Bont vs Shimano shoes

colm_gti

Help me spend my money....I need new shoes, do I buy what I've had and liked before, the known entity, or do I go wild and try something new.

Both are the same price.

Bont A2 or Shimano R171?

Anyone have experience of both? Do the shimano ones offer any features better than the A2's?

Raam

Both are mingin.

Does that help?

colm_gti

Raam wrote: »

Both are mingin.

Does that help?

This is only half the reply I would expect from a regular boards.ie poster, what a let down!

I'm supposed to ask for a recommendation between two items, which I've done.

You're supposed to suggest neither, which you've done.

But you're also supposed to suggest a third item, ten times my original budget.

This must be in the rules somewhere...

Raam

Sorry about that. Here, these are 10% off: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/sidi-wire-carbon-speedplay-vernice-road-shoes-2015/rp-prod127349

doozerie

It has to be Bont, unless the Shimano's are mouldable too. Otherwise you'll miss out on the drama of naming one shoe Hansel and the other Gretel before lobbing them both in a hot oven. Best done in a witches costume of course, for authenticity, and with an audience of small children for added atmosphere.

colm_gti

doozerie wrote: »

It has to be Bont, unless the Shimano's are mouldable too. Otherwise you'll miss out on the drama of naming one shoe Hansel and the other Gretel before lobbing them both in a hot oven. Best done in a witches costume of course, for authenticity, and with an audience of small children for added atmosphere.

Sold! When can I call over to use your oven to mould the shoes, and your small children as an audience?

doozerie

Only one child - I lost the other two when I chucked them in the oven accidentally instead of my Bont A2's, a reminder to not bake your shoes when tired. I miss the kids, they made lovely slippers though.

More seriously though, if the A2's consistently worked well for you I'd be inclined to stick with them. I've had some annoying issues with shoes over the years and although I really like my current Specialized Pro and S-works shoes, they occasionally cause me problems and when they do I'd pay anything for shoes that never give me pain. I do have stupidly differently sized feet though so others might not have the same hassles. I actually have a set of A2's still waiting to be baked, I'm hoping that mouldable shoes will be the nirvana that I hope really exists.

So if the Bonts were "perfect" for you, I'd stick with them, otherwise I'd try something different.

colm_gti

Hmm....

Well, I had A2's for a year, absolutely loved them, fit perfectly. Needed new shoes on a bit more of a budget, bought bont riots in the same size, or what I thought was the same size. They use a different sole, which turned out to be bigger, but I only figured this out after I baked them. I've been making do with them by wearing 2 pairs of socks, hardly ideal.

Before the A2's though I did have entry level shimano r077's and they did fit fine.

While the A2's did work perfectly, I'm a sucker for change, and do like the new shimano's so am tempted.

The other factor contributing to my decision is that I can get the shimanos from CRC within 2 days, so I'd have them for the weekend....whereas the bont's are from wiggle, so would have to wait til next week...hardly ideal :pac:

johnk123

Surely the only logical conclusion is to buy both?

gambeta_fc

johnk123 wrote: »

Surely the only logical conclusion is to buy both?

While your at it why not buy another pair for good measure ... just in case:
www. chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/fizik-r5b-road-shoes-2015/rp-prod132504
www. road.cc/content/review/146066-fizik-r5b-uomo-mens-road-shoes

colm_gti

gambeta_fc wrote: »

While your at it why not buy another pair for good measure ... just in case:
www. chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/fizik-r5b-road-shoes-2015/rp-prod132504
www. road.cc/content/review/146066-fizik-r5b-uomo-mens-road-shoes

They look great, but I had a bad experience with fizik shoes in the past that has put me off buying them, at least from an online retailer.

Ended up buying the bonts, sense got the better of me.

outfox

doozerie wrote: »

I've had some annoying issues with shoes over the years

What kind of issues would typically arise from bike shoes? Are there issues that can crop up even if the fit is OK?

colm_gti

outfox wrote: »

What kind of issues would typically arise from bike shoes? Are there issues that can crop up even if the fit is OK?

Anything from localised discomfort all the way up to shoulder and neck pain could come from poor fitting shoes....it's all connected