Anyone have some input on sizing for Bont shoes?
I am riding on Northwave road shoes in size 43 now. After a long race in the rain, and 2 seasons of foot numbness, I’m sure they are too small for me.
I have tried on the Shimano in a 44 and they are perfect. I like the features of the Bont so the Sub-10 is my goal. After I went through the online sizing from their website, they recommend a 42. That seems way too small.
If it helps, I’ve run in Brooks size 9.5 for 20 years if that helps.
I’m a 9.5 and wear 43 based on sizing charts. But I’m like you, my feet get numb and I’ve had hot spots get so bad that I’ve had to take my feet out of the shoes and pedal on top of them during rides of 100+ miles.
I first had some cheap cycling shoes (size 43) and figured they were the problem so I switched to some Pearl Izumi’s (size 43) and the comfort is better but long rides still can give me fits if I tighten them up at all. I think I will try a 44 for my next pair when I’m ready for them.
Tough to buy shoes when you can’t try them on, but I would roll the dice and get the 44. I’d rather have a shoe with more room than one than one that starts tight and gets worse as your feet swell during the long rides.
You’re probably a 44 or 43 wide based off a shimano 44 fit
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The upside to trying to fix things is that I have a pretty good pedal stoke now. Cleat wedges and insoles helped some with the numbness problem. They really helped with knee tracking.
I finally pulled a custom insole out of my ski boot. It has a cut out under my 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones. They sit down into the hole and I have no pressure. Problem is, the shoe is tight that way.
I’ll try the 44. I would rather deal with a hair too big then small.
the Bont size chart worked well for me. Added a couple of mm to foot length and got a pair of 41 which i wear without socks and 42 (bought later) which i wear with socks (normally would wear a 42 (8.5) in a running shoe. The 41s fit me better. A glove would be a great comparison.
There is a lot of flexibility to mold everything except absolute length. Never appreciated what i had till i tried other tri shoes.
I used the online worksheet method - and was recommended a smaller size than I normally take - but the shoes fit really well - and BTW Excel sports in Boulder had them on sale for I think around $70- so check around before buying.
Hope this helps
I hate talking bad about a product and I am saying this because feet and comfort are important and I am guessing so is your money.
Do not buy Bont shoes without trying them on! (I wanted to put that in capitals to stress how important I feel this is)
When I worked at a shop that briefly carried Bont, 95% of people that tried them on hated them! You might be that 5% that love them. Chances are you aren’t. Expecially if you tend to use them with out socks. And we were selling to Canadians who like myself grew up with the heat mold able hockey skates. The Shop had to sell them all at half price to get them out the door.
A few years ago I my shop gave me a pair of Bont’s to try for a few months and hopefully give a positive review. They were a pain in the ass to fit, but I did it. They never were comfortable even after building up Calluses. And why I say nobody who rides sockless liked them, The way the Heel loop is sewn in to the shoes is like a hacksaw on your Achilles. I had to fix this by put duct tape over the heel, which conveniently matched the colour scheme of the Sub 9’s. I use a 44 Shimano and used a 44 Bont. I still have them in a box in my basement, if you are in the Vancouver area I’ll give them to you for free if you want, duct tape included.
I would do your feet a favor and go with the Shimano’s if they fit perfectly.
I hate to rag on a product but I would be doing you a huge disservice if I didn’t share my experience.
I’ve bought Bonts online using their sizing chart. I am at the very top of a size, bought that size and after heat molding they are fine. The Bonts are 40.5, my running flats are 41 and my training running shoes are 41.5 or 42, depending on the shoe and whether I use my orthotics. So my experience is that I wear a smaller size in Bonts than my running shoes.
I did heat mold them 3 times to get the best fit and eliminate a couple of pressure points that I had originally.
Bont sizing is totally strange.
I really like the idea of the stiff sole, low stack height and aero profile with the velcro flap covering the closure mechanism (found on the Zero and Zero Plus), so I recently proceeded to make the move from Mavic Zxelliums to a pair of Zeros and Vaypor Plus. Used the Bont calculator and it put me in a size 44. But the 44 is too long, and maybe a little too wide.
