Who likes Bont shoes?

[IJWS]

There are some past season Vaypors on Bont's site, and the Riots are all over the internet for relatively inexpensive prices (<$140).

I've always been interested in Bont's. I like the idea of the stiff heat-moldable soles.

Who has any experience with these shoes?

Currently wearing Fizik R3's, Favorite shoes: Sidi Genius 5's.

Thanks for your input!

[FlashUNC]

I swapped from Fiziks to Bonts this year. Love them. The fit is very different, but the wider toe box has been a benefit.

The heat molding works and is pretty cool. They're crazy stiff and maybe don't have quite the same fit and finish as some of the other brands out there, but I find them extremely comfortable and seem durable.

One word of warning, they supply cleat bolts with their shoes, but they didn't work with my Time pedals. Had to Dremel down the length of the standard Time bolts so they didn't poke into my foot.

The supplied insoles pretty much suck, so I'd go with whatever you prefer over the stock ones. Oh, and I found they had a bit lower stack height, so had to tweak saddle height a bit.

[Veloo]

Why did I read the thread title to the tune of "Who wears short shorts..."?

I tried on the Riots at an LBS but the strap wouldn't ratchet down enough to give me a secure fit.
I ordered the Blitz from Merlin a few months back but sold them soon after I got them. I just couldn't get the soles to mold very well to the shape of my feet. There was always some point cutting into me. The arch didn't seem to be very moldable so if you have flat feet then be forewarned. When I would heat them to the temperature per instructions, they still needed a fair bit of elbow grease to move the carbon.
I don't think the tub-shaped soled shoes really work for me. I've always had wide, hard to fit feet so I got fed up with the Bonts and sold them. Decided I'd stick to shoes with "flat" soles so the upper material could have some give to match my foot shape. They also have that steep angle for the toe profile so if have a Morton's toe then you have to take that into consideration when choosing a size.

[KarlC]

I have flat feet so the high arches they have dont work for me

[simonov]

I have flat feet so the high arches they have dont work for me

Same here. But if they fit, they're great.

[Climb01742]

The shape of the sole/foot box works for me, but two things don't. Hard to find a footbed that's comfortable that works with the shape of the sole. And I find the upper to be overly stiff and uncomfortable. Softer, more pliable uppers/straps/closures feel better on my other shoes.

Bont has really good points, but the total package falls short for my tootsies.

[fignon's barber]

I've had the Vaypor S for about a year. I rotate between them and Sidi Wires. Both are size 43, and I would say the Bonts fit snugger than Sidi. Bont stiffness is very noticeable. The molding works great and the they feel like they were molded to your feet. In fact, when I undo the BOA and pull the shoe off, it makes a suction noise. Great performance shoe.When compared to Sidi, the Wires are a better quality finish, but the Vaypor S has held up well.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by KarlC
I have flat feet so the high arches they have dont work for me

I've avoided them because I have a very wide foot with a fairly high arch and high instep, and I read on here in a previous thread that they are better for flat low volume feet.

I wonder if that was incorrect, and I should actually be giving them a try.

[FlashUNC]

I've avoided them because I have a very wide foot with a fairly high arch and high instep, and I read on here in a previous thread that they are better for flat low volume feet.

I wonder if that was incorrect, and I should actually be giving them a try.

I liked the high arch support in the Fiziks when they first came out, and have found plenty of arch support in the Bonts, especially once you get them molded.

[BobO]

I've avoided them because I have a very wide foot with a fairly high arch and high instep, and I read on here in a previous thread that they are better for flat low volume feet.

I wonder if that was incorrect, and I should actually be giving them a try.

I have narrow feet with a very high arch and I love the Bonts.

[ultraman6970]

Bont is a really nice shoe but are tough to fit if you have weird feet. Crazy stiff and in my case i forgot i was even using the shoes at some point.

The arch issue some are claiming is kind'a real but the reason the shoe is like that is for you to avoid falling arches so the arch is hard is high so the arch stays still. My way to fix the problem because if your arch are flexible the shoe will pinch you in the middle of the arch, so what I did was to put like a shim in front and in the back of the upper part of the arch under the insole, that creates a more natural contour of my arch and the pain went away, after that no problem.

My shoes were getting old (A1s) so at the time to replace them went Lake, which are the closest to bont in the toe box. Had to go lake because I couldnt pay for bonts vaypors for example, you cant find them for a good price anywhere.

[ftf]

I love my Bonts, but they are custom, I have huge feet, so I don't think my experience really counts. That said they are far superior to the D2s I had previously.

[Clean39T]

I have a pair at home that I've been procrastinating on trying - this thread may nudge me to spend an hour seeing if I can get them to fit.

