Full Custom Bonts - anyone tried them who can answer my question?
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zappafile123
- Posts: 656
- Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:24 am
I ended up just making my own orthotics out of fibreglass. I've got all the materials to make my own shoes, but theres a bit of a delay because Ive had to move cities temporarily for work.
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Yes, I'm going through the full custom process right now but haven't received the finished shoes yet so can give only partial information.
First of all, this is happening in covid lockdown so is probably slower than usual but it's definitely not quick - I waited about 3 weeks from making payment until I received the molding kit. The first time I tried the molding, I failed to produce accurate casts of both feet (more detail on this below, it's not a straightforward procedure) so then had to wait for another molding kit (which they despatched very quickly and I received in about a week).
The molding process requires two people (ie yourself plus a helper) and I'd set aside about an hour, although you'll probably be done in less time than that. Your experience may be different but I found it easy to make a mess of the process because the instructions aren't great.
It invoves using special 'socks' that arrive soft, you put your feet into them while they become activated and begin to harden, producing a 3D cast of your feet. Sounds simple, huh? I ran into two problems on my first attempt: the socks were hardening so fast that we couldn't get one of them around my foot quickly enough while still soft enough to make an accurate cast. Another one broke because we managed to get the sock on my foot ok (just about) but the cast then tore as we tried to remove it from my foot afterwards. Both these problems can be avoided by following the process with great care as we discovered on the second attempt!
There's a (non-Bont) video on YouTube that shows the process and I recommend watching this. It departs from the Bont description of the process somewhat (importantly, it shows the customer sitting down during the casting process and Bont are very clear you need to stand up, paying attention to how you put weight on your foot while the sock hardens) but it gives you an idea of what to expect.
I had my second attempt yesterday and have sent photos of the casts to Bont awaiting their approval. If they sat the casts look good from my pics, I'm going to send them off to be turned into shoes.
Something else you may wish to know is regarding additional costs: it cost me US$50 for the second set of socks (fair enough, I messed up first time but I'm betting this is a pretty common occurence) and if this set is acceptable, I'm expecting to need to ship the casts to China where the factory is located. The casts are very light so I don't expect this to be expensive but it's going to add time to the whole process. Then, they say to wait 6-8 weeks for production of the shoes from the casts.
So I won't know for a while if the end result will be worth the investment of time and money, or not. My 'problem' is very wide feet that don't fit even in their double-wide fitting.
I suspected I could have bought a pair of double-wide and heat-molded them myself. Might that have been a quicker and cheaper solution? I don't know yet, and would love to know...
Hope this helps.
First of all, this is happening in covid lockdown so is probably slower than usual but it's definitely not quick - I waited about 3 weeks from making payment until I received the molding kit. The first time I tried the molding, I failed to produce accurate casts of both feet (more detail on this below, it's not a straightforward procedure) so then had to wait for another molding kit (which they despatched very quickly and I received in about a week).
The molding process requires two people (ie yourself plus a helper) and I'd set aside about an hour, although you'll probably be done in less time than that. Your experience may be different but I found it easy to make a mess of the process because the instructions aren't great.
It invoves using special 'socks' that arrive soft, you put your feet into them while they become activated and begin to harden, producing a 3D cast of your feet. Sounds simple, huh? I ran into two problems on my first attempt: the socks were hardening so fast that we couldn't get one of them around my foot quickly enough while still soft enough to make an accurate cast. Another one broke because we managed to get the sock on my foot ok (just about) but the cast then tore as we tried to remove it from my foot afterwards. Both these problems can be avoided by following the process with great care as we discovered on the second attempt!
There's a (non-Bont) video on YouTube that shows the process and I recommend watching this. It departs from the Bont description of the process somewhat (importantly, it shows the customer sitting down during the casting process and Bont are very clear you need to stand up, paying attention to how you put weight on your foot while the sock hardens) but it gives you an idea of what to expect.
I had my second attempt yesterday and have sent photos of the casts to Bont awaiting their approval. If they sat the casts look good from my pics, I'm going to send them off to be turned into shoes.
Something else you may wish to know is regarding additional costs: it cost me US$50 for the second set of socks (fair enough, I messed up first time but I'm betting this is a pretty common occurence) and if this set is acceptable, I'm expecting to need to ship the casts to China where the factory is located. The casts are very light so I don't expect this to be expensive but it's going to add time to the whole process. Then, they say to wait 6-8 weeks for production of the shoes from the casts.
So I won't know for a while if the end result will be worth the investment of time and money, or not. My 'problem' is very wide feet that don't fit even in their double-wide fitting.
I suspected I could have bought a pair of double-wide and heat-molded them myself. Might that have been a quicker and cheaper solution? I don't know yet, and would love to know...
Hope this helps.
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ParisCarbon
- Posts: 1927
- Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:39 am
- Location: Winnipeg Canada
Ive done the process twice.. it was easy, but my friend is also a certifed Bont dealer..
