Switching gain
A shift reinforcement is a shaft reinforcement on motorcycle boots for easier operation of the foot shift lever and to protect the boot upper material.
On most motorcycles the gear shift is operated with the left foot; the gearshift lever must be pulled up or down with the tip of your foot. Pressing it down is not a problem; here only the shoe sole is loaded. When pulling up, however, the pressure (up to 20 Newtons ) must be applied by the toes; after longer tours the toes are often tired or there are pressure points.
The switch reinforcement is a U-shaped shaft reinforcement made of plastic, metal, leather or a combination of these materials. It runs from the bottom of the shoe high over the ball of the big toe to the toe cap above the toes. On the one hand, the pressure when switching up is distributed over a larger area and largely absorbed by the shaft and, on the other hand, premature wear of the boot shaft is avoided.
The switch reinforcement is attached to both boots, although it is only used on one side (today mostly on the left).