Bont Vaypor 2023 road shoes review

The Bont Vaypor 2023 is the Australian brand’s latest flagship road cycling shoe.

It continues with Bont’s distinctive anatomic last (the model foot around which a shoe is built) and signature bath-tub style, heat-mouldable carbon fibre sole.

Compared to its predecessor, the Vaypor S, Bont says it focused on improving out-of-the-box comfort with the new shoe.

Additionally, the Vaypor 2023 has dropped a little weight, and gained a simplified closure system and adjustable cleat bolt holes.

Unfortunately, though, I found a major fit issue with the right shoe, which I wasn’t able to resolve through Bont’s at-home heat moulding process.

It was also disappointing to see that despite the high price of entry, Bont’s recently launched Vaypor inner soles aren’t fitted as standard, with cheaper versions included instead.

Bont Vaypor 2023 specification

Bont focused primarily on improving its out-of-the-box comfort for the Vaypor 2023.

The last has been subtly refined and the brand has focused on softening and padding the uppers.

This results in uppers that feel far more malleable, and it’s a marked difference from the older Bont models I own, such as the Vaypor Classic and Zero+, which have Durolite uppers.

The closure system has also been simplified, with a pair of Boa Li2 dials taking care of lace tension.

These are easy to use, offer dual-direction micro adjustments and can be popped up to release the tension entirely for speedy removal.

The Vaypor 2023s cost £369.95, or $449, putting them among the most expensive cycling shoes available.

Specialized’s top-of-the-range S-Works Torch, for example, costs £385/€440/$450, while the Shimano S-Phyre RC903 costs £349.99/€359.99/$450.

Bont Vaypor 2023 weight

At 442g for a pair of size EU45 shoes, the Vaypor 2023s have shed 42g compared to the Bont Vaypor S Hologram shoes we tested in 2021.

While there are lighter cycling shoes available, such as Giro’s Empire SLX (which is claimed to weigh 370g for a pair of size EU42.5 shoes), 442g compares favourably to other high-end shoes I’ve tested such as the Specialized S-Works 7 Lace (494g, size EU45) and Shimano S-Phyre RC902 (538g, size EU45).

Bont Vaypor 2023 colour options

The Vaypor 2023s come in only two colours – all white or all black.

The Boa Li2 dials can be customised with different-coloured versions, but at £47 a pair this isn’t a cheap upgrade.

Bont Vaypor 2023 setup and inner soles

The Bont Vaypor 2023 accepts three-bolt cycling cleats. Adjustable bolt holes are also included, which allow for a greater range of fore and aft cleat positioning.

While previous Bont shoes typically came with basic inner soles, Bont recently partnered with fellow Australian brand Cobra9 to address this shortfall.

The new Vaypor inner soles pair a carbon core with a dual-density EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam.

These are intended to improve arch support and comfort, while minimising stack height (the vertical distance between the rider’s foot and the pedal – a lower stack is claimed to help improve foot stability and therefore pedalling efficiency).

Having featured all three sets (low, medium and high arch support) of the Vaypor inner soles in a recent edition of First Look Friday, I’ve since found they tangibly improve comfort compared to what Bont shoes previously offered.

Confusingly, though, you don’t get a set of these Vaypor inner soles with the Vaypor 2023 shoes.

Instead, you get Bont’s cheaper (£33/$39.95) Riot Series inner soles as standard.

For context, Bont’s Riot+ shoe is a lower-priced model in Bont’s range. Considering the naming convention, it follows that the Riot Series inner sole is also more of an entry-level product.

The Vaypor inner soles are available separately for £79/$99.95, but it’s puzzling that you don’t get them as standard with the Vaypor 2023 shoes.

Presumably, it’s a cost-saving measure on Bont’s part, but that feels very miserly given the asking price for these shoes (£369.95/$449).

Handling both, there is a clear difference in their construction. Though they appear outwardly identical, the Vaypor inner soles are far stiffer than the Riot Series ones in the arch area.

