Bont Vaypor highway bike footwear overview: Feathery and stiff, with some a lot wanted enhancements for consolation

Certain shoe manufacturers have fairly distinct reputations. Sidi footwear are typically classically slim, Giro does glorious lace-ups, and Bont appears to be famend for making extremely stiff footwear. I’ve tried the gravel-oriented Vaypor G for my information to the most effective gravel footwear, however for the latter half of the summer time, I’ve had my ft ensconced within the new, road-going Vaypor. 

Released in 2023 the brand new Vaypor has a concentrate on all-day consolation, balancing out earlier iterations which appeared, from my perspective at the very least, to be chasing stiffness and stack peak above all else. 

Having spent plenty of time in these footwear, together with some 200km all-day days to essentially take a look at the consolation credentials, I’m fairly completely happy to conclude that they’re an excellent shoe from a efficiency perspective, and simply sufficient to combine it with the most effective biking footwear in the marketplace. They’re costly, however they do properly to justify their price ticket, which is a hair shy of £370 within the UK and one greenback below $450 within the States.

Design and aesthetics

The one factor you’ll in all probability discover when taking a look at a set of Bont Vaypors is that they seem very flat. They’re an extremely low-profile shoe in lots of respects; the uppers are very skinny, and don’t prolong practically up to now up the foot as many different highway footwear do. The uppers additionally prolong all the way down to successfully floor degree, so little or no sole is definitely on present, additional enhancing the flat aesthetics. This, mixed with a noticeably wider toe field than many manufacturers (and a large midfoot in my case as I’m operating a large model for my spade-like ft), means they lower a really completely different line to many different choices. 

This low profile isn’t simply visible both. The Vaypors have an extremely low stack peak (principally the thickness of the only) at simply 3.6mm which means when you’re coming to those footwear from one other model you’ll doubtless have to regulate your saddle peak a little bit to compensate. The cleat holes within the sole do have a superb diploma of fore/aft adjustment, and I used to be capable of get my cleats right into a sufficiently rearward place with none points in any respect. 

The uppers are made from a skinny, closely perforated artificial materials, with solely the tongue providing up any actual padding of any variety. The closure system is a fairly easy pair of BOA Li2 dials; one for the higher, one for the decrease. No extra midfoot strap, as is the case for the older Vaypor S and Vaypor G fashions.

The heel cup is padded with a comparatively delicate, light-weight foam. It’s an actual departure from one thing just like the S-Works Torch with its ridge of high-density padding, however once more it seems to have been carried out with weight in thoughts. The footwear weigh in at 200g for a measurement 42, which is simply a smidge greater than the lace-up Giro Empire SLX, so the eating regimen has clearly been working.

The carbon sole itself is maybe the place the largest modifications, and to my thoughts enhancements, have been made. Older technology Bont footwear have a full ‘bathtub’ sole, which means the carbon extends up across the sides, cupping the ft on all sides. It made for phenomenally stiff footwear, however I all the time discovered them extraordinarily unforgiving. Bont does a superb job of providing wider sizes, however if you’re only a hair too vast then your foot would butt up towards immovable carbon fibre relatively than the extra versatile higher materials. 

For the brand new Vaypor, the tub sides have been eliminated for the entrance part. The heel continues to be cupped by carbon, however now the forefoot is free to develop outwards a little bit extra simply, particularly helpful for lengthy days within the saddle when your ft can swell a little bit. 

Visually these do bear greater than a passing resemblance to the Nimbl Exceed Ultimate. The manner the higher extends seemingly to the ground from the midfoot and the dual boa placement are all related, and whereas the Nimbl has these crushed on the stack (simply), the Vaypors are lighter and are available a far better vary of sizes, and width choices, and are cheaper by round £100. 

Performance

The Vaypors are a little bit of a departure from most different highway footwear I’ve examined out in recent times. Immediately you do should decide to them by adjusting your saddle peak downwards to compensate for the decrease stack peak of the footwear. Can you actually ‘really feel’ the decrease stack? I’m not fully satisfied I can, however that doesn’t negate the fundamental physics of getting your foot nearer to the axle leading to a extra steady switch of energy. 

