Bont Riot SPD shoes

englander

I'll try this thread in this section after not getting much interest in the MTB forum - I know that mtb/spd shoes are popular amongst road cyclists, too.

I'm scoping out some new shoes; I currently wear Shimano M088s with Specialized blue insoles and I'm not super impressed with the comfort in terms of feet going a little numb.

Anyway, I stumbled across the Bont Riots and they looked interesting - heat moldable for the ideal fit... in theory. I wonder, though, does anyone have any feedback on how comfortable they are for long rides i.e. 4 hours and beyond?

marcusjb

I use Vaypor XC and find them extremely comfortable on some reasonably long rides.

Take your time with the molding and do it twice if needs be (you can also use a hairdryer to heat up a small part of the shoe and push out a tight spot etc.).

Lots of people are very dismissive on the inner soles, I have had no issues with them (but do have a couple of shims under the heel cups to balance me up).

Great shoes, not sure how long they will last compared to stuff like Dragons etc., but I have been very impressed with mine.

iPete

Fantastic, had no idea they now do an 'affordable' SPD, the XC were too much when I last looked.
I've got A2s sat in a box, really can't be bothered with SPD-SL.

Either way, I'd recommend finding a shop with them in stock to try but look forward to any feedback; also get numb feet.

stevie63

Conversely I have currently got Vaypor Plus shoes that I have been using for the past month and a half thinking they might solve my issues and I cannot get on with them so for me it is a case of buyer beware.

g00se

Bought some for my wife but didn't really fit (she does have feet like Shrek though and they weren't wide enough). The only issue is that having to heat mould them to try them, it means that it's difficult to return to the likes of Wiggle if they don't fit. So try before you buy.

The quality is good though - may use them myself for cross this year if I can't find anyone who wants to buy them.

rafletcher

I've been using the "Wiggle Special" yellow ones, excellent shoes IMO. And fantastic value for money.

englander

Interesting thoughts, thanks all for the input. I've ordered a pair 45s and 46s from Wiggle to try them on. Some research told me that they should fit pretty well unmolded, the molding process is more for that last little bit. I.e. if they don't fit when you try them on unmolded, then molding it won't really fix it and you've got to go back to the drawing board.

iPete

I did a few weeks in my A2 unmolded. You'll get a good idea of what areas could be improved.

Rod11

I've been using them for the last year, very happy with them. The amount you can mould them by isn't huge, but it does make a difference. Only downside is the soles aren't very durable, I always put my left foot down when stopping and you can really tell, they're pretty scuffed and scratched.

englander

Well a couple of pairs arrived yesterday and they certainly looked very well made. Annoyingly, the 45s were a shade too small and the 46s were a shade too big, and Wiggle/CRC don't stock the 45.5s! Ah well.