Bont shoes?

[Jean]

Hi,

I did a search, but only got passing mentions, so I'm wondering if anyone has anything particular to say about Bont cycling shoes. As the owner of two large and wide feet, I've been using Northwaves for an aeon, but my current road shoes are on the way out and I'm wondering about alternatives. The Bont Riot+ seems a possibility.

Cheers

[MichaelB]

Have had them in the past - Bont Vaypor (with the ratchet straps), Bont Blitz and even a pair of the Vaypor S.

The old Vaypor's were the best fit, and I think the Riot+ is the modern version of it, but with the Boa dial.

The Blitz's weren't bad, but didn't quite have the width of the Vaypor (got killed when I stacked the bike), and the VayporS were heaps narrower and never used them (sold them on again).

Was looking at the Riot+ for my last shoes, but managed top get a 2nd pair of RP-901 S-Phyre (got a pair of the RC-901 with the twin Boa at a bargain price) and they fit great. The RP-901 is the predecessor with only a single Boa, but they were $180.

I'd get a pair of the Riot+, but some of their colouring is a bit ..... dramatic !!

I guess it depends on how much you want to spend, but would make sure you try them and see if you need the normal or wide versions.

[MattyK]

I have some Riot TRs which are the triathlon version, different upper but I assume the base is the same.

Stiff like you would not believe.
Plenty of toe room (width), unlike my ballet slipper Fiziks.
They will either fit you or they won't. Reviews seem very polarised. They claim to be heat mouldable, they're not. I've tried, as have many other reviewers it seems, with no apparent change.
Sizes seem to run small (short), and the bathtub base is completely unforgiving of being too small. (for reference I have Shimanos in 44, Fiziks in 44.5 and Bonts in 45). So try before you buy.
I've found the sole doesn't seem to be that flat, to me it felt like there's a bulge under the ball of the foot. Tolerable for short races but makes my feet go numb on longer rides.
The insole is cheap, flimsy and useless. I chucked some equivalently cheap insoles from some old Shimanos in there and they were better. A better insole might improve things a lot.

[nathg]

I picked up a pair of Riot+ in June. Pretty happy with them, although yet to do any longer rides 50km+ so unsure how they’d go there.

In comparison to my other shoes (older pair of Scott’s and Shimano Tri) they are a lot stiffer. Have found for short periods during a ride this stiffness is slightly uncomfortable, but it doesn’t stick around, just get the feeling for maybe a kilometer max a few times a ride.

I don’t have wide feet so can’t comment on that aspect, and am pretty sure I had to size up as my normal size was just a tad too small.

[booge]

I've just purchased the riot plus MTB shoes. Had 2 rides, have heat moulded them twice also. They're way stiffer than the 15year old specialized ones they replaced but quite a bit tighter.
I used the detailed size chart Bont have for measuring your feet. I still find mine a bit tight across the width at the toes. I don't have particularly wide feet and according to the size chart I was a 44 standard width. In hindsight I would've gone for the wide ones.
They're easily as stiff as my Sidi carbon road shoes. I'm hoping a lot of wearing in will stretch them a bit. The heat moulding only makes a very minor change to the fit, nothing drastic.
They are well made shoes.

If you contact Bont via their site chat they seem to happily offer a discount code too fyi.

[mogwaiboi]

I had the Bont Riot+ and they weren't too bad, they definitely run smaller than the same 43 Shimano's I have. I ended up selling them as they rubbed in places being a size too small, heat molding didn't help in my case. Having that bathtub sole there was no room for any give on the outside when your feet swell, where as the Shimano material has a bit of give. I obviously needed a 44 and possibly the wide version.

If you do long rides I wouldn't personally recommend them, the Shimano RC7 and RC901 in wide are much more comfy in my opinion and I have pretty wide feet.

[queequeg]

I have the Vaypor G Bonts for gravel riding, so basically a Vaypor S with SPD recessed cleats and soles made for walking on loose gravel (hike a bike).

They are very stiff shoes. I had issues with them the first time I used them as I had lost some weight and the show was now the wrong shape.

Two things fixed that…Heat Moulded Retul foot beds (basically taken from an imprint of your foot), then the bits of the shoe that were rubbing was corrected by heat moulding the shoe again. Important to note, just sticking it in your home oven is not ideal. I had mine done by the bike fitter and he has a low temp accurate oven for the shoes, plus the adjustable insert that can be used to push problem areas of the shoe outwards and hold it there while the shoe cools down. This was handy around the toe box area and on the outside of my foot near my little toe where it would rub in one spot.

They are expensive shoes and I don’t recommend them for rides with extended amount of walking as the sole has zero flex. Getting over a small hike a bike section is fine, but you don’t want to walk kms in these shoes. I have some Shimano XC300 shoes for that type of ride

[Jean]

Thanks all for the replies. Shoe fit is very subjective, of course, but getting a sense of how they are to use etc is useful. A visit to a LBS today was a reminder of the limited shoe stock that is usually available in store. I can understand their situation, but it doesn't help you find a new pair of shoes in a large, wide size.

I might have a closer look at Lake shoes. They seem to accommodate various foot shapes with their lasts and have some possibly useful online fitting guides.

Northwaves in my size seem very scarce ATM, and I'm not sure if they're as roomy as they used to be.

[foo on patrol]

The question that should have been asked firstly is..........How much are you willing to pay?

