ADV boots are a big ask. Like the bikes we ride, we need boots that come with a split personality, offering MX-level protection for all the off-road journeying, as well as flexibility and comfort when we’re ready to explore the waypoints.

Enter REV’IT!’s very ambitious Expedition H2O. Claimed by REV’IT! to be the most technically-advanced adventure boot on the market, they are also one of the highest priced at $769.99. So what do you get for all that dough? Well, according to the manufacturer, just about everything.

The Boa® closure system makes for a more adjustable fit, an extremely fast closure/release and a lighter weight boot. Once locked in place the Boa® reels and aircraft-grade stainless steel laces stay that way.

Let’s start with the protective features. REV’IT! has wrapped the heel and ankle quadrant of these boots with a Dynamic Control System, which creates a supportive, yet energetic connection by using pivot points between a heel cup and calf support frame. It’s a hybrid of sorts, protecting the ankle from its most common demons – torsion and hyper extension – while allowing for more flexibility than a traditional moto boot. The under-heel portion of the plastic DCS system introduces some stiffness into the great-for-walking three-layer lament Vibram Apex soles, which should help reduce fatigue during long goes standing on the footpegs.

In addition to the DCS frame, another prominent features of the H20 Expeditions is the beefy TPU shin plate, backed by REV-IT!’s CE level Seesoft foam, intended to disperse energy in the event of footpeg and rock strikes. The uppers on the black boots are a combination of cowhide and SuperFabric, a puncture- and abrasion-resistant material created by laser welding tiny ceramic plates together. (If you opt for the sweet-looking brown version of these boots for the same price you will forgo the SuperFabric in exchange for the sheer sex-appeal of a full suede-look upper.)

The Vibram® Apex sole features a self-cleaning, open lug pattern for traction and safety, an asymmetrical heel line that optimizes the boot position on the crank and an added multi-density EVA layer that reduces overall weight and absorbs shock.

Another cool component on the Expeditions is the use of the Boa fastening system, old news in the snowboarding scene and something REV’IT! began introducing into mainstream moto in 2017 with the Discovery Outdry boots. Just slip your foot into the boot, click the dial and turn for an infinitely adjustable fit. When you want to get out, click the dial again for full release. A swatch of hook and loop inside the shin flap seals the deal.

Touted as a four-season boot, the Expeditions are of course claimed to be H20-proof, utilizing REV’IT!’s own waterproof breathable Hydratex membrane. The felt-backed SuperFabric is said to retain heat in cold weather, making us wonder how these husky boots will feel on a hot summer day. At least the silver-ion antibacterial 3D mesh lining will help quell any funk.

On paper these pricey kicks tick every box for serious adventure riders, including RTW-ready good looks. And yeah sure, it might feel like you’re buying two boots for the price of two boots, but then again, how many can you wear at a time?

Features

• Boa closure system
• Rubber abrasion edge
• PP insole with integrated shank
• Vibram apex sole
• Multi-density EVA shock absorbing midsole
• Silver-ion antibacterial 3D mesh lining
• Double cuff closure
• Gusseted tongue
• Reinforced heel and toe
• Rubber gear shift pad
• Seesoft protection at tongue
• DSF (Dynamic Support Frame)
• External TPU Shin Plate
• Waterproof

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Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.