Yeah motorcycle boot would be nice, Mayby I can find some used ones online for a reasonable price we will see how much he wants to continue to ride.

since you brought it up what do You guys wear riding around town, I lace up my steal toed work boots but I have some old fox motocross boots that I never wear.

When Commuting I wear a pair of Bates Military style boots, and jeans And a t-shirt (& Jacket & Gloves when it's cooler)and a helmet.

I usually wear high top steel toe work boots to help support my ankles. Gloves with knuckle protection all the time and jeans. I had the experience of road rash at the age of 18. It wasn't pleasant. :ohno: I don't have any fancy riding gear but do try to wear as much clothing as I can stand in the summer.

My full complement of riding gear adds up to the cost of a new Hawk or Bashan, and a lot of it was bought on sales/clearances from sites like Revzilla. A lot of this was also bought and intended for riding bigger bikes capable of much higher speeds than said Hawks and Bashans, so take it with a grain of salt.

My alternative gear that I usually wear with my Hawk is a pair of "tactical" shoes, aka Combat boots with a shorter ankle section. Any sort of boot that has a good ankle section is going to be far better than a pair of sneakers. For pants I will stick with a good pair of jeans, but even Denim offers a very minimal protection and at higher speeds will shred away quickly in a slide.

For a Jacket, I use my old Firstgear branded mesh jacket. Comes with armor in the shoulder and elbows and with a dual density foam back protector. I have since upgraded, but for $180 it was a decent investment.

I have 3 different pairs of gloves depending on the time of year and how I plan on riding. As long as they have at least a double layered protection in the palm (extra leather) and some sort of knuckle guard, then they will work just fine.

There are alternative options for dual sport riding, especially if off-road riding is the consideration. Armor protection tends to be the priority over abrasion (road rash) since the risk of falling into rocks and hitting trees is higher.

eveRide adv has some great budget minded gear guides, and all of his suggestions come from actual use/abuse. He has a guide he put together for ATTGATT riding on a budget that might be worth looking at.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbpPoR6DyBs