For comparison, I wear a 43.5 in every other cycling shoe I have tried - Sidi (many different models), Mavic (Zxellium Ultimate and Huez) and Specialized (Trivent S-Works). I wear a 9.5 US shoe. So since I am consistently a 9.5/43.5, why not just order a 43.5 in the Bonts? Because they don’t make one! Yes, they do half sizes in certain sizes (e.g. 44.5), but not in others (e.g. 43.5). I suppose I should try a 43 just to see if it will work, but for now at least I have a couple pairs of size 44 Bont shoes that will need a new home (check eBay if you need some!).
For some reason I am slightly obsessed with the idea of getting Bonts to work for me, so if the 43 doesn’t do the trick, custom shoes remain under consideration…
You guys are giving me second thoughts.
Maybe I’ll wait and hunt down a better deal on a pair of the Shimano TR-31 shoes.
I have a pair of the Bont Vaypor. I like them. But, like Jeff and others said the sizing can work or it might not. The hole drilling might not work for you either.
Best to try to find a pair to try on. I measured out my feet the way they said, ordered them, and could barely get my feet into them. The rep I worked with was really good about it, and did a swap, but that was after I found a couple of pair to try on.
I think that they are great shoes, but again, it’s personal preference.
I have had my 2 pairs of Bonts since 2010. I have a road pair (A one) and a tri pair (sub 8). I love the road shoes, I’m not so keen on the tri shoes. I have no problems with them, but the could tri shoes could be a little more comfortable. I overall find that triathlon shoe options suck in general. I switched the insoles in them to the yellow Superfeet.
I think this thread really indicates that it’s very dependent on someones foot shape and compatibility with certain shoes. I would try on a few sizes to see how they feel. I don’t think the sizing chart is accurate at all. For me, the recommended size was too small. Do not expect a drastic change in the fit after heat molding them as it really only is for slight “tuning” of the fit.
-jack
I comfortably wear a size 45 Shimano wide shoe. Bont’s sizing specified a 43 standard width for me, but I was worried it would be too tight, so I ordered a 44 standard width. They’re very snug, but fit well. I emailed with them back-and-forth, and they helped me decide on the 44’s.
I later bought a pair of Bonts at 44 Wide, which fit me even better, but some might find too loose. I use eSoles insoles in them, for better arch support, so that takes up the slack for me. Many seem to like the heat molding, but it really didn’t make a noticeable difference for me, they fit well before and after heat molding. The stiffness of the Bonts is out-of-this-world, a totally connected feeling, but it can cause more foot fatigue. I like how they’re shaped like a foot, and I’ll never go back to Sidi or Shimano.
Trying them on will give you an idea of whether they have a chance of fitting but unless they are molded they probably won’t feel right. If you want to give them a go, but don’t want to commit a whole lot of $, keep an eye on ebay and look for something new in your size.
For me they are the best shoes i have ever had, but i can see the other side as it took a while to get them that way and in the interim i thought i needed a different size.
one thing it is worth thinking about - i find them very hard to get on if i leave them on the bike and try and get my shoes in while cycling. Now i am not the best at this and i am sure others will comment that they can do this fine, but the rigid and narrow opening on the sub-10s is harder to get on while riding than other tri-shoes i have tried.
Nowhere local has them so trying them on is not an option.
I realize shoe fit is very personal. I bought a pair of Zoot shoes a few years back so I could start running with out socks. I was bloody within a mile. I exchanged them for a different pair, same result. I’ve never bought another pair of Zoot’s since.
I should probably stick to Shimano and LG.
Thanks for all the input.
I have a couple of pair of Bont shoes. My experience is to use the European sizing for ALL shoes through different brands. Have never gone wrong when I try a new shoes.
I think that they are great shoes, but again, it’s personal preference.
I’ll echo Brandon’s thoughts here.
For the people that Bont’s work for and like . . . they love them. For others, who can’t figure out the fit or it’s just not right for them, they hate them! There really is no middle road.
Cycling shoes just in general are like that, because of the close fit, and minimal tolerance required to get a great fit, add in the customization features of the Bonts, which intuitively you would think would be helpful, but in actuality seems to make it more hit and miss.
I’ve heard retailers find them frustrating. People will try on a Bont and Brand-X in the store. Out of the box, Brand-X feels great! Now the Bonts, might be great too, after the custom fitting process, and a bit of trial and error stuff, but in the please-me-now world of retail, that’s too long a process for some/many. Not Bont’s fault, but that’s what they have to deal with.