I wear a Joe Rocket M1 Tech jacket with Alter Ego pants, Icon gloves, and work boots.
I have very wide feet, and so no sport-bike type boot will fit my feet. The only motorcycle specific boots I’ve tried that fit were big ugly Harley Davidson branded boots that looked like the rubber boots of my toddler years (Motorcycle clothing should make you look young, but not THAT young!).
You can’t wear steel-toed boots to ride a bike (in a crash the steel toe cap will amputate your toes, not to mention the inability to feel your shift lever and foot brake). But other high backed leather work boots are essentially the same as motorcycle specific boots (the only real difference is motorcycle boots usually have additional leather in wear areas on the inside ankle and top toe where your shift lever hits). If you start to wear through those areas you can always go to an old-school shoe repairman and he can put additional leather in those areas.
There you go, custom motorcycle boots for the hard-to-fit foot, for less than the cost of a brand name motorcycle boot
Another option to armored jeans is armor you wear under your street jeans. Several companies make this stuff (I think icon does). I’ve never spoken with anyone who wears the stuff, but if it anything like my downhill mountainbike armour, it won’t be comfortable for long distances (it slowly slips down the knee as you move, unless you buy a full body suit, at which point, why not just buy a couple of set of the jeans?).
One last piece of gear that isn’t mentioned very often around here: Earplugs. The cheap disposable (33 db) ones last me about a week of daily use. The first few rides they take a bit of getting used to, but I no longer notice them at all. You can still hear everything around you, but it cuts down a lot of the wind noise and some of the high pitched sounds.
Wind noise, even in a good helmet, is loud enough to do hearing damage after about an hour on the bike. Se wearing earplugs helps save your hearing for later. But I wear them for the more immediate relief they bring. Noise tires you out mentally. I feel better after a long ride with earplugs than I do without. Simple as that.
Just buy a couple of single packs from a hardware store to find hte brand that you find most comfortable, then buy those in bulk (100 pairs for like $25-$40 from a big hardware store or online).
All The Gear All The Time