Bont Riot review
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 3:18 pm
Got my Bont Riots in the mail over the weekend, and I wanted to give a quick write-up of them, since there doesn't seem to be much info out there on them.
Style/Finish
Out of the box, they are pretty stylish. I'm sure the black/white color may put some people off, but I think the white forefoot matches well with the black ankle cuff and the carbon heel/sole. The buckle and z-strap aren't anything new, but they work well together. The buckle tightens around your ankle, the z-strap tightens the forefoot, just like you'd expect.
The soles are a carbon-fiberglass mix, which is probably not quite as stiff as the full carbon Bonts. They have nice cleat-locating marks, and replaceable (if small) heel and toe grippers. One thing that is missing from the upper level shoes is the toe bumpers, but I've ridden my current shoes for years without them (Sidi Zetas) and haven't worn through the toes or anything like that.
Fit
Here's the insole of the 42 Bont Riot compared to the insole of my 42 Sidi Zeta. They're pretty close in size, with the Riot having a little wider toe box. The Bont size wizard put me in the 42, as my feet measured 255 mm long by 105(?)mm wide. Initial fit out of the box is a little short, as I can feel my second toe hit the end of the shoe. Width is ok, but the profile of the sides doesn't match up to the profile of my foot quite right.
Overall, the best description I can give (which is probably true of all Bonts), is that they fit like hockey skates. This is reasonable, since Bont got their start making speedskating boots. They don't feel like "shoes". The high sides on the carbon sole don't have any give, which may cause some soreness for my bony toes. If they heat-mold like they're supposed to, the fit may get better, but so far I haven't gotten much give out of them after putting them in the oven. They also don't feel like there's much arch support, but I know I can mold some in as part of the heating process.
Weight
270 g each for size 42, pretty much as quoted.
What Now?
Even though they seem to run true enough to size, I'm going to send them back for a 42.5 to get a little more toe room. But since the 42.5's aren't available until next week, I'm going to try Shimano R170's as well and compare them.
Style/Finish
Out of the box, they are pretty stylish. I'm sure the black/white color may put some people off, but I think the white forefoot matches well with the black ankle cuff and the carbon heel/sole. The buckle and z-strap aren't anything new, but they work well together. The buckle tightens around your ankle, the z-strap tightens the forefoot, just like you'd expect.
The soles are a carbon-fiberglass mix, which is probably not quite as stiff as the full carbon Bonts. They have nice cleat-locating marks, and replaceable (if small) heel and toe grippers. One thing that is missing from the upper level shoes is the toe bumpers, but I've ridden my current shoes for years without them (Sidi Zetas) and haven't worn through the toes or anything like that.
Fit
Here's the insole of the 42 Bont Riot compared to the insole of my 42 Sidi Zeta. They're pretty close in size, with the Riot having a little wider toe box. The Bont size wizard put me in the 42, as my feet measured 255 mm long by 105(?)mm wide. Initial fit out of the box is a little short, as I can feel my second toe hit the end of the shoe. Width is ok, but the profile of the sides doesn't match up to the profile of my foot quite right.
Overall, the best description I can give (which is probably true of all Bonts), is that they fit like hockey skates. This is reasonable, since Bont got their start making speedskating boots. They don't feel like "shoes". The high sides on the carbon sole don't have any give, which may cause some soreness for my bony toes. If they heat-mold like they're supposed to, the fit may get better, but so far I haven't gotten much give out of them after putting them in the oven. They also don't feel like there's much arch support, but I know I can mold some in as part of the heating process.
Weight
270 g each for size 42, pretty much as quoted.What Now?
Even though they seem to run true enough to size, I'm going to send them back for a 42.5 to get a little more toe room. But since the 42.5's aren't available until next week, I'm going to try Shimano R170's as well and compare them.
