The boots showed up today, Christmas eve, at 4. There IS a Santa, and I am him. I tried to persuade the U.P.S. driver to climb onto the roof and come down the chimney with them, but he declined. They were $67.19 + $10.87 for shipping from MI, which is Michigan (?), to CA, which is California in this case, total $78.06. For what it's worth, MSRP is about $140.00.
First impression - On the box, they're described as a "waterproof touring boot." Light to medium weight, due to the use of modern materials. Better overall quality than I expected, and definitely a fairly high-feature boot. You can look up all the features online. Not as great a name as Sidi, no doubt, but I looked at some Sidis, and although they looked like good quality, I felt that 2 bills and up was a bit steep, at least for me. On the boot M2R says "MADE 2 RIDE," but in some of the literature it says "made to race." Really more ride than race, but they should be adequate for the occasional track day.
They fit true to size. I wear an 8 1/2, these are 8 1/2 or Euro 42. Made in Pakistan. Workmanship & materials are quite good, maybe even excellent. I know there are some boots out there for $50, but they don't generally have toe, heel or ankle protection like these do, and are usually not waterproof either. Take it from a certified crash test dummy who has broken his ankle as well as thoracic vertabrae in two separate moto accidents, buy all the foot protection you can afford. These also have shin protection. Supposed to be rain proof with a "100% waterproof and breathable membrane." We'll see. The zippers are on the inside side of the foot with velcro storm flaps, so the boots are easy on & off. The zippers are YKK brand and I am pretty sure they are metal, which should hold up much longer than plastic zippers.
So I took them for a walk, cuz I was hoping for a boot that I could walk comfortably in as well as ride in. The soles are molded on, so likely cannot be re-soled. If I get 2 or 3 years out of them, I will have gotten my $ worth. They fit just slightly snug, and I know that they will loosen up a bit over the miles. They should be good down to fairly low temps, but I expect them to run hot in the hottest of weather. They are not heavy or bulky, and were very comfortable to walk in, with actually better support than the street shoes I normally wear. Conservative styling, so you'll be protected on the bike, and look like an ordinary civilian off the bike. The tops are 12 1/2". The tread on the soles, which is semi-knarly, is not particularly deep and I wish the heel was a little higher, as I like to lock my heel over the pegs. I was, however, able to pull slightly better Gs walking around corners in my 'hood than I could pull in street shoes.
A road test ? Saturday.
jeffster
P.S. Bikergarage101.com has now put the price back up to $83.99. Would these still be a value @ $83.99 + shipping ? Yes, because they're still as feature-rich and well-made as boots in the $125-200 range.