Three years ago I posted about Forma Boots. Today I would like to make a follow-up post about the Boots and the support. I had put on three years and 30,000 Km on these boots and had no issues until early this summer when I hit a day of heavy rain. My toes started feeling funny, like wet and cold type of funny which in fact was not so funny at all. When I arrived in Cobourg my socks and the inside of both boots were soaking wet. It took two days in the sun to dry out completely and luckily I was visiting for that long and the following days were sunny.
Now apparently these boots have a waterproof sock lining that is designed to keep your feet dry. In fact, they put the following statement on their website (kinda grosses my out a bit):
“Sharp toe nails will cut through a waterproof liner, especially when shifting through gears. It’s best to replace any threadbare socks and keep your toe nails short and filed before riding.”
That comment got my imagination going about riders with giant claws for toe nails. None the less, my boots leaked and my toe nails are not the culprit for sure! Trust me, not the toe nails.
The dealer I purchased them from no longer is in operation and the sales were taken over by Ottawa Good Time Center therefore I had no retailer to go back to. So I packaged up the boots and sent them to the Canadian Distributor in Quebec City. I actually took the time to translate my letter into French and had the translation side by side.
Somehow I sent them regular post but they arrived in Quebec City the following day with my letter. Three days later I received the following e-mail: Hello Mr. Sanderson.
The following day Purolator dropped off a brand new pair of Forma Boots at my front door.
Isabel asked if I am a happy customer? Well Yes I am! I got a brand new pair of boots so I am very content. This is a company that really stands behind their products and goes far beyond the expected warranty. Best of all, their products are so good, so comfortable and technically number one! There are many end of season sales going on so Go Buy a Pair Now!
A Big Thank You to Isabel Rouillard at MD Distributions.
I assume that the constant clicking and walking in these boots eventually will wear through the protective liner and I do not know how to prevent that from happening other than to remove the boots when you walk around town or go shopping. Perhaps I’ll start doing that but they are so darn comfy I almost could sleep in them.
Well, just in time for the rain…
Re-Post of Original Post on Forma Boots
Boots, Shoes or Slippers
About a year ago I came across a pair of boots online that piqued my interest. At first it was based on the appearance of these boots. A brown leather type adventure boot and the brown color would have matched my Brown leather jacket and Vespa GTV-300 at the time. They were called Forma Adventure boots and they looked amazing. The problem was they were not sold locally and I would never ever buy boots without trying them on. In fact, it took multiple trips to many stores between Montreal and Ottawa to find my last pair of boots that seemed comfortable at the store but after walking in them for an hour or so proved to be not so comfortable.
Last month my friend Mike Fritz who must have one of those standard size feet ordered a pair for the United States. He convinced me to have a second look and I did. I found a company that tours the dirt race track scene and motorcycle racing who sold Forma boots from his trailer and was not so far from my house. In fact he did not have a store front and offered to come to our home and offer my wife and I a personal fitting. So I gathered up the size of boots that we presently wear and gave it to him. The boot comes in two colors, the brown and black. We selected the black to go with our black Klim Pants even though I really like the brown. I think the brown is a fad color at the moment since more and more gear is coming in that color this year. But it will show the dirt more and black matches better with our outfit and bikes.
These boots are made in Italy and I have listed the details and features at the end of this article. The features that caught my eye are the comfort promise and the CE ratings. Additionally, getting in and out of a boot easily is also a desirable trait for a boot to have.
Lee Malette from the CoreGuys arrived at my house on time at 6:30. He had two pairs of black adventure boots in two new boxes. He entered and introduced himself and explained how he does not have a store but travels throughout Ontario and Quebec selling Forma Boots. So as a gentleman I allowed him to serve my wife first. When he took them out of the box they looked so big and heavy. Surprisingly enough, heavy is not what they are. They are light. When my wife slipped her foot into the boot and then buckled up the side buckles I could see the smile on her face. Her leg moved forward as she took her first step with the boots down the living room hallway towards the bedroom. She bent over and adjusted the side buckles slightly and continued to walk around the house. Lee said that he was planning to stay for an hour to be certain that they are comfortable and exactly what we wanted. He stressed the importance of wearing them for an hour to get the real feel for the boots.
We continued to talk about business, boots and bikes when I tried my pair on. At first the boots seemed to be not long enough. My toes were pushing against the tip of the boot. So I removed them with some disappointment (my wallet was smiling) and started to put them back into the box when Lee said, hey, put them back on and try them for a while. You have nothing to lose since I am here. So I out them back on and to my surprise, the tips of the boots were nowhere near my toes this time round? I think the initial feeling was the memory foam sole beginning to form around my feet. So I adjusted the buckles and began to walk around with Chantal. I then came up the idea to try one foot with the forma and the other with my old Dainese and then visa versa. As I slipped my foot into my old boot I could feel the stress of a boot that just did not fit like the Forma. As I walked around I could not wait to get my foot back into the Forma.
Lee and I struck up a great conversation and more than an hour passed while Chantal and I were still standing and moving around in the boots. Chantal and I looked at each other and the words “SLIPPERS” came out of both our mouths.
Seriously! these boots offer all of the riding protection, grip and completely waterproof and they feel like slippers. I cannot say that I have ever worn a more comfortable boot. I almost feel like purchasing a second pair as a back-up in case they change their design.
Check Mark on Comfort!
So what are the other benefits? Well as I had mentioned at the beginning, they look awesome. But they offer ankle support and would definitely protect your foot and ankles from road rash and/or twisting and breaking bones as much as another boot that I have seen. In fact, it appears to be one to the best protection systems that I have observed and it is CE rated. Finally, they have a patented lining that allows the foot to breath by pumping air out as you walk but stops all water from entering. This goes perfect with our Gore-Tex KLIM Jacket and pants.
Comfort – Waterproof – Protection – Good Looks
We had talked so much that when I looked at the clock it was already 9:00. Lee had a portable Visa Card machine and without saying a word I took out my Visa from my wallet and placed it on the table next to the machine.
It was clear to Lee that he was not going home with these boots. Chantal and I can’t wait to start wearing these in two to three weeks from now when spring is actually here. In fact, I think I may try their running shoe like boot called the Slam Dry for just running around town to the store and such.
Forma Adventure Boots
- 12 months WARRANTY if purchased in the USA
- Guaranteed perfect fit 🙂
- Updated latest version
- CE Certified quality
- Full-grain Oiled Leather upper
- Updated Drytex lining (waterproof and breathable)
- Vintage leather finish
- Adventure double density anti slip/rubber sole
- Injection moulded plastic front plate
- Plastic gear pad protection
- Internal molded plastic protections
- Adjustable velcro closure
- Unbreakable and adjustable GH plastic buckles
- Shin and ankle TPU moulded plastic protections
- Ankle reinforcements
- Special rigid nylon mid-sole with steel shank
- Extra soft polymer padding with memory foam
- Anti-bacterial replaceable footbed with APS
- Suitable for men and women
- High quality produced 100% in Europe