I have a confession: I spent the entire summer riding in jeans. I know, I know, All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT), right? But once the temperature soared past 80 degrees, my regular motorcycle pants just couldn’t cut it in the heat. So when someone on the Rebel Forum posted a tip about a closeout sale on Sliders kevlar motorcycle jeans, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Competition Accessories
Model: Sliders Kevlar Motorcycle Jeans
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Size: 28 waist, 32 inseam
Color: Black (I also have the same jeans in blue)
MSRP: $79.99
Manufacturer’s Description
- More Coverage Using Only Real Kevlar®, not generic Aramid fibers like other brands
- Sliders™ Motorcycle jeans are designed specifically for riders by riders.
- Exclusive Anti-scratch main button to help save your paint.
- Substantial protection using Kevlar® protection backed with soft cotton in the hips and side of your legs, your knees / shins and throughout the seat and upper hamstrings.
- Special loose cut is perfect for riding motorcycles and ideal for just hanging out when you’re off the bike
- They can be worn over or under you [sic] boots for a perfect fit
- Sliders™ Motorcycle Jeans are comfortable and perfect for everyday riding, but offer abrasion resistant protection in the all critical areas.
Just like the Premium Brands, these jeans offer substantial protection, including KEVLAR® protection backed with soft cotton in the hips and side of your legs, your knees/shins and throughout the seat and upper hamstrings. The jeans are comfortable and perfect for everyday riding and offer the benefit of abrasion resistance in the critical areas. Features a sewn on Anti-scratch button. Best of all, you can just wash these jeans like any others.
The sizes listed for the jeans are actual measurements. Please note most U.S. brands of pants are slightly larger than the posted sizes. So to get the best sizing, we recommend purchasing one size larger waist measurement than your normal pant size or you can measure your normal pants to help decide which size to buy for the best fit.
Closeout Item Disclosure
The two pairs of Sliders jeans in this review were purchased at a significant discount as closeout items. Here is the manufacturer’s description of the closeout version of the jeans:
Famous Brand Kevlar Black Denim Riding Jeans – Seconds
“Manufacturer’s Seconds”
You Save $50, because the factory did everything right, except they forgot to stonewash the jeans after production and a slightly lighter weight denim.
As you’ll read in this review, if the closeout, factory seconds from Sliders are this good, the full-price, full-quality versions are only going to be better.
Initial Report
I purchased two pairs of Sliders: one pair in black and the other in blue. The jeans were on closeout due to some mistakes made at the factory, namely that they weren’t stonewashed and they were put together from a slightly lighter weight of denim. I decided that the price ($29.99 versus a regular price of $79.99) was enough to make up for the slight reduction in protection. After all, anything is better than riding in “plain” jeans.
Before I can talk about the fit of the jeans, I must note that I am a woman. The Sliders jeans are clearly sized and made for men. I can get away with wearing “boy pants” as I like to call them, but women who are looking for fashionable, figure-flattering motorcycle jeans will have to look elsewhere.
That being said, the Sliders jeans are sized exactly as they say they are. If you’re used to a particular waist size being on the roomier side of things, you’ll want to order jeans in one (or maybe even two) sizes bigger. The inseam length is also true to size, so to be on the safe side, order longer and have the excess hemmed if necessary. The Sliders jeans are cut in a relaxed-fit style and have generous room in the crotch and rear areas. The waistline is right at the navel, which feels safer as there’s more protection for the bum when the wearer is seated (or, sliding along the pavement on their rear after a mishap).
Jeans pretty much come in one standard configuration: belt loops, five pockets, a button, and a fly. Sliders jeans are no exception. The button is plastic and seems to be sewn on in a sturdy fashion, the fly is closed with a YKK zipper, and the seams are double-stitched and solid throughout. For a closeout item, the quality in these jeans is impressive.
Sliders jeans feature kevlar protective panels sewn inside the knees, seat, hips, and outer thighs. The panels feel like slightly coarser denim but are still comfortable against the skin. I’m not an expert in motorcycle armor design, but I feel that the coverage of the kevlar panels is more than adequate, with plenty of excess around the knees and rear. The coverage is also better compared to other motorcycle jeans I’ve seen in the shops.
The jeans are machine washable and have made it through two wash cycles so far without any signs of shrinkage. Once dry after a wash, the denim can be slightly scratchy but that quickly goes away as they loosen up through wearing.
I’ve worn the Sliders on a few rides so far and there’s not really much to say. They’re a pair of jeans. They fit like jeans, they look like jeans, and the only real difference is that they’re a bit thicker and sturdier than normal jeans. Due to the thickness of the denim (and interior kevlar panels), the Sliders feel warmer during a ride than my regular jeans. However, they still let in plenty of cool air and seem like they’ll be perfect for rides next summer.
Summary
I can’t say how well the Slider jeans will perform in a crash but they look and feel like a quality product. If you’re already wearing jeans instead of motorcycle-specific riding pants, the Sliders are definitely worth your consideration, especially if your goal is additional protection without being unbearably hot on the scorcher days.
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