Question: if I try molding them to my feet, does that kill the resale?

[FlashUNC]

I have a pair at home that I've been procrastinating on trying - this thread may nudge me to spend an hour seeing if I can get them to fit.

Question: if I try molding them to my feet, does that kill the resale?

You can remold them indefinitely according to Bont, so no.

[KarlC]

I've avoided them because I have a very wide foot with a fairly high arch and high instep, and I read on here in a previous thread that they are better for flat low volume feet.

I wonder if that was incorrect, and I should actually be giving them a try.

Everything I have read is that Bonts work best on normal to wider feet with normal to high arches. But some people LOVE them so I wanted to see if I could make them work.

They do not work for my flat feet as the build in arch pushes up into my arch so much it hurt. I tried molding them and different insoles, even 2 thinner insoles at the same time, it was better but never could get it right.

[azrider]

sigh.......

[Clean39T]

sigh.......


In OP’s defense, the last Bont thread was over a year ago - I guess they could have necromanced an old one, but it’s also not like they started another “Rapha is for snobs” thread...

[FlashUNC]

Its almost like we talk about bike stuff around here. Weird.

[azrider]

jus saying the repetition of same threads/questions is growing all time....that search took me .006 seconds and the majority of answers found there are same answers that are popping up here........

[BdaGhisallo]

I love my Bonts, but they are custom, I have huge feet, so I don't think my experience really counts. That said they are far superior to the D2s I had previously.

In what respects are they better than your D2 shoes?

[Gabuyo]

I'm on Bont Vaypor S' now replacing my clapped out Lake CX237s. The fit is different, but seemingly no less comfortable and my Lakes were incredibly cozy. Maybe my feet just aren't fussy. The Bonts are noticeably stiffer and the power transfer is definitely marginally better.

I have very low volume, narrow feet. Long, but not tall arches. I haven't molded the soles, but I have used thicker inserts to fill up some of the volume. The shoes have been totally fine for me in all facets of the road riding I do.

[ftf]

In what respects are they better than your D2 shoes?

Lighter, FAR lighter, stiffer, they have lasted a lot longer, and are more comfortable, they were cheaper (I don't think this is the case anymore, Bont upped their prices I think), and their customer service is better.


Also when I first got my D2s they were wrong, and I had to have the footbeds made again, not a huge issue, but I've heard others complain about similar issues with D2, bont's were right the first time.

[oldguy00]

Just my experience, I hated them, and everyone I know locally that tried them, ditched them in less than one season.

I personally think the 'heat moldable' thing is complete gimmick on these types of shoes. Keep in mind, the main section of the shoe, under your foot, is not moldable. Only some parts of the side, and its not -that much.

Also, they are quite low volume, so if the bottom of the shoe doesn't suit your foot, you are gonna have trouble fitting a custom insole in there.

If you really need custom, don't waste your money on off the shelf 'custom' shoes like this. Just go all the way for the full custom bonts, R7's, or the one's I'm currently looking at, Simmons.

[Gummee]

Just my experience, I hated them, and everyone I know locally that tried them, ditched them in less than one season.

I personally think the 'heat moldable' thing is complete gimmick on these types of shoes. Keep in mind, the main section of the shoe, under your foot, is not moldable. Only some parts of the side, and its not -that much.

Also, they are quite low volume, so if the bottom of the shoe doesn't suit your foot, you are gonna have trouble fitting a custom insole in there.

If you really need custom, don't waste your money on off the shelf 'custom' shoes like this. Just go all the way for the full custom bonts, R7's, or the one's I'm currently looking at, Simmons.

It took me 4-5 times of molding, testing, molding, testing to get my Bonts right. (A1s and A3s) Haven't tried any of the new ones

M

[glepore]

Pluses-super stiff and moldable, plus if you want to run two bolt cleats or run your cleats midfoot, its easy to drill and move the t nuts.

Minuses-as said before, they are low volume. I have super high arches, which the footbed suits, but I have to run the straps wide open or just about, which doesn't leave much room for midride adjustment.

Heel feels insecure at first, but its not.

I go back and forth between Vaypors a pair of empires.The riots are on a slightly different last, I'm told, as are the Vaypor pluses.

[BdaGhisallo]

Just my experience, I hated them, and everyone I know locally that tried them, ditched them in less than one season.

I personally think the 'heat moldable' thing is complete gimmick on these types of shoes. Keep in mind, the main section of the shoe, under your foot, is not moldable. Only some parts of the side, and its not -that much.

Also, they are quite low volume, so if the bottom of the shoe doesn't suit your foot, you are gonna have trouble fitting a custom insole in there.

