MrSurly,
Over the years I have tried a lot of different boots for riding motorsickles including Johnny Rebs, racing boots, military style boots and pretty much everything else except thongs (Australian for flip flops). Of all of these my personal preference is for
HD FXRG3 boots which I bought on the recommendation of a friend who rides a lot.
There's an overview here:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/fxrg-3-performance-bootsProbably cheaper to buy at online HD stores or amazon -
https://www.amazon.com/Harley-Davidson-FXRG-3-Waterproof-Motorcycle-Riding/dp/B00GXW10TO/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1485797525&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=fxrg3%2Bboot&th=1 shop around I say.
Comfortable both riding and walking. When I get the chance I like to do a bit of touring preferably over an extended period from one to three weeks and all I take are these and some flip flops. I have walked around bike weeks in Arizona, Sturgis & Daytona, concerts, cities, the bush and plenty other places in them and never felt uncomfortable in them. Yes my feet do get hot in the desert in the middle of summer but so does everything else. They are good in winter with decent socks.
Waterproof never had wet feet with them and they have seen plenty of rain both heavy and light. Love gortex it rocks when it is raining and breathes and doesn't add a lot of weight.
Durable had my current pair for over 5 years and covered a bunch of miles in the US, Canada and Oz. The sole is hard wearing and is still good which surprises me as I usually wear boots out in a year or two (probably have heavy bones).
Appearance wise they do not have a bunch of garish HD branding on them nor do they look like part of the pirate uniform which seems so necessary for many who ride. They look like boots not part of an ensemble. They have faded to a dull grey but I am not so worried about appearances/fashion as I am about function.
Protection wise they have some padding and they have an external malleolus (outside ankle bone) pad/protector sewn in but will not give as much protection as a pair of racing boots for example. They don't have steel toes but the leather is quite thick and there is a lot more padding in these than in your basic swat boots which I wore to work for years but didn't feel they were up to task for motorsickling.
Cost They were listed as over $300 when I got my pair but I got them way under as they were on sale in a close out bin for $130. Having worn them and seen the value I will buy another pair of these if they ever wear out.
Cheers Major Tom