Forma Mirage Dry

When August greeted us with rain and floods, I had a chance to try out my waterproof Forma Mirage Dry motorcycle boots. First of all, I would like to thank Motomax. They stood behind their products and replaced a pair under warranty even though the warranty period was almost over.

Admittedly, I had hardly worn them and they did not look old, but the first time I put them on after a long break, the heel protector fell off and the sole started separating at the heel.

The Forma Mirage Dry looks like a racing boot, is almost as comfortable as a touring boot, comes with various protective features, is made of genuine leather, has a non-slip sole and claims to be waterproof. It is imported by Motomax and currently costs ₺459.90 (Motomax can, of course, change the price whenever and however it likes). In your hands, it gives an impression of quality. The boot closes with a zip and Velcro, and has Mirage lettering on suede on its inner side. It has replaceable metal toe sliders, a rather bulky plastic heel protector, a plastic gear-change pad, plastic ankle protectors and plastic air ducts above the ankle, plus a plastic shin protector. I think it looks good. Although the impact protection seems adequate, it does not look as if it would protect your shin against a sideways impact above the ankle as a proper racing boot would: you can bend the boot from side to side by hand above ankle level.

The sole does not slip, and walking feels much like walking in racing boots; in fact, without an ankle hinge, it is a little harder to walk in than Sidi or Dainese racing boots. Still, it is not a product made for walking in anyway. Looking inside, we find an enclosed inner lining with a Drytex membrane extending above the ankle. Put a hand inside and you can feel the memory foam at the foot's pressure points. The insole is antibacterial and replaceable; that also means you need to be careful when putting the boots on and taking them off, because if you have hook-shaped feet like mine, you can dislodge it. :P Once on, they wrap around your feet nicely; you feel protected and secure.

Now for the question we are really interested in. Will our feet get wet in the rain, or stay dry? And, of course, what about sweat? Sometimes feet get wet from the inside rather than the outside. :P

As I said, during my on-road training sessions over the past few days, I found myself having to carry out what you might call extreme tests. Almost in the blink of an eye, dry tarmac turned into a shallow river, with little ponds in places. I am talking about conditions in which the water thrown up by other vehicles reached my shoulders. The bike I was riding is enduro height, and while I would not call myself a towering figure, I am not exactly short either.

On the first day, my client riding ahead of me and I got caught in the rain without our rain gear on. I was wearing a mesh jacket and trousers, with my one-piece rain suit in my bag. Partly because I thought it was just a summer shower that would soon pass, and partly because my client had no rain protection with them (apparently I was going to show some empathy—nobody could accuse me of being particularly clever), I did not stop to put on my rain suit. I hoped my feet would stay dry, but I was wrong...

The boots did not actually leak. My trousers were channelling water onto my legs so quickly that the water running down them filled the boots. Their waterproofing suddenly became a disadvantage: the water inside could not get out. All in all, it was not a very pleasant experience.

The next day, I forgot all about empathy and put my rain suit straight on. We spent several hours in the rain, sometimes in heavy downpours, sometimes in lighter rain. Now and then while riding, my feet felt as though they were wet. I should point out that at times the water thrown up by other vehicles felt like someone was throwing buckets of water at me from the side. When I got home, my feet seemed dry. They were not completely dry, but I could not tell whether the boots had leaked or my feet had sweated. The following day we hardly got caught in the rain at all, yet my feet were sweaty again. So, in short, the boots keep water out, but they are not particularly breathable either. They are not on the level of a Gore-Tex touring boot, although neither is the price. At the end of the day, I do not regret the purchase, but I should avoid a definitive verdict: three or four days is hardly enough time to assess a motorcycle boot properly.

Some time has passed since I wrote this review. During that time, I have had the chance to test the Forma Mirage Dry in various weather conditions. Much as I appreciate the work of its distributor, Motomax, I cannot really recommend this product. Over time, the leather immediately behind the gear-change pad has started peeling, and the heel has begun separating. In weather like today's, the inside becomes damp even on a thirty-minute ride; particularly when I wear a rain suit, it quite clearly gets wet inside, starting at the front. Another problem is that the boots slip on the footpegs in wet weather. At first I wondered whether the rubber on the Multistrada's pegs was poor quality, but since my other boots do not slip, I have started to think the sole rubber is not really suitable for the job either. I did not want to make another warranty claim. Motomax has already replaced the product once, and I doubt another replacement would change much.