I gave my Forma boots a clean at the weekend. After a sponge and scrub I realised I needed a bit of treatment to keep the leather in good condition. I thought this could also help with the waterproofing, despite the natural properties of the full grain oiled leather. My natural response was to get some old school dubbin. After a bit of research on the Forma website, I saw the following statement.
“Heavy waterproofing products or waxes can block the stitching lines which allow the boots to breath and dry naturally. Any lightweight water-based leather conditioning product is ok to apply from time to time. Oil based leather products are not recommended as they soften the leather too much and can cause bonded soles to separate from the leather.”
https://www.formabootsusa.com/pages/about-us
I tested out opinion on the forums. The first response mentioned Nikwax, something that I was just looking at on another page.
Since going out to buy some there were some further responses suggesting the alternative products. These were Urad JoJo wax cleaner, Renapur leather treatment, Ledergris, and Gliptone’s Liquid Leather. I should note that some of these are oil or wax based. I wanted to stick with the water based product recommended by Forma. The oil/wax based products can also darken the leather to a greater degree.
Having treated the boots and let them dry naturally over a longer period they do seem to have returned closer to their original colour.
You can read my original review here and a post trip update here
I have just bought a new pair of Forma motorcycle boots and I was wondering if it would do any damage by putting a light coat of OakWood leather rehydrating cream on them as the weather over here gets quite wet and I ride a lot in the rain and don’t like wet feet
I wouldn’t. It’s an oil based automotive cream that states that it softens leather. That goes against everything in the Forma statement.