his handguards.......
I believe that the Gold Top brand is still in existence but now they're made by somebody else. ISTR it was Godfreys of Hull originally? My boots had a tiny gold bee symbol on them. The only drawback was that they came with plain leather soles which were very skiddy in the wet.....
I did buy a pair of Altbergs some years ago - went for a ride up to Richmond to be measured for them - but didn't get on with them as I found them far too stiff and bulky so sold them on at a huge loss.
02/08/2017 09:08:24 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
What's wrong with my handguards?!?! Cheeky swine. I have worn rigger boots in the past and I still use them at work. I'm not convinced they're ideal for the motorcycles though as they offer little ankle support and as they're not securely fixed to your foot I fear they could quite literally fall off in the wrong sort of a crash. Other than that though. Wellies are the most waterproof boots ever but blooming useless in terms of protection. I want wellies that go over my bike boots...
02/08/2017 13:55:06 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
I still have a pair of Dunlop trials wellies in the garage - they must be at least 25 years old. They do have a steel shank and toecap but ankle / shin protection is non-existent. After ripping my legs to shreds in my first couple of trials (it's amazing how many sharp bits there are on an Enfield) I bought some proper trials boots.
The Dunlops were pressed into service for commuting in Brum for a number of years and were good in that role.
02/08/2017 15:24:41 UTC
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