The Mavericks look cool, but do they hold up? Over two years ago I took a chance on a new product from a company that had zero presence in the footwear segment. What would convince me to spend my hard-earned money on boot rookies? I liked the pitch and there wasn’t anything on the market quite like the Tobacco Maverick boots. It certainly didn’t hurt that I already owned their Ironsides jeans and I’ve been very happy with those.

The Pitch

There are plenty of casual looking boots on the market these days and they are in every style imaginable. Most of them I dislike, at least for my personal style, for one reason or another. There is a tendency in the motorcycle apparel industry to be wholly unique, pandering, and often overly branded. In many ways, I admire the technical abilities and quality of these brands, but I’m not about being their billboard, nor am I about being overly conspicuous. Not every feature has to scream out at you, desperately vying for your attention. Can I just get a sturdy pair of boots that look normal? Tobacco stood up and answered, “We can do that.”

What Tobacco offers with their Maverick is classic work boot construction and materials with integrated protection and minimal, I mean minimal, external branding. It requires dedication and restraint to pull off a project like this. How did it turn out? Let’s go over the boot step by step.

Materials

Like any traditional, sturdy work boot, waxed genuine cowhide is the only material used on the upper. While it looks pristine out of the box, as it breaks in it takes on a far richer character that is unique to the owner. This is not the case for most motorcycle apparel which uses PU (polyurethane) coated leather. Brands that use this inferior leather have their reasons. To make PU leather (not to be confused with Pull Up leather) the top grain, which is the most abrasion-resistant portion is removed. A perfect-looking fake grain is then embossed into it and a plastic coating is applied. This process eliminates the imperfections such as scars and grain variations found in the hides to reduce waste. It helps the products to look new and shiny for the comparatively short life cycle of the product. It is also a bit softer and more comfortable at first. For all those reasons, faking the grain and sealing it with a polyurethane coating is an attractive option, but what you lose in the process is significant. Its the grain portion that provides the majority of the abrasion resistance and 100% of the character. As you can see, a broken in pair of Maverick boots lacks nothing in character.

Tobacco Maverick motorcycle boots with Triumph Speed Twin — The patina of broken-in top grain waxed leather

Construction

Tobacco chose to use Goodyear (invented by Charles Jr., son of vulcanization inventor Charles Sr.) Welt Construction on the Maverick. The welt is the characteristic band of leather that surrounds the upper and sits above the outsole. The welt is first sewn through the upper—this seam is hidden from view. Secondly, the stitch you do see is sewn through the midsole. This method of shoemaking was the standard for over 100 years, until athletic shoes popularized the disposable construction methods we see in 99% of the footwear made today.

Tobacco Maverick Boot Review — Goodyear Welt Construction and ankle impact protection

The benefits of Goodyear Welt Construction are numerous. The welt provides a tight barrier between the upper and midsole, resisting the water intrusion. Comfort is also improved after break-in because the cavity formed by the welt is filled with granulated cork. This material conforms over time to the shape of your foot as well as your gate. Importantly, this process allows the boots to be re-soled by your local cobbler. When you consider this, using quality leather on the upper only makes sense. Not that you’ll have to re-sole them any time soon. The Maverick’s feature aggressive Vibram soles that provide plenty of grip, even on loose or slick surfaces. I have yet to slip even once while wearing these, even during our far wetter than normal Northern California spring. The ample traction does have one downside however. When I pick up the pace, I like to move off the seat of the bike a bit, placing the balls of my feet on the end of the pegs and rotating. The Vibram soles will on occasion lock themselves right it to the pegs and I have tweaked my knee a few times because of this. Its hard to fault the Mavericks for this, after all, they’re not really that kind of boot.

Vibram soles provide all the traction you could want, and sometimes more.

That’s all fine and well for boots in general, but what makes these boots motorcycle boots? I’m glad you asked! Starting from the top, the Maverick boots feature ankle protection in the form of foam-backed discs located directly over the lateral and medial malleoli. These are the parts of the fibula and tibia respectively that stick out, and the location of many an ankle fracture. The heel and the toe are further reinforced and you can definitely feel the added stiffness in those areas.

ankle x-ray — Protection of the malleoli is critical for motorcycle boots

Living with Mavericks

At first, the boots were difficult to even get on. I wear size 9-1/2 EE, which is on the slightly wide end of the spectrum, but not overly so. Even with the laces fully undone, shoving my foot in through the throat line, aka the base of the tongue, was difficult. Removing the sock liner helped this situation quite a bit, providing me with enough room to get the ball of my foot in the boot. Fortunately, the insoles are fully finished and the cork provided some cushion. Nevertheless, walking around in them felt a bit like I was wearing casts on my feet. The flex center had minimal give so walking was a bit of a chore. Ankle flex during shifting and braking were a bit cumbersome, but not all that bad. Frankly, for my first six rides I was beginning to wonder how long—if ever—it would take to break them in. By that seventh ride though, I began to notice the way the leather molded to my feet and the soles began to break in. I could also return to wearing the thickly padded sock liner again. Once broken in, I have to say the fit was spot-on. They fit exactly as I hoped they would.

Gearing up for a ride is always a cumbersome activity if safety is important to you. These boots are very traditional in their design, so they forego one popular feature many motorcycle boots possess—the medial ankle zipper. You are going to have to fully loosen the laces to get them on and off. Personally, I pull the laces out of the top two holes as well.

As you can see from the photos, the Maverick boots definitely have character, particularly in the amber colorway. Each scuff, each crease is apparent in the mild variations of color. They combine to tell the story of your riding adventures as the leather molds to your body. That is patina at its best—earned, not faked. The thick, .080” cowhide breaks in slowly, but it does break in, as does the midsole. In fact, they seemed to break in simultaneously. Walking around in them became downright comfortable and I haven’t given them a second thought while riding. To me, that is the ultimate objective, when you no longer think about your apparel and you can concentrate on the road and your bike and nothing else.

I am very pleased with the purchase of my Tobacco Maverick boots. They look good, perform well, and I frequently get compliments about them. You don’t need to emblazon your logos all over your product when your customers have plenty of opportunities to say, “They’re made by Tobacco. And they’re awesome.”