Thanks for tuning in today we're going to be reviewing the Bont Cycling Vapor
S Reflex road cycling shoes. One common proverb is if it ain't broken don't fix it
and that applies to the latest Bont Vapor S shoes we'll be covering in this review.
Rather than drastically changing these shoes Bont cycling has simply updated it with the latest BOA
dials and a couple other minor tweaks. In terms of packaging it's very simple we actually received it
in this box which is kind of surprising hopefully our mailman doesn't know how expensive these are
and then steal them but we received it pretty safely. You can see bought on the back and that's
about it we've already peeled off the label go ahead and open it and go over the specs.
Retail price on this is $415 so price has gone up slightly from the originals.
They have a retro reflective finish as a part of the reflex lineup and that means once you hit a
little bit of light these things will pop like a beacon so great for low visibility. They have the
new BOA Li2 dial system on here that's really the big difference between these shoes and the
previous version. They have the same replaceable heel and toe guards which means you can service
these shoes for many years to come and actually have upgraded hardware so 316 stainless steel
bolts for the front and the back. You have the moldable carbon outsole that Bont Cycling is so
well known for so that means you can throw this in the oven and then simply mold it to your feet for
a truly custom fit and the anatomically shaped outsole that box is known for so it's really
shaped like your actual feet so very wide all the way through. This is also the wider version too so
it's a little bit more exaggerated and it has the 3.6 millimeter stack height which is one of the
industry leading values so very thin and gives you a more direct connection with your pedals.
In terms of what comes with the shoes you get the actual mounting hardware for the cleat you get
a little Bont Cycling card here that tells you a little about it as well as a little discount code.
You get the Bont Cycling bag, its great for storing it
so if you ever want to prevent it from getting damaged or dust throw it in the bag when you're
not using it and then i think that's about it pull out the other one yeah so that's
about it and you have a little tag on here with how the boa dial works. Now lets take
a look at the weight of the shoes again we have the euro 44 in the wide variation.
So putting both shoes on here with no cleats that comes in at about 532 grams
so still on the lighter side. Now let's go over the fit and finish of the Bont Cycling Vaypor
S shoes. These are part of the reflex line so that's why it has this distinctive finish
and this glossy accent color so once the light hits this this thing will really shine
and we'll show that a little bit later but really beautiful shoe. You have a micro suede
upper with a lot of perforations here you have the speed dimples going along the side.
The big difference here with the previous vapor s is the fact they have the BOA Li2 dial so you can
see much flatter easier to use and then micro adjustments in both directions. It has more
control over the previous IP1 dial so you can see you can loosen it and then pull to fully unlock it
and with these shoes you have this wrap around design so you can see how this comes up and over
and then as you tighten it it really pulls your feet in and because you have a dual
zone set up. You can adjust the ankle and the toe box separately for that really custom fit.
You can see the back heel is also tilted forward to really keep you in place
and this nice soft liner along the edge so you don't have any discomfort.
The sole is what really sets the Bont Cycling shoes apart from other shoes on the market.
You can see very wide again this is the wide version so it's a little bit exaggerated
but even in the standard width you get wide design all the way down the bottom
so it's much more anatomically correct and you can see how the carbon sole extends
all the way up and over so it provides a lot of stiffness including the heel cuff
where you need it. So you can ride fast and still be comfortable. Also these are all heat moldable
so that means you throw it in the oven and you can get it exactly match your feet so you heat
it up put your feet in there and then do that a few times so you can get it to be an exact match
which is really impressive. Bont also offers some customization programs if you don't like the
default colors you can also do a semi-custom version where you can adjust the colors on here
or full custom while they're actually molded to you and build it exactly to your specifications.
Before you start riding you want to make sure you take advantage of the heat molding process.