What you’ll be able to really feel instantly in comparison with my common footwear is the light-weight really feel of them, each when it comes to the precise weight and the pliability of the development. The uppers do an exquisite job of encasing your foot with out ever feeling unyielding, and whereas there isn’t a midfoot strap the vast, padded tongue does a superb job of dispersing the stress utilized to it by the BOA dial cords. The low weight does tick plenty of packing containers for my interior weight weenie, however shifting from comparatively heavy, leather-based Lake footwear to those was about as drastic a change as one could make on this regard. Moving from a extra light-weight competitor shoe to those the distinction could also be more durable to really feel, however standalone they do really feel extra like slippers than bike footwear. 

This consolation is aided vastly by the modifications made to the only. I by no means obtained on with the tub however right here my foot felt much more free. The vast midfoot is complemented by a large toe field, one thing that I typically discover is missing on different vast footwear. I might fortunately wiggle my toes whereas using and solely began to really feel the outermost two getting pushed in on very lengthy rides. Usually, they’re shoved inwards from the off in practically each different shoe I’ve tried, and also you’d be amazed on the distinction having the ability to splay your toes could make for perceived energy switch. 

The heel cup I discovered to be rather less tenacious than my gold normal, which is any top-end shoe from Specialized. To counteract this it’s attainable to warmth mould the footwear at house within the oven, however this was one thing I by no means bothered to do, so it clearly wasn’t truly that a lot of a problem. I by no means actually felt any heel elevate, even with the facility down out of the saddle, just a bit extra motion was attainable when it comes to rotation of the foot as a complete if I left the dials a little bit looser.

The Vaypors make an excessive amount of catering for all-day consolation, so I spent over ten hours in them using by way of Wales to see if the advertising rings true. I’m completely happy to say it does. While the climate wasn’t toasty (it rained solidly for the primary two hours) the uppers had been a lot breathable sufficient, and dried out a hell of so much quicker than plenty of footwear I’ve tried lately. As the day progressed and my ft swelled a little bit, a easy launch of the dials by a notch or two was enough to take care of consolation. Happily, in addition to drying out in a short time, they’re additionally a breeze to maintain clear. The uppers are easy, and successfully ‘wipe clear’. I wouldn’t anticipate them to do an excellent job of maintaining my ft heat in chilly climate, however summer time showers and related grot will show to be no subject. 

They didn’t really feel overly stiff both – emphasis on the overly right here – however they nonetheless keep that rock-solid base. I’m nonetheless unconvinced that mega-stiff soles supply any actual benefit, however when it comes to a direct really feel, they definitely tick the packing containers.

Here’s the true kicker, too. I’ve but to come back throughout a very vast shoe that matches these when it comes to all-out efficiency. Bike footwear typically are getting wider, however having gathered in all the most effective biking footwear for vast ft, these sit atop the pile from a racy standpoint. 

Value

As all the time in these sections I’m at pains to level out the distinction between a superb worth product and an affordable product. These are an costly pair of footwear, there’s no two methods about that, however they provide a close to class-leading stack, very low weight, a customisable match, a large toe field, a number of width choices, and are very snug in addition to performing properly when the warmth is on. 

They’re in the identical worth bracket because the Specialized S-Works Torch, and are definitely of an analogous efficiency degree. They really feel a little bit extra flimsy, however the flip facet of that could be a actually featherweight really feel on the ft – decide your poison. 

Verdict

The Bont Vaypor highway bike footwear are a really excessive efficiency biking shoe that does properly to justify its excessive price ticket. They supply a a lot improved degree of consolation, a low stack, and a match that’s rock stable with out ever leaving your ft feeling trapped. The uppers particularly are so light-weight and versatile that they really feel slipper-like. They lack the actually locked-in really feel of some excessive finish Specialized footwear, however particularly for these with wider ft or those that worth a extra roomy toe field, they’re a simple selection with no compromise when it comes to efficiency.