If you really need custom, don't waste your money on off the shelf 'custom' shoes like this. Just go all the way for the full custom bonts, R7's, or the one's I'm currently looking at, Simmons.

One piece of advice with regard to the Simmons. You need to be very sure that you get an exact molding of your foot that is exactly the way you want it. Because the insole is molded into the shoe, you have very little latitude to make any adjustments to the foot bed. In other custom shoes with a flat insole and a separate orthotic that slips in, you can add material under the orthotic if your casting isn't 100% spot on. In the Simmons shoe that is not possible in my experience.

Also, the Simmons shoes are very snug. I had a pair of the 'leather' ones and it was a challenge to get them on and off.

[IJWS]

jus saying the repetition of same threads/questions is growing all time....that search took me .006 seconds and the majority of answers found there are same answers that are popping up here........

Hey AZrider, I've been on this forum since 2011 and I know the forum etiquette but I also know things change. Also, I spend plenty of time searching and lurking on the forum and I actually enjoy it when I get to participate. I posted a thread this morning and by lunchtime there were two pages of responses--and only one response told me to look it up. How cool is that?

Last week I had a question about BB adaptors for a Cervelo frame. Can you imagine the kind of muck from 2012-2014 that searching brought up? It was really nice to get some present-day feedback and the same goes for these shoe companys that haven't, ahem, found their footing just yet, and seem to be changing pretty quickly.

Thanks for everyone's replies. I'll have to read through all the past threads to see if I can find a Bont vs Sidi or Bont vs Fizik comparison, but thank you to Fignons Barber, Flash UNC, and Gabuyo for your insights. I'm either going to try a cheap pair of Bonts or look for some Lake's.

Keep an eye open for my upcoming threads:

'Is Campy any good'

'Why did Ben Serotta retire?'

'Is lance guilty?'

'Who is this Dario guy?'

and of course, 'what's my Madone worth?'

:bike:

Thanks again everyone!

[tumbler]

jus saying the repetition of same threads/questions is growing all time....that search took me .006 seconds and the majority of answers found there are same answers that are popping up here........

Whoa, whoa, whoa... that screenshot says it took 0.06 seconds, which is 10 times longer than your claimed 0.006 seconds. Trying to pull a fast one...

[John H.]

I love my Bont shoes. I have Vapour S for road and Vapor G for gravel/mtb.

I credit my Bont shoes with saving me from having to stop riding.

I had 3 foot surgeries in the space of a year- after that my left foot would get painful on anything other than a short ride. Tried many shoes and many versions of orthotics. Nothing cured me.

One day on a whim- I pulled out a 5 year old set of Bont A1's that were collecting dust- they worked. Within a month my foot was better.
I don't know if it was the stiffness of the sole- or the shape of the sole, but something worked. I am cured.

Over time I upgraded to the latest and greatest Bonus. They are even better than the old ones.

I have a wide toe box, narrow heel, high arch- But low volume foot. I wear custom insoles in my Bonts.

I also really like the fact that their mtb shoe is exactly the same as their road shoe.

[azrider]

Whoa, whoa, whoa... that screenshot says it took 0.06 seconds, which is 10 times longer than your claimed 0.006 seconds. Trying to pull a fast one...

pun intended?

[IJWS]

sigh.......

:( The sizing issues haven't changed

:crap:

[pdonk]

I like mine. Wide foot (ee on Barry last from alden) with a relatively high arch.

It has taken a few tries at molding them and now there are no pinch points. Only issue is too long of clear bolt.

Construction quality is just ok. I expect that they may last one more season for a total of 7500km.

I tried 10 different road specific shoes over the years. These are first I have kept for multiple seasons.

[bianchi10]

Only shoes I will wear. Stiff, comfortable and sexy stylish. I have the wides to accommodate my wider feet. Have tried other wide shoes, but still dont work right for me. Sidi mega's and specialized wides are too wide all the way through the shoe, while the Bont creates a fit unlike any other. They also have an ergonomic shape in the toe box which works nicely against toes being cramped. I like that you can mold specific parts of the shoe to get that perfect fit. The arch is fine for me, but I have heard of others who had flat feet and just couldn't cope with it. Have heard some of those people dealt with it by getting insoles, which took care of any of those concerns.

I've never seen shoes that can be used for so long, yet still look brand new. I've now had 8 pair of Bonts and I've been able to sell them in like new condition each time. The outer duralast material is so easy to keep clean.

some photos of mine:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4355/37073979715_4bddf9c532_b.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4343/36932402851_5162f0aed2_b.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4295/36153500512_f2ddc1fa60_b.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4319/35966473051_5025bf417b_b.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4303/35860356921_e4ca0bba8a_b.jpg