MXA PRODUCT TEST: AXO SLAMMER BOOTS

WHAT IS IT? It’s a boot with all the attributes of a motocross boot, only cut in half for the pit bike crowd.
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WHAT’S IT COST?ÿ $129.99(877) 296-7223:ÿwww.axo.com

WHAT’S IT DO?ÿ When the pit bike craze began, adults were given two options: they could wear flimsy tennis shoes or bulky motocross boots. The tennis shoes made shifting much easier and allowed big riders to scrunch up on teeny little bikes. The downside was that the flexy-flyer soles of Reeboks offered as much support as a wet noodle. On the other hand, motocross boots were stiffer, safer and had soles that could absorb big landings, but they were bulkier and harder to shift in. It was a dilemma.
Enter the AXO Slammer. It’s a hybrid; a compromise; a half-boot idea; a mini-me. The creative AXO Slammerÿ boot bridges the gap between tennis shoes and motocross boots, but, unlike Icon, starts with a motocross boot. It offers the outward appearance of a shoe, but with the durability of a boot. And because it is truncated, there is more than enough ankle movement to facilitate shifting. It’s the best of both worlds.

WHAT STANDS OUT?ÿ Here’s a list of things that stand out with AXO’s Slammer boots.
(1) Support. Not only were these boots made for riding, but they were also built to save the arches of your feet when landing from jumps. With a sole that parallels a motocross boot, topnotch leather and plastic throughout, the Slammer is crafted to save your ankles and arches from the inevitable pain you would encounter wearing tennis shoes.

(2) Comfort. The reason mini bike riders wear Asics instead of Alpinestars is because motocross boots aren’t comfortable. A rider has to crouch over a pit bike so much that every joint must bend to the max. With the low-boy Slammer, the rider’s ankles are free to flex.

(3) Details. AXO didn’t just take a hacksaw to their motocross boots. They paid attention to the details. The Slammer has good buckles, excellent comfort, and comes in either black or white

(4) Place of Manufacture. AXO Slammer boots are made in Italy.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We’d like AXO to build a Slammer Litewith a more flexible sole (somewhere between a motocross boot and a tennis shoe).

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