New Kicks on the Block

Indie Ridge owner Steve Lauria might be the Willy Wonka of the motorcycle industry. Video interviews with Lauria reveal similarities to the Hollywood chocolate-making guru, with terms like “obsessive” and “eccentric” coming to mind.

“When you pretend no other motorcycle companies exist, you can do whatever you want,” Lauria said. His goal? Making protective motorcycle gear that riders want to wear on and off the bike.

Indie Ridge boots don’t have the usual bulky biker aesthetic, but they’re protective, comfortable, and stylish. And Lauria’s obsession doesn’t end with boots. He writes notes on gloves, cuts them apart, and makes tiny adjustments to the fit. He even spent a year perfecting their t-shirt blanks.

And Lauria takes “protective” very seriously. When Indie Ridge receives an updated version of boots, Lauria grabs a hacksaw and box of Band-Aid bandages, then starts cutting the new boots apart, searching for anything he can improve for the next version.

When he grew tired of hearing the question, “How are these motorcycle boots?” he sent them to Italy for CE certification — a series of motorcycle safety tests not required in the United States.

It turns out Indie Ridge makes one hell of a riding boot. Scoring Level 2 for puncture resistance, abrasion resistance, transverse rigidity, and waterproofing, the boots earned the highest CE rating possible.

Soon after, the unorthodox Lauria printed those test results directly on the inside tongue of every boot. Now, when asked, “How are these motorcycle boots?” Lauria simply points to the tongue and gets back to work.

And it seems to be resonating with the community. Thousands of reviews and some prominent industry voices concede that Indie Ridge makes comfortable, protective motorcycle gear that looks good on and off the bike. In a nutshell, Indie Ridge gear doesn’t scream, “I ride motorcycles!” And that’s the point.

Indieridgeusa.com