Forma Frontier Dry boots in black

We do not resile from our assertion that Daytona make the best touring and commuting boots that money can buy. Daytona uses the best quality, super-soft, hydrophobic leather. They use only the best components, like YKK zips, Gore-Tex membranes and the like. They put a hot-dip, galvanised steel shank in the sole. And all of their boots are put together by time-served specialists in the same factory that the company has operated from since they opened their doors in 1973.

But their boots are furiously expensive. Those who can simply afford to buy the best, and those who do huge miles can perhaps justify the cost. The latter have simply learned over the years that no boot stands up to abuse like a Daytona boot does. But not everybody can justify the expense. And not everybody can afford the expense.

Which is why we have put such effort in, over the years, to finding boots that are one or perhaps two levels down from the Daytonas. In truth, we are happy that Held is the boot brand that sits one level down, but Held’s boots are still expensive, and so close are they in price that many decide to stick with Daytonas.

Now, there used to be a couple of TCX boots that filled the next slot, but the now Dainese-owned brand has little to offer in this sector, so we have had to look elsewhere. And for us the brands that meet our requirements are Forma and Falco. Now this boot, the Forma Frontier Dry, seems to meet a number of the criteria that we are looking for.

The boot is made from a heavily-oiled, full-grain leather. That’s good from a waterproofing perspective, but you can forget about bringing them to a shine. This leather won’t respond to polishing. That will be disappointing to some, manna from heaven to others. If over time they start to dry out, you can use something like Safir’s Renovateur to keep the leather nourished and soft. 

The membrane is Forma’s Drytex membrane. It’s not Gore-Tex, but we don’t really come across waterproofing issues with Forma. 

In terms of protection, you get a hard protector for the shin, strong counters in the toe and heel, and pucks to cover the ankles. On the toe there’s a gear change pad. There doesn’t appear to be a shank in the sole, but the sole does feel incredibly rigid across the footbed. Forma tell us that the sole is double density, although we’re not fully sure what that means.

So how do they rate in terms of comfort?  Well Forma seems to have done everything they can to make it nice to wear. There’s a padded shaft at the top of the boot. And you get soft, concertina padding in the forefoot and in the heel. One of the things we do like about the boot is the Daytona-like twin-zip entry system. As with the Daytona Road Star, the external zip is covered by a Velcro storm flap. This twin zips should make getting in and out of the boot easier. And Forma have lasted the boot over their more generous Comfort last; this means the boot should work well on those with wider feet.

Forma go on about memory foam insole, what they call their Air Pump System, and an anti-shock mid-sole. Truth be told, this sounds like the kind of verbiage that all the manufacturers come up with. But I think it does tell us that Forma has tried to make this a comfortable boot.

Overall, the Frontier Dry seems like a good touring and commuting boot that is going to be up to the job for all but the most high-mileage riders. In the margin, it’s not a Daytona Road Star, even though that’s clearly what the Frontier Dry is based on. But here’s the thing; it’s half the price of the Daytona.

Now one of the benefits of a Daytona has always been the ability to have repairs done. And that is still the case, but recently we have come across a company that can repair most things on a motorcycle boot, including replacing the soles. It’s a company called the Boot Repair Company. It’s not an imaginative name, but the importer is now using them to replace soles on Daytona boots, so we reckon they can be relied upon.