BONT Vaypor + Moldable Road Cycling Shoe : Alpha Blue / Orange

BONT are an Australian company and have been doing things a little differently since 1975 when founder Inze Bont fiberglassed the back of his leather ice-skates for additional support. In 1986 BONT were the first company to commercially use Kevlar in their footwear and in 1989 became the first to use carbon fibre. BONT are innovative. We like that.

In 2007 BONT moved into the cycling market having been successfully creating medal winning shoes for Speed skaters for decades. In the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing BONT racked up 8 medals in the cycling events. Since then many world class cyclists have moved to BONT, including our own Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins and many of the GB Track squad. The company are extremely proud of the quality of their product and if you read their website you'll notice that they don't like others in the industry selling you Carbon, Monocoque or anything else unless that is exactly what it is. Suffice to say that BONT are giving you a dictionary definition when it comes to their heat-moldable Carbon Monocoque, hand-made cycling shoes!

What makes BONT so special is the incredible stiffness they are able to build into their shoes and this stems from their use of in-house resins - something that BONT claim no-one else does. BONT have been developing resin technology for 36 years. The resins used in their shoes enable them to be heat-moldable repeatedly by the rider at relatively low temperatures. Usually this would be to the detriment of the structure of the shoe but BONT's rapid curing resin means that your shoes will harden quickly without compromising fit or comfort. Ultimately, you can put your shoes in the oven at 70^oC for 20 minutes and then strap them on your feet, allow them to cool and have a shoe that is totally tailored to your foot.

The new Vaypor + is the new top of the line Road offering and is marketed as a Sportive or Endurance road shoe. This designation is a little misleading as it has all the hallmarks of a 'race' shoe (like the Vaypor S) in that it employs a true monocoque chassis constructed by hand from 100% uni-directional carbon fibre - no fibreglass and no composite material. The difference lies mainly in the upper which, rather than being constructed from 'Durolite', is fashioned entirely from Kangeroo leather. Kangeroo leather is exceptionally durable and so well suited to shoes who will likely see plenty of long rides in all conditions and a material that will last as long as the chassis itself - further prolonging the life of your investment. In addition, as it ages, Kangeroo leather offers increasing comfort.

The closure is revised for this new edition of the Vaypor + and while it retains the Dual Boa closure, the position of the dials has changed, the lower toe-box closure has migrated toward the top of the shoe for a more customisable fit across the entire upper. Boa's dual IP1 retention system uses Nylon coated Kevlar wires to evenly distribute the retention forces across the top of the foot via two independent dials to give a precise, comfortable fit

The Vaypor + like all BONT shoes, has an extremely low 3.6mm stack height getting your foot closer to the pedal for direct power transfer and there is no discernable flex in the sole so your feet don't roll around over the pedal. We have found that the foot is far better supported since the sole curves around the side of the foot to encase it, stopping the typical cant of the feet over the sides of the sole (common on shoes where the upper is stitched to a flat outsole, and particularly noticable when the upper has stretched over time) while riding than other similarly priced shoes and as such tends to cause fewer problems with Hot-spots or knee pain, particularly over longer distances. This new version uses a new carbon lay-up which is unidirectional for further weight reductions over the original Vaypor.

Despite this stiffness they are remarkably comfortable thanks to the sensible shape of the Last. While many - if not most - cycling shoe manufacturers use common generic walking/running lasts (molds around which shoe shape is developed), Bont have invested heavily in cycling-specific lasts that take greater account of realistic foot shape and which are tailored for the job of cycling, this results in the precise fit which in turn lends comfort. It is also the reason for the shoes' distincive look and the relatively open toe-box. The ability to repeatedly mold the shoe and 'work-out' (with the blunt end of a screwdriver) any areas that cause pressure or discomfort means that you will be able to perfect the fit if you don't get it right straight away or if your feet change. The use of Memory Foam padding further refines the comfort. 

Like all Bont cycling shoes there is plenty of Medial Longtitudinal Arch support built into the last shape (which - for the most part - negates the need for insoles) which reduces over pronation and is key to good leg and knee alignment through the pedal stroke.

It is really important to stress here that most other manufacturers offer you a heat-moldable sole, what BONT offer is a heat-moldable CHASSIS so you are getting a far more tailored fit. Not only that but at a fcomparable price of many other heat-moldable shoes out there these represent real value for money and are ideal for the cyclist looking to improve and compete. They come complete with shoe bag to keep them in top condition.

BONT shoes are built to last and with proper care of the upper, will outlive conventional designs (regardless of price) by several factors. 

The best way to tell your size is try them on but in our experience you will probably find that you need to up-size by up to 1 full size. If you would like to discuss your fit we are happy to guide you on sizing.