DMotocross history is full of innovative inventions that were not always so great. The famous Heckel motocross boots are the precursor to the modern boot as we know it today. But they were anything but great and that is even an understatement.
Young motocross riders think what they wear is the latest technology. They don't understand that most new products are based on a design from 20, 30 or 40 years ago. And so it is with hinged, plastic motocross boots. Before Sidi, Gaerne, Alpinestars or Fox became popular, there were a lot of boots with similar hinge designs and plastic coverings. The very first boot with plastic hinges was the Heckel from 1974. It was the forefather of all modern boots and those of the early 1980s.
Heckel made ski boots before applying its expertise to the Heckel motocross boot of 1974. The Heckel boot is now 48 years old and has long been out of the motocross market. However, it was the very first plastic motocross boot. Heckel's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) upper featured a hinged ankle and three stainless steel buckles, while the bottom of the boot was a one-piece molded plastic footbed.
Heckels were worn by famous riders such as Gaston Rahier, Ivan Van Den Broeck, Jim Pomeroy and Harry Everts. In a recent conversation with Van Den Broeck we asked about the wearing comfort of the Heckel's and Ivan described it as 'dramatic'.
Heckel boots were never a real success: They were too heavy, the preformed toe area, the sole and the footbed offered no feeling when shifting and braking. Modern motocross boots dare to be a bit heavier than the Heckel's, but they were then compared with the much lighter leather boots. Although offered in eight sizes, the inside bottom of the boot was hard and uncomfortable. Heckel disappeared from motocross in 1980, but his innovations can still be seen in the modern boots you wear today.
Heckel still exists and now makes safety shoes for industry. In 2011, the French company became part of UVEX, well known as a manufacturer of ski goggles.
