Hi - Quick question as not sure where else to ask. Just ordered some bont riot+ shoes online which arrived today. The length is pretty much spot on but they are really on the tight side. Was wondering does anyone have any experience of how much these will stretch when heat moulding them? They’re basically unwearable as they are and I’m reluctant to shove them in the oven if i’m expecting too much. The width was always going to be a close call based on the size chart.
Not having much luck at the mo… Bought a second hand pair of wide lakes on ebay first and width was amazing but too short! Had to re-sell them. Getting out to an actual half decent store is not easy at the moment. Any help appreciated!
In my experience, I couldn’t get the riots to stretch with heat molding, and I even let them bake longer and at a higher temp, they just fit super tight. I’ve got a pair specialized shoes (cant remember the model name but it has boa system) and really like them
No stretch in the Riots here either. I actually baked them so much that the glue holding the leather around the sides up front got loose. so be aware of that and if they’re too tight send them back and try another brand/shoe.
Where are they tight? Are they tight top to bottom (i.e. shoe feels too shallow) or is it the width? Some Bont models are much shallower than others. It basically sounds like they are just the wrong size. Heat moulding them is to refine the fit, not make them fit, so won’t really help.
With Bont shoes you tend to have to get 1 size bigger - if your foot length measures out at 270mm (size 43) you should get the size 44s. Also, it’s important to follow the width guide on the sizing and if you are close to the max width on the normal sizing, go for the wider version (personally I think the size guide isn’t really accurate on the width front - from experience the wide size should kick in a little earlier). Problem is that the wider versions are a lot harder to get hold of.
The length is spot on as per the sizing chart. It’s the width that’s a struggle. The Riot+ don’t come in a wide unfortunately but I read a review saying they still come up wider than most. I can’t really justify the £££ for the vaypor wides or the lake 237 wides.
Hi all.
Sorry to resurrect, but I am in exactly the same situation as the OP.
I chose the Bont Riot plus as the reviews had them as a wider, more “anatomically correct” shoe.
Just tried them on and they are super tight.
I was going to exchange them for the size up, however I can only get them online. Do you think going up a size will be OK or am I better looking for an alternative?
There isn’t much choice where I am - tried a few times to try on wide versions of Shimano and Giro and I have been unfortunate to have come into the store when they have none in stock.
I got them from probikekit in the end while they had an extra 20% off shoes so a decent price. I’d assume they’d ship out to you. They’re usually on back order though so you’d have to wait a couple of weeks. I’m an 8 normally and the 43’s were bang on.
Good luck. The bonts also look great if you can get them in a wide
I have quite a wide fore foot but a narrow heel. Always struggle with shoes. Got the Bont Riot + because I’d read they are good for a wide foot. They were unwearable out of the box. Carbon foot bed too tight at the front and under my foot arch. It was digging into my foot. I agonised over what to do but ultimately decided to take chance and bake them. I used a screwdriver handle to push out the foot bed in the areas it was tight. They still feel tight ish to stand in and not massively comfortable, but when on the bike they are perfect! Best fitting bike shoe I’ve had.
Size wise I matched the size I previously wore using Specialized shoes: 46.
Bringing this back up… I wish I would have seen this thread before I got my Bont Riots. I have a normal width foot but a very low arch and these are painful and for sure are a fail. 3 tries in the oven to mold them and they don’t budge. They are not wide at all in the mid foot, actually quite narrow for me and dug super hard in my arches. The toe box is roomy though and the length was spot on (9.5/43). Bonts are touted to have a great last shape that someone can customize with the heat molding and or put custom insoles in but I didn’t find this to be true. As a side note, shimano spheres fit the same as these and hurt my feet. I’m currently running old school Bontragers RL’s that fit perfect but are worn out and they don’t make these anymore.
I wish I would have found this thread before ordering: I ordered a pair of Riot MTB+ in 43 Wide, and the fit is quite tight. Unlike with other shoes where the upper is flexible and will stretch over time, these shoes have a “bathtub sole” construction, so the sides are rigid. I know they are heat moldable, but that means I won’t be able to return them. So how tight is too tight and how tight is just right? I don’t quite know how the shoes are supposed to feel.
For the record, I used Bont’s fitting guide to determine the size, and it meshes with the other shoes I own. I have a pair of S-Works 7 in 43 Wide and a pair of Velokicks in size 44. Technically, Velokicks shoes don’t have wide versions, but they are wide shoes. My running shoes are 43 superwide. So the recommended size is exactly where I expect it to be. I think I have very voluminous feet, i. e. they aren’t just wide, but take up a lot of space. E. g. I am physically unable to even try on Giros and other cycling shoes in regular width.
I’m in the same predicament, but with a Bont Vaypor in “Asian Fit”. I really wanted the “Asian Fit” because I’ve a wide forefoot but narrow heel which is exactly the type of fit Bont advertises. After waiting about 12 weeks for my order, I tried it on. I noticed exactly the same thing with the “bathtub sole”. Length is perfect, but part of my pinky toe and big toe contact the very edges of the sides of the tub. I have not heat molded it yet in case I return or resell them. After reading a bit about it on Weight Weenies forum, it seems like this can’t really be molded out.
Somewhat similar to you, my other shoes are S-Works Recons in wide. While they’re not really wide enough, there’s no bathtub sole and the upper actually stretches/expands a bit over time to make the fit a bit wider.
I’m tempted to try out some Lakes but specifically ones with the moldable heel cup. I still have a pair of MX237 in wide. This time, the forefoot width is fine but the heel is way too loose.
These were actually another option … until I found out they are no longer sold in wide in Japan. Bummer. In fact, Specialized only sells one model in wide. The S-Works were not cheap, but mine feel like top shelf material.
Had a similar issue just recently with bont xxx. Too narrow. Just order some lake 238 XC wide. Did all the measurements and when they came in they were too short.
So I ordered two different sizes this time. What a pain. I thought the foot measuring would be spot on
I messaged Bont’s support, and I received a reply yesterday. I told them I own S-Works 7 in 43 Wide, and the support staffer told me that if the S-Works fits in size 43 W, they recommend I size up to 44 W. I’ll try that first before I try my luck with Lake.
Lake’s 238 (XC) were recommended to me by someone I trust, but they were quite a bit more expensive.