Foo

[warthog1]

I dont have a particularly wide foot, maybe slightly on the narrow side of average.
Anyway had multiple different branded shoes over the years.
Sidi were the best until I got some of these.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/surge ... =870001096

Super comfortable for my foot.
Stiff enough without being super rigid.
You able to move the cleat position a long way forward and back too


Like these shoes so much i bought some Giant shoes for the new gravelly too.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/charge-pro-hv-2020
They are super comfy too and also have a wide range of cleat positioning.

[Jean]

The question that should have been asked firstly is..........How much are you willing to pay?

Foo

</= $300 preferably, but I would go to $400 if my choices were limited and the fit was right. My feet have driven me into the upper reaches of my shoe budgets before. I can't remember what I paid for my first Northwaves back in the late 1990s (IIRC), but I remember it was scandalous.

[ft_critical]

I might have a closer look at Lake shoes. They seem to accommodate various foot shapes with their lasts and have some possibly useful online fitting guides.

I went on a small mission to find wider shoes. As you say it is personal.., but, it also depends where your feet are wide. Mine for example are wide in the middle of the forefoot (metatarsal end). Other people need a wide toe-box. Using near new, but second-hand shoes, I bought and sold several pairs. The Vaypour S Wide are amazing, but too narrow in the mid-forefoot, yet wide in the toe-box. Contrary to other comments, I found the heat moulding very good, just couldn't squeeze enough out for the right foot. Didn't try the Riot.
I tried two pairs of Lakes, 238 and 332. Same issue, wide toe-box, too narrow in the mid-forefoot. Also, I didn't find the heel-cup grip adequate at all for the stiffness of the shoe. Not so with the Bonts.

So.., back to Shimano RC7s. They are just the perfect wide-fitting shoe - for me. I am not going to bother searching anymore.

One observation, buying the top-of-the-line race-shoe, even in wide, seems to be a fail. Whereas, the level 2 or 3 shoe in wide seems a better fit.

Good luck,

[g-boaf]

Two things fixed that…Heat Moulded Retul foot beds (basically taken from an imprint of your foot), then the bits of the shoe that were rubbing was corrected by heat moulding the shoe again. Important to note, just sticking it in your home oven is not ideal. I had mine done by the bike fitter and he has a low temp accurate oven for the shoes, plus the adjustable insert that can be used to push problem areas of the shoe outwards and hold it there while the shoe cools down. This was handy around the toe box area and on the outside of my foot near my little toe where it would rub in one spot.

They are expensive shoes and I don’t recommend them for rides with extended amount of walking as the sole has zero flex. Getting over a small hike a bike section is fine, but you don’t want to walk kms in these shoes. I have some Shimano XC300 shoes for that type of ride

Oh those retul footbeds are interesting. I have custom carbon-fibre orthotics for my shoes. They are great, but they are for S-Works 6 shoes. So far I'm on my second set of S-Works 6 (the first one got old and wore out), if Specialized changes the design of the newer shoes, then it's a big problem.

I would say to anyone looking at shoes, don't skimp out - go for the the best you can get for comfort. That might be expensive, or it might not be. But it's worth putting in more time and effort to get ones that are right especially if do a lot of riding.

What Queequeg is suggesting seems very worthwhile.

[foo on patrol]

Shimano have a good range of shoes in wider fits. I tend to buy when there are sales on and you can save a bucket load of money on high end shoes.

Foo

[Jean]

I dont have a particularly wide foot, maybe slightly on the narrow side of average.
Anyway had multiple different branded shoes over the years.
Sidi were the best until I got some of these.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/surge ... =870001096

After a trip to the largest nearby LBS, it seems I have to go size up from my current Northwaves (which I've learned have definitely changed their sizing scheme).

The LBS had a lower end Giant shoe in my size, which was a good fit, so Giant might be an option. The standard Shimano RC902s were an OK fit, but a little too snug. A wide fit is available, but scarce and more than $500 from Pushy's online.

I'd love to try some Lakes, but they are scarce too. Bikebug stocks them, but they are out of stock for the ones I'm interested in. They're waiting for more...but screwy 2021 logistics.

[warthog1]

I dont have a particularly wide foot, maybe slightly on the narrow side of average.
Anyway had multiple different branded shoes over the years.
Sidi were the best until I got some of these.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/surge ... =870001096

After a trip to the largest nearby LBS, it seems I have to go size up from my current Northwaves (which I've learned have definitely changed their sizing scheme).

The LBS had a lower end Giant shoe in my size, which was a good fit, so Giant might be an option. The standard Shimano RC902s were an OK fit, but a little too snug. A wide fit is available, but scarce and more than $500 from Pushy's online.

I'd love to try some Lakes, but they are scarce too. Bikebug stocks them, but they are out of stock for the ones I'm interested in. They're waiting for more...but screwy 2021 logistics.

Sitting down for a coffee on the lawn at a coffee shop a week or so back.
Another rider I know commented on the Giant shoes I have, wearing the same himself.
"Comfortable aren't they" he reckons.
I said "yeah best I've worn but my feet are a bit narrow".
He agreed but "mine are wide" he reckons.
Anyway we both took our shoes off and yeah his foot was broader at the ball of the foot.
Got me stumped how they are comfortable for both of us, perhaps it is the way the dual boa closure is routed/located?
Anyway they aren't super cheap but are under $400 if on special, might be worth a try.

[Jean]

It became a bit of saga, but I ended up with these this morning. Thanks to all for the input.