Don't know how much this will mean, but pants-wise, I always look for whether they are lined inside. I don't wear knee braces and have heard from others that the cordura(spelling sucks) and the kevlar can tear your knees up especially if you're in the saddle a long time. Boots wise, there's so many to choose from, try as many as possible to look for support AND comfort. I know they're probably #1 nationwide, but I have yet to find a pair of alpine stars that fit me well and were still comfortable. At least from the Tech series models.