We have a separate video that we'll link to but you simply place it in the oven at 160 degrees for
about 20 minutes and then while it's still warm put them on. Make sure to take off the insoles
or any cleats as they can be damaged during the heat molding process. Then you simply stand on
there and we recommend trying it a couple times so that it really wraps around your feet. Here
you can see a little bit of the shoe on the road it's a great looking shoe especially in the subtle
reflex finish. It just looks like a flat gray with the nice glossy center piece and the accents but
at night these really shine like a beacon. You can see the top of the shoe is fairly thick but it's
still quite flexible so it's a good combination. It's not quite as soft as a DMT knit shoe but
still very comfortable and with the heat molding they fit they fit like a glove from essentially
the first mile. There's really no break-in process after that. Overall really impressed
with the shoe with the integrated design you have that carbon fiber sole that really wraps around
and even though these aren't the prettiest shoes on the market with the wider anatomical design
you'll really appreciate when you're riding. We found the stiffness to be really top notch
so you can do a lot of climbing and thanks to the heat molding and the ventilated design you can
actually be comfortable for six seven hour rides and not get any pressure points on your feet. You
also don't have any pressure points at the top where the strap wraps around which is usually
a weak point of a lot of shoes. It's a great combination and even though these are about 400
they're one of the few heat moldable shoes on the market and that really gives it a leg up.
Now lets do a comparison between the Vaypor S and other shoes on the market.
One of the more direct comparisons we have is actually the previous version of Vaypor S which
is something we use almost daily. So you can see very similar design the upper is almost identical.
The big difference here is the BOA dial so you can see these are the old ip1 version
so you can see larger more plastic while these have a sleeker flatter look
and you can see the shape is also easier to use with those little grip rings around it.
Otherwise almost identical and this is the other color scheme with the reflex lineup
so it's a lighter gray with the black while this is inverted with the dark gray
and then the shinier color for the accent. Both good looking shoes and you can see even
though we've done a lot of miles on this shoe over the last two years it's held up
really well. The heel pad is still there and you can see the plastic is worn down slowly
and then the toe guard has done its job. We heat molded this one and have had great fit since then.
Other shoes on the market are something like the DMT this is the KR3 so much more elastic there's
a fully knitted upper and actually one of our complaints with this was almost too elastic you
can see it's almost like a water shoe where it's like a lycra material so very soft single dial
while the obviously the vapor s is much more expensive at almost double the price
and gives you the dual BOA dials. As you move up in price DMT also offers a dual BOA Li2 shoe. This
is the KR0 which we recently reviewed as well and you can see again knitted upper but it has this
integrated webbing structure so it still collapses flat but has much more structure to really keep
you in place but flexible the right direction. Same dual zone as the Bont but you get the
more anatomically shaped design with the Vaypor S shoes. So you can see how the sole really cuts
inward and then really stops there while the Bont extends all the way into the heel cup
provides more performance and much wider all the way through
so if you have a wider feet the Bont is definitely a good option it's a lot more anatomical not quite
as pretty. You can see the color scheme on the DMT is really beautiful with this Coral Red
but otherwise the Bont is a lot more functional i believe and price wise a little bit cheaper
actually than the DMT. The other big player in the cycling shoe market is the Shimano S-PHYRE
so similarly price quite expensive with the Li2 dials
they're not moldable. Bont is still one of the main moldable shoes on the market but not quite
as pretty again especially in this nice iridescent blue color that Shimano has.
You get the dual BOA dials with dual zone setup and wrap around design but the shimano
it's almost a little more integrated as they wrap around on both edges not just the top.
Shimano does have the more integrated heel cup design you can see you have more structure all
the way around so it provides better performance on sprints but if you look at the profiles on here
even though the Shimano is quite comfortable even in the non-ide version it's not really as wide all
the way through while the Bont is consistent all the way down and gives you a more anatomical fit.
So i think the big thing with the Bonts is they're very comfortable
just not quite as pretty as a lot of shoes on the market
and if you have wider feet they're a much better option as well as heat moldable.
Now let's go over the scorecard for the Bont Vaypor S cycling shoes. We're going to grade it on
four different categories: design, closures, comfort and value. For design we give it an A, it
has a nice retro reflective finish especially with the reflex line it's really well constructed. You
have the full carbon sole that really wraps around a great stiffness. For closures we give it an A,
the updated dual BOA Li2 dials obviously sleeker and easier to use and with the dual zones you
can really dial in the fit. Comfort is also in A, these are heat moldable shoes with an anatomical
fit so they fit like a glove from the first mile. For value we'd give it an A, even though it's
expensive it's one of the few heat moldable shoes on the market so you can really get a full custom
experience and for only about a hundred dollars more you can also do a semi-custom finish where
you can really customize the colors. Thanks for watching this review don't forget to like and
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us on Instagram at @TheSweetCyclists. This is The Sweet Cyclist reminding you to enjoy the ride!