Its been a few years, but I don't recall our casts setting overly quick (not as fast as it seems the post above)
My fits have been great (minus one of them story ahead).. the second shoe I got had the boas further forward (I forget what model it was) anyways, the fit was awful on my pinky toe, and I ended up with a massive callus forming on it from rubbing.. I actually had to ride with my socks off.. Bont agreed that this was not acceptable, the Vaypor S had just come out, and they agreed to make me a new custom set of Vaypr S.. we didnt have to do anything mold wise with heat.. it was perfect from the box.. I have a crazy narrow foot.... I currently have a set of Vaypor Gs on order with my friend.. theyve been on order since March 3, they told him 4-6 weeks delivery... (not custom, just a 44.5 narrow)
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HammerTime2
- Posts: 5814
- Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 4:43 pm
- Location: Wherever there's a mountain beckoning to be climbed
The Bont sole is a carbon bathtub. I.e., the the lower portion of the shoe "upper'.is a carbon sidewall. So your foot will be up against carbon on both sides which won't have any give, as opposed to traditional materials used for shoe upper which have some give. That sounds like a precarious situation which may or may not work out, depending on the fit and the person, and which I suspect heat molding will not necessarily resolve.
Yep, I think you're probably right there. And that's why I opted for the full custom (very expensive but highly likely to fit vs the expense of heat molding a pair myself and running the risk that they wouldn't really fit very well).HammerTime2 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:52 pmThe Bont sole is a carbon bathtub. I.e., the the lower portion of the shoe "upper'.is a carbon sidewall. So your foot will be up against carbon on both sides which won't have any give, as opposed to traditional materials used for shoe upper which have some give. That sounds like a precarious situation which may or may not work out, depending on the fit and the person, and which I suspect heat molding will not necessarily resolve.
I received the full custom pair today, haven't had a chance to ride them yet but will do so this weekend and report back.
Does the Bont full custom shoe only follow the outer permieter of the foot, or do they also capture the arch shape? As my feet have a very werid arch shape.ParisCarbon wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 5:51 pmIve done the process twice.. it was easy, but my friend is also a certifed Bont dealer..
Its been a few years, but I don't recall our casts setting overly quick (not as fast as it seems the post above)
My fits have been great (minus one of them story ahead).. the second shoe I got had the boas further forward (I forget what model it was) anyways, the fit was awful on my pinky toe, and I ended up with a massive callus forming on it from rubbing.. I actually had to ride with my socks off.. Bont agreed that this was not acceptable, the Vaypor S had just come out, and they agreed to make me a new custom set of Vaypr S.. we didnt have to do anything mold wise with heat.. it was perfect from the box.. I have a crazy narrow foot.... I currently have a set of Vaypor Gs on order with my friend.. theyve been on order since March 3, they told him 4-6 weeks delivery... (not custom, just a 44.5 narrow)
Both. The arch and perimeter are all impressed on the moulding socks and then reflected by the final product.
Rikulau V9 DB Custom < BMC TM02 < Litespeed T1sl Disc < Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc 1 < Propel Adv < TCR Adv SL Disc < KTM Revelator Sky < CAAD 12 Disc < Domane S Disc < Alize < CAAD 10
Did you review your custom Bonts anywhere? Very keen to hear the feedback.
I have odd shaped feet, Bont have said I can go fully custom, or semi-customer dbl wide. With the semi-custom the start with a standard last, but then add stuff to it so it resembles the shape of your foot outline. Not fully custom but half the price. It might work for me because it's just a different outer shape that I need.
One downside: they fit the foot so well that thick winter socks (like for temperatures around 4° or lower) make them too snug. I'm getting a second pair next winter.
They also are quite highly vented, which gets cold in winter.
The overall fit of the full customs is exceptional. When they first arrive it's kind of spooky to see a shoe shaped exactly like your feet. They fit so close that even without them fastened I can pedal just fine.
They also are quite highly vented, which gets cold in winter.
The overall fit of the full customs is exceptional. When they first arrive it's kind of spooky to see a shoe shaped exactly like your feet. They fit so close that even without them fastened I can pedal just fine.
Thanks, great to get some real feedback. I've tried several lakes, and super wide Luck shoes which were the closest. The problem is that even if I stretch shoes they are still a different shape to my weird feet and therefore never feel quite right, and leads to forefoot numbness. No doubt the ill-fitting is affecting my pedaling and knee in some way. Bikefitters haven't been able to nail the problem, so without the custom shoes I may be in trouble.
JIH - which model did you go with. I currently have Vaypor S, but Helix look interesting and I'm told the Vaypor+ are built for slightly more comfort but with similar performance.... I was leaning towards the Vaypor+.
See these images, one is my current 'modified Bont Vaypors' the other is my foot outline against a Bont Wide insole.
