Aerostich’s Protekt Khakis combine the orderly appearance of business casual with the impact protection of well designed riding gear, utilizing an innovative set of hidden armor pockets and strategically placed abrasion-resistant fabric layers. The exterior shell is made entirely of machine washable cotton twill, styled in the contemporary pleatless Dockeresque fashion. Hidden armor pockets at the knees accept Aerostich’s optional 10- x 6-inch rectangular-shaped TF3 armor pads. These viscoelastic pads can be inserted or removed within seconds while the pants are being worn, conveniently allowing the rider to store them in a tank bag or saddlebag after
arriving at work. When the armor pads are removed, the Protekt pants appear to be plain generic officewear.
Inside, the cotton twill exterior shell is reinforced with rugged 500-denier Cordura layers at the knee and seat areas, followed by another lightweight cotton layer facing the rider’s skin for comfort. These layers add some weight compared to typical khakis, so wearing a belt is advisable. Pocket layout and capacity of the Protekt design is similar to typical khakis.
Out on the road, the Protekt Khakis are perfect for short-distance or urban commuters. The protection offered by the soft, flexible TF3 pads and layered Cordura is certainly preferable to office-grade Dockers or jeans, but of course is not comparable to dedicated high-quality motorcycle-specific overpants. The Protekt pants are designed primarily for the convenience of being able to ride in town and then quickly enter the workplace in appropriate dress, and in that mission they are a home run. Over the course of this test, I commuted to work for weeks and attended multiple executive-level business meetings donning these pants sans pads, and nobody ever knew I was wearing riding gear. The cotton twill broke in over two weeks of commuting, and softened up nicely after a few cycles in the washing machine.
The quick-change routine outside of the office became an ingrained habit after a week, thanks to the boot-cut design of the pant legs. The Protekt pants easily slipped over my Sidi boots, without looking like bell-bottoms once I changed into my loafers for work. The only item left on my wish list was hip pads, which are currently unavailable—if there is a way to integrate some thin, lightweight pads into the hip areas to afford riders even more protection, it would make a great product even better.
The Aerostich Protekt Khakis are available in 20 men’s sizes both regular and tall, in “Light” (tan) and “Dark” (olive green) colors. The MSRP for these American-made pants is $127, and the optional TF3 pads are $30.
For more information, call (800) 222-1994 or visit aerostich.com.
