I've always worn PPE on the bikes, regardless of the weather. If I didn’t then I would have had a knackered right ankle after a estate car pulled out and turned right, leaving me nowhere to go. My right ankle was trapped between the bike and his wheel arch, but my forward momentum took me over the bonnet, dragging my ankle out with it. In the ambulance I would not let them cut the boot off, so unzipped it removed it myself, albeit in a lot of pain. I reasoned it had saved me so you can't ruin it cutting it off, it was armoured anyway so would have been difficult.
When the docs checked me over they found "Only" severe ligament damage, but no breaks. They informed me the ankle will never be as it was, due to the damage, but if I had not been in those boots I would have lost it. I was off work, and ordered to keep all weight off the ankle for two weeks minimum. When I looked the boot over a bit later to see how it had faired. the top part from ankle area upwards was bent over at a 90% angle, despite that part being heavily armoured and only allowing the normal movement of the foot for walking. Annoyingly those boots were original Frank Thomas, and the best I've ever owned