Having been through a serious accident, there’s a whole lot that can go wrong such as having an ankle getting shoved into a curb causing your foot to bend in the wrong direction and break. Race boots keep that from happening. Regular leather boots, while far better than sneakers, still offer no protection for keeping a foot from getting twisted in the wrong direction or crushed. There’s another alternative however...look at boots for motocross and dirt bikes. They offer up more protection for the ankle as well as your calves. Plus you can get them in your basic black verses having to deal with loud colors.
Americans seem to have some adversity to staying safe on the road, particularly in the eastern part of the country. Having lived in the San Diego area for nearly 20 years, I found that the majority of the serious riders almost always wore racing leathers to stay safe, because obstacles on the street are far more numerous than they are on any track. However, most riders, including myself, rode sport bikes because of the types of roads out there. When you go to Europe, it’s normal to see motorcycle riders wearing full leathers with armor. Around here I see people riding around with nothing but flip flops, shorts, a t-shirt, and no helmet. It’s crazy that the state allows me to ride a motorcycle that way without fear of being ticketed, but should I dare to get in my car and not wear my seatbelt, I’ve committed a major crime. It’s absolutely ridiculous. There’s simply NO legitimate excuse for not wearing a helmet.