Over the years I’ve collected a number of boots and while my Alpinestars Supertech R race boots were great on a race bike I needed something a little bit more rugged for use on the GS. I had been touring with a set of Alpinestars SMX-3 boot, and while this was comfortable and easy to live with being a low boot, it was a bit too sporty and have very little in the way of grip on the sole. I had seen a very favourable review of a Forma adventure boot but I didn’t want a full height boot. Having looked for alternatives I was informed that the boot I had seen reviewed was available in a low version, what’s more the online link I was sent was a local outlet meaning I could go and give them a try before committing.
The Forma Adventure Low boots certainly look the part. Available in black or brown, I opted for the brown Full-grain oil treated leather. The low boot has two adjustable quick release buckles and a velcro closure. When open the boot flap has an internal gusset to give them the waterproof capability that my old boots struggled with in extreme rain. For when the ground gets rough the sole has ample tread that looks like it can handle the hardiest of terrain.
I was reliably informed that they would bed in very quickly but from the off they were extremely comfy with a good padded interior. As you would expect from a boot of this nature they are very sturdy and it took a minute to mentally adjust to where my foot needed to be on gear shift. The boots are solid and while I might want more protection if I was doing some extreme off road riding, I’m not and these are a significant upgrade in terms of what I was wearing for touring.
Spec wise this is what you get for your 170 British pounds…
Outer
- Full-grain oil treated leather upper
- Specific adventure/enduro/ atv-quad double density compound rubber sole
- Injection moulded plastic protection
- Plastic gear pad protection
- Adjustable velcro closure
- Replaceable/adjustable GH plastic buckles
Inner
- Personalized Forma Drytex tubular lining (waterproof and breathable)
- Ankle TPU moulded plastic protections
- Soft polymer padding with memory foam
- PP Mid Dual Flex with anti-shock EVA midsole
- Anti-bacterial replaceable footbed with A.P.S. (Air Pump System)
Available from many stockist but I can certainly recommend my local store Adventure Bike Warehouse
And after a bit of use they clean up well too as you can see here
Are we doing the Stelvio today? – Signed Copy
When seven weekend adventurers from either side of the Atlantic meet in Geneva, the trip that follows turns into the most memorable journey…
- Format: Paperback
- Publication Date: 28/07/2020
- ISBN: 9781913208547
- Exclusive: Signed by the author
HI
Looking to purchase this boots for mostly pavement and some gravel roads.
How’s your long term use of the boots
They have done many miles through all sorts of weather. I clean them occasionally with a water based leather cleaner and they show no sign of wear.They still look as they do in this post https://www.redsmartie.com/2019/01/forma-adventure-boot-cleaning-and-maintenance/
So apart from the comments aboity how they look with a clean up ,,, are they any bloody good? Pretty non committal review matey!
Only so much you can say about boots. They are very comfy, they protect my feet from the floor and other obstacles, I’ve had an off once and they didn’t fall off, the ability to clean them means they still look good and I still use them now after many years. I’d buy them again but they won’t wear out.
Sounds about as much as you can say about a boot! You’ve talked about comfort, fit, construction etc and the fact that they’re hard wearing.
Perhaps if you could throw yourself down the road at higher speed just to let us know how they perform then though maybe?
Did you read all three parts of the review? There’s this out-of-the-box/first impressions review, the one about maintaining them, and the one after they’ve got some decent miles on them. I’d say that’s actually a lot more information than most reviewers give.
Admittedly if you’re hoping for herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains you might be disappointed, but…