Clan shoes brought in a new form of rider safety for Indian motorcyclists with the Clan SNKR 1.0 riding shoes which offered reasonable protection without looking like full-on riding boots. The Clan SNKR Stealth Edition WP offers a black aesthetic with different coloured highlights and adds the single most-requested feature as an option – waterproofing.

I have been using them regularly for commuting for a little more than a month and they are holding up well against the daily grind. The shoes are true-to-size, which means UK size 9 fits me perfectly. Like any leather shoe, the Clan shoes have also stretched a bit over regular usage and now conform to my feet even better. Despite wearing them for prolonged hours at the office (approx 9-10 hours per day) there’s not a lot of sweat when I am taking them off at the end of the day. Granted, they are not as airy as sports shoes and are much heavier, but compared to sitting in the office wearing full-blown riding shoes there’s simply no contest – the Clan shoes win hands down.

While the Clan SNKR Steal Edition WP can’t possibly offer the same level of waterproofing as let’s say a pair of adventure riding boots, they do the job in case of occasional wet patches on the road. In terms of protection, just like waterproofing, the Clan shoes will not match up against touring boots but offer a decent amount of protection which can’t be found in sports shoes. The Clan SNKR Stealth Edition WP offers protection in the form of thermoformed toe caps and heel support; rigid moulded TPU discs with foam padding for ankle protection; an extruded midsole for lateral protection and high visibility reflectors at the rear. Thankfully, I didn’t have to test the level of protection first-hand yet.

Looks are one of the reasons why even people who own a pair of proper riding shoes are reluctant to put them on. Riders often choose to forgo the protection offered by riding shoes on casual rides and commutes, instead opting to only gear up for tours or trackdays. The Clan shoes take that excuse away, as they are nearly as stylish and comfortable as regular sports shoes while offering actual protection against riding-related injuries.

The pair cost Rs 8,999 (the non-waterproof version is Rs 1,000 cheaper) which makes them as expensive as entry-level riding boots, so one might wonder why to invest in a pair of them. Well, the reality is they are not replacing your actual riding boots (which you should ideally still put on every time you are riding a motorcycle), but that pair of sports shoes which you put on when going out on your motorcycle. Compared to a regular pair of sports shoes, the Clan makes a lot of sense because it offers a much higher degree of protection in the case of an accident and you can’t really put a price tag on that.