It’s tough to find safe riding sneakers that are comfortable and understated enough to wear around the city, or to work. Lucky for us, Royal Enfield paired up with TCX to sell one of their sneakers at a reasonable price. I’ve been wearing my pair for 2.5 years and they’ve held up impressively well with occasional use. Let’s take a closer look.
The Good
- CE Level 1-2-2-2 Certification
- Comfortable to wear all-day
- Decent waterproofing
- Fantastic Ortholite insoles
The Not-So-Good
- The stock laces get dirty quite easily
- Safer construction leads to a heavier sneaker
- Strictly okay sole grip
- Takes effort to put on and remove
- Included gear lever protector isn’t great
They come with a shift protector to stop the bike’s gear shift lever from scuffing up the top of the left boot. However it doesn’t stay in place very well. If you need one, I’d suggest buying one which has an extension that attaches to the laces, which keeps it securely in place.
The sneakers are a bit heavy, which is understandable given the thick, full leather construction and the strong sole designed to pass CE testing. They’re also designed to lace up to be a very snug and safe fit, which means you have to loosen the laces a good amount to get your feet in and out.
The soles are made of grippy rubber, but don’t have much of a tread pattern, so grip on wet slippery surfaces isn’t that great, but is better than you’d expect.
The stock red laces do get dirty quite easily. I’ve replaced them with black laces which made the sneakers look even more understated and stops the laces from showing dirt as easily.
Maintenance
The tongue gets quite dirty and brittle, so good cleaning is required every once in a while, lest the leather deteriorates.
This requires removing the laces and scrubbing it with a soft brush or damp cloth and then polishing it using leather conditioner.
The same kind of maintenance should be done for the entire leather surface of the sneaker periodically.
Verdict
Overall, the Royal Enfield Cabo sneakers are easy to recommend for a city riding boot. They offer a good blend of comfort, CE Certified protection, and style, while also being water resistant. It’s hard to ask for a more complete package.
Priced at Rs 8500, but often available at around Rs 6000, these sneakers are a fantastic deal considering their CE-certified safety, and their durability. In fact, I recently ordered a second pair just in case they go out of stock.
