What issues have you run into when sizing? I've been thinking of getting a pair, but I have weird, really really flat, feet, narrow heel, very wide forefoot. Think of a duck. So I'm a little hesitant.

Shimano shoes have historically worked the best for me. they aren't perfect, too narrow in the forefoot so if I'm not careful I get numb toes, but at least my arches don't cramp like they did in Carnac or Sidi....

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I also rode Shimano for a while, their MTB shoes in 44Wide work really well, but the road shoes taper and my outer toes go numb. Feet are ~271mm long, 108-109mm wide at forefoot.

Based on Bont charts, I started with a regular 44, last length of 275, it was too short, so sent back and got the 44.5. These felt right and I heat molded them and they were much more comfortable than the Shimano wide road shoes, but my pinky toes are still being cramped a bit and have some issues on outer edge. Specialized footbeds feel good, but also take up too much volume to work.

Then I read someone say that Bont Wide = Altra, and since I get along so well with Altra, I should try the wide to see if the extra space helps. Standing on the regular 44 footbeds my foot hangs over, so we'll see how the extra width works, and maybe I'll be good with the regular insole or will have volume enough to do a different one.

I can report back if it would help.

Finding the right pair of Bonts is a tricky process, but their sizing protocol on their website is truly spot on. I have had 4 pairs of bonts and will undoubtedly be buying another pair.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Please do. I figure my current shoes have about a year of life left in them. I probably wouldn't replace before mid summer (I have tri-shoes as a backup), but I'll need something eventually.

I'm in a 43 Shimano, Bont chart says a 44 wide, so that seems consistent with your experience.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

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Have done 3 rides in the new Bonts and they feel good. think i need to heat mold one more time with the insoles i am currently using rather than the stock ones (balls of feet feel too mich pressure through the thin stock ones for me - spesh and other custom ones i have both feel a lot better).

I definitely needed the wide. The thing with Bonts is the composite tub wraps up the sides of shoes and are thus unforgiving. Heat molding can help it conform but can’t make it any wider. With the regular Bonts, my foot was being squeezed by the sides and they hurt. The wide version feels really good, no pressure on the sides. And wearing these and then the shimano wides RX8s, defintely more room for the pinky toes in these.

That sounds like it resembles an Asian Fit, they have that for some not all models.
If I remember from when I was jumping on the Bont train some 12 years ago, the Asian Fit has a wider forefoot, smaller heel cup area and less overall shoe volume meaning the space between the tongue and the sole is shallower.

I really like Bont shoes as well, without looking I think I have the Vaypor S?. They definitely do a better job of fitting the more North American feet than some of the Euro brands, or so my bike fit guy says, and I tend to agree.

Someone can check me if I'm wrong but my experience with Bont (unless it's just my imagination?) is that they are a lower profile shoe and if your bike is set up and fit for you while wearing a different brand, your saddle may seem a tiny bit high when you get on while wearing your Bonts.

Outside of that small possible tidbit, I love the shoes, the wider toe box, the fit, the stiffness. Great shoes

It sounds like we have pretty similar feet, except I have a bit of arch. Narrow heel expanding into a wider foot. Shimano standard fit is decent, but not perfect. Their 'wide' is really just higher volume upper on the same sole and felt like I had to really crank them down since my foot isn't really high volume. I have 3 pairs of Shimano shoes still around and they are 47 standards.

I have the Bont Vaypor S in 47 wide. The length and width is perfect (after using their measuring method). They are good, but not great. The heel is too lose. I couldn't really shrink it very much with the heat molding, but I was at least able to pinch them in a bit. I had to get some different inserts because they have almost no arch in them. It sounds like the 'Asian fit' would have been a better choice for me, but I didn't know it existed at the time. It's a 'wide' fit with a more narrow heel.

The Vaypors are so stiff. I'm really not sure I would choose them for a long day.

Send a pm to MC2 Bont from this thread. They are a distributor and were incredibly helpful in the process.