Mizuno’s Present versus Past

What leather is treated with and its advantages that it has over other leather boots is not something that is talked about much with other brands. Sure, Nike talks about ACC and adidas has much to say about its FusionSkin but outside of what they are, there isn’t much said about what they do. This is where it feels like Mizuno has really done their homework. A brand can pack all of the tech in the world into a leather boot but if it doesn’t last or is a pain to clean, its not really worth it in my opinion.

Let’s start with Scotch Gard leather, which Mizuno used to previously use on all of their top end models. Scotch Gard is normally sold as a spray that helps with stain resistance and with waterproofing. The former aspect is what Mizuno was more focused on. The Scotch Gard was used as part of the treating process while the leather was being prepared to be used for making the boots. The goal was to help the leather become more resistant to pick up stains, smells and to help increase the overall durability. Having used Mizuno kangaroo leather boots for several years, I can confirm that this was effective. So, then people might be wondering why Mizuno decided to change.

Which is where Washable Kangaroo Leather comes into play. In the years previous to 2020, Mizuno mostly only used their Washable Kangaroo Leather on their mid-range made in Japan models, like the Monarcida series. However, preceding the launch of the updated 2020 Morelia, Mizuno switched to a newly improved version of their Washable K-leather which began to be used on higher end models towards the end of 2019. The reason behind this switch is that Mizuno found through feedback from customers as well as their pro athletes that the Scotch Gard tended to wear off too quickly for their liking. So, Mizuno decided to stop using Scotch Gard and focus more on improving their own Washable Kangaroo leather.

Mizuno says Washable K-leather is easier to clean (since its erm, washable) and has a higher level of durability. I have personally found it to be slightly more pliable and prefer the newer leather. Again, it still is somewhat stain resistant, but cleaning and keeping the boots easier to do than a lot of leather boots from other brands. I also found that the leather as good as previously when it came to not picking up smells.

What’s even better is that aside form the fact that the newer leather being a bit more pliable, its nearly impossible to tell the difference between the two. Even when testing was going on with the new Morelia, the testers didn’t know the leather treatment had been changed until they were told about it.

Hopefully this short little breakdown of the leathers will be a useful resource for people.

Please share this with your friends and please make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

じゃあね！