If Rouler does not do reviews, we don’t do reviews. Think of this as a commentary on Bont’s Vaypor+ road shoe. Any discussion of points-of-contact will generate a storm of comments ending in why Sidi shoes and Fizik saddles are the best. They may be the best for you but not for me. Everyone’s feet and everyone’s butt has different needs.
I bring up form versus function too often here and being a user of SMP saddles and now Bont shoes I’m obviously way over there on the function-over-form end of the spectrum. Bont shoes are not as weird looking as SMP saddles are but visually both of these immediately tell you that these point-of-contact designs are different.
Frank is a big fan of Bont and he landed me a free pair with no discussion of a quid pro quo of anything for Bont. The timing was good as I had forked over some money for the second generation of Fizik R3 shoes. These were lighter and cooler, as advertised, but also more narrow and with less arch support, not advertised. Luckily, I collect aftermarket insoles like I collect base layers so I could overcome the lack of arch support but long into a ride my toes would remind me why these new Fizik shoes were trouble.
The two things I like the most about Bonts are the roomier forefoot and the well engineered arch support. Toes can roam unfettered in this shoe. This is a revelation for a person who has always erred toward the very snug fitting cycling shoe. The moldable carbon rim surrounds the whole foot, resulting in a well secured fit that does not hassle the toes. My new Bonts fit nicely right out of the box. I did one heating and minor remolding of one shoe rim, but the option of potentially accommodating a person’s bunions, bone spurs or freakishly long toes (Marko) is appealing.
If a foot’s arch collapses under load the tibia rotates and becomes potentially injurious to the knee. Believe me, having spent too much time riding in front of a mirror testing out custom orthodics, shims and wedges; getting the foot, knee and leg aligned can be important, expensive and tedious. If the arch is truly well supported it prevents the rotation and misalignment. I immediately ditched my expensive custom orthodics because they were correcting what the Bonts were already designed to prevent. Sometimes standing in shoes with good arch support feels like too much support, like standing in a well fitting kit feels weird until actually on the bike and in the position the kit was designed to be in.
The Vaypor+ is a redesign of the Vaypor model with a boa lacing system instead of the velcro and buckle. I would say the tongue on the Vaypor+ could use some redesign. It’s padded and pliable so when the boa wires are constricted, the tongue squishes together instead of sliding under the uppers, so getting the perfect tension on these shoes is compromised. That is my only complaint. I’m a big fan of the boa lacing but this set up needs improvement, in my opinion.
These shoes are expensive but to date, with almost a year of riding, they look to be indestructible. True, our dog has not her way with them yet and she had better not but I am very impressed with the materials, design and construction.
The true point-of-contact test is the long day out. The imperfections and incompatibilities will be discovered 100 kms into it. If I don’t think much about my feet in my shoes, my butt on the saddle or my hands on the bars, it’s a good sign. All I’m saying is, if your present shoes are not passing this test, Bonts are a very good shoe to try next. My advice it so find a retailer to make sure you get exactly the shoe size you need. Buying cycling shoes online is rubbish.
I’ve paired my Bonts up with some heat moldable insoles from yoursole. They are thin, firm and have good arch support.
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Nice write up, makes me feel lucky that I haven't experienced the pain and suffering of incompatibility, and the constant search for something that works.
My first proper cycling shoes were Sidis - leather soles and screw-in cleats for use with quill pedals - I loved them and have loved every pair I've had since, both MTB and road. Sidis are form and function for me, no need to prioritise one over the other.
@Rom
They are so wide that many states require red flags to be attached and some even demand they be accompanied by a safety vehicle warning oncoming traffic.
Which is why I prefer Mavics.
I'm special. In that I've tried 3 pairs of Bonts now, 2 road and 1 track, and cant get them to work at all.
I'm part of the great unwashed who uses specialized shoes, I need the cant plus a little more, and the arch support is about right. I've really, really wanted to like the bonts, for the extra space in the toe box, but even with multiple heat moldings, I could never get them to go.
It is really only a 2 horse race as far as shoes goes, though. Annoyingly, even though Bont is an Aussie company, I can't find a Bont dealer in Canberra. Nation's capital my arse.
@Gianni Nice commentary.
I've got wide feet with a freakishly high instep so the Vaypor + looks like a good bet for my next pair. My current Fiziks are great but aren't quite right beyond 300km. (Massive improvement on my the Shimanos that preceded them which got so painful after 200km that had to take them off to relieve the pain mid ride once). It's a shame there arn't any test programmes like Fizik do for their saddles.
They'd have to be black though, that toe protector looks like it's been deign for sports that involve kicking things or come from a windsurfing boot.
Speaking of football, I'm surprised someone in marketing hasn't tried to convince all the soccerists that they'd play like Messi if their boots had a Boa system.
@Chris
Or if money was no option there's the custom programme for a nice subtle orange and black
I read that Chris McDougall has found this group of Pima tribesmen just killing it shoeless with cleats strapped to their feet.
Love my Vaypors; incredibly stiff and yet all-day comfy. Took a few goes to get the moulding spot on, but I do have freak feet with half a size difference. The bathtub shaped sole adds a huge amount of stiffness; it feels like you're pushing on a foot-sized pedal and they definitely make you go moar fasterer. And that's what this is about, right?
My question. How do you figure out tje best shoe without throwing money at the problem and buying shoes. My feet tend to start hurting after 2 hours. At that point I can stave it off by doing a lot of toe wiggling.
@Gianni
Easy there cowboy. There are limits.
@anotherdownunder
I have a nagging knee issue; years and years of light problem (never too serious) caused from a knee injury which saw me sitting in a wheelchair for 12 weeks (more serious).
The problem is gone after changing to Bonts.
@Rom
Don't ask anyone if shoes are wide not; can of worms and really no one knows is their feet are wide or not, just whether wide or narrow shoes feel more comfortable.
Bont has three widths - narrow, medium, and wide. I have the mediums and they feel much wider to my feet than do my old Sidis. The foot spreads out and the goodness is everywhere.
I have to say I like the Vaypor over the Vaypor+; something about the placement and orientation of the velcro strap that makes me very happy.
My first round with the shoes took about 3 molding before I understood what to do with my feet, and then the way my foot was held was so different from being crushed in a Sidi that it took me about two weeks before I learned who to pedal comfortably with them again. These days, I can't even imagine riding anything but a Bont. Shoes for life, right there.
Also, my Vaypors are from the summer of 2012 and I have even crashed them a few times (both my road and CX models) and they are just bulletproof.
Also, the white ones are not pure white and the parts that get dirty (tongue and ankle bits) are black so they don't get looking nasty.