It’s a small point of pride that we at The Watercraft Journal have that we only do our product reviews on items that we actually get our hands on. Be it our monthly personal watercraft reviews or write-ups on the various bits of riding apparel or various products, you can rest assured that what we’re writing about has been in our hands long enough to warrant a full-length review. Earlier in the year, we got our hands on a whole bunch of JetPilot gear and have been logically spacing them out to give us the most time possible.
Today’s review of Jetpilot’s Flight Lace Up Race Boot has been a long time coming, but we really wanted to beat on these all season long before publishing a review. Right off the bat, we need to address one major misnomer: these are not boots. These are shoes. Boots by definition lace high up over the ankle, offering some joint support. When compared to other brands’ boots, the lack of ankle support of the Flight boot is a little disappointing.
A neat feature is the molded heel bumper, which makes removing the boot slightly easier.
Although the Flight Race Boots end just above the ankle, there’s little to no ankle support to be found. Rather, the laces tie up at the joint, with a 2mm blind stitched bootie acting as a water sock, pulling high up the ankle. The bootie is smartly shaped and comfortable, and as with all JetPilot products we’ve tested, are made from a superior material that allows maximum breathability without being thin or cheap.
But we’ve found that’s par for the course with JetPilot. The use of excellent materials and top-of-the-class molding makes the Flight Boot a win. Made with what is dubbed “Hydro-flow” mesh, the upper half of the shoe drains water fast for fantastic drying. The sole is thick and padded with gecko-like traction (that JetPilot hilariously names “posi-traction,” which should make any hot rodders giggle a little), and features a heel bumper for easy removal, but we found it worked best when resting your feet up high in the footwell.
Some riders have reported the molded hook breaking off after extended use. Ours remained intact but we did encounter some binding issues around the ankle.
Admittedly, we struggled our first few times with the Flight’s nylon hook and eyelet lacing setup. The boot doesn’t have a traditional tongue like most, so in lacing the boot we experienced an uncomfortable binding and wadding around the ankle. It wasn’t until we gave in and literally looked up pictures on JetPilot’s catalog did we realize we were lacing the boot incorrectly. Although JetPilot coins the Flight as their “ultimate” in racing footwear, we recall previous iterations that featured higher lacing and an ankle strap.
Priced at $55.99, the JetPilot Race Lace Up Boot is equal in price – if not surprisingly more competitive – than others on the market. Again, it’s comfortable as your favorite pair of jeans, durable as an old pickup truck and a great piece of riding gear, but as aggressive riding of any form requires said ankle support, we found the Flight to be a great riding shoe, but not the “ultimate” race boot they described.
Although the Flight Lace Up Race Boots are comfortable, well-made and offer great traction, they lacked the ankle support that we expect from higher-laced boots.