Consequently, swapping to a set of the Vaypor inner soles elicits tangibly improved arch support while riding. It’s not a night and day difference in terms of performance on the bike, but it is noticeable in terms of how it feels.

Bont Vaypor 2023 performance

In use, the Vaypor 2023s exhibit the typical characteristics Bont fans will know and love – the soles are incredibly stiff under load, making it feel as if none of your effort is being wasted.

Whether or not this improves performance is debatable though.

Research by Rodger Kram suggests that while stiff cycling shoes can improve performance compared to flexible running shoes, there are diminishing returns once you reach the basic level of stiffness afforded by most cheap cycling shoes.

Nevertheless, I’ve long appreciated the way Bonts and other ultra-stiff cycling shoes feel while riding.

For road cycling, I find stiff cycling shoes can be more comfortable and less fatiguing on my feet than more flexible ones, provided they fit well.

Some may feel the opposite, though, so there’s a degree of personal preference here.

Bont Vaypor 2023 fit and comfort

Comfort-wise, the softer uppers and increased padding make for a cosseting fit, especially around the heel and ankle area.

Unfortunately, despite having previously measured my feet as per Bont’s instructions to ensure I had the correct size, I found a significant fit issue with the right shoe.

Similar to my experience with the Nimbl Air shoes, the upper edge of the carbon sole dug into the outside of my right foot, just behind my little toe.

Although the shoe has a wide, anatomic shape, there’s almost no padding in this area to protect your foot from contacting this edge if the fit isn’t right.

Given the stiffness of the carbon sole, this was a source of major discomfort.

After three rounds of warming the shoes in the oven, manhandling the offending area using the round end of a screwdriver handle (per Bont’s recommendations), and retesting the shoes on the bike, I wasn’t able to resolve it completely, however.

I was able to reduce the severity of the discomfort, and it’s possible further rounds of heat moulding (there’s no limit to how many times you can repeat this process) and work on the area could fix the issue.

It’s a lot of effort to dedicate to trying to make a very expensive shoe fit without pain or discomfort, though – especially when there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to reach a perfect fit.

As Bont says, the heat moulding process is only for making “small adjustments to the edges and heel cup” of the carbon sole – it’s not a cure-all solution for sizing or fit issues.

It’s also worth noting that once you’ve heat moulded a Bont shoe it’s no longer eligible for return.

There is a wide fit option for the Vaypor 2023, but the measured width of my feet – 104mm at the widest points – is well within the 100 to 110mm range recommended for the standard-width shoe.

Bont would doubtless insist the performance benefits of its bathtub-style carbon sole make this effort worthwhile.

However, with research suggesting increased cycling shoe stiffness makes little measurable difference beyond a certain point, I’m less convinced nowadays.

Bont Vaypor 2023 uppers

Beyond the sole, I also found the uppers to be a little baggy. This meant they tended to crease slightly when the Boa dials were fully tightened.

It’s possible I simply have low-volume feet compared to the average rider, but this isn’t an issue I’d experienced with Bont or other cycling shoes before.

This didn’t impact performance, but it didn’t look amazing and at this price it’s not unreasonable to expect a better fit in this area.

Bont Vaypor 2023 bottom line

I can’t help but feel disappointed by the Bont Vaypor 2023.

On paper, it refines a well-proven formula (one I’ve previously championed enthusiastically), but in use it falls short in a number of key areas.

The uppers are softer and more comfortable than Bont’s previous efforts, and I appreciate the simplified closure system and adjustable cleat bolt holes.

The fact Bont opts to include its cheaper Riot series inner soles rather than the Vaypor series ones feels ungenerous at this price, though.

And, ultimately, there's no ignoring the fit issue I had with the right shoe, which made wearing the Vaypor 2023s on longer rides near unbearable.

As I've noted, it may be possible to eventually iron this out via repeated heat moulding.

There are no guarantees, however, making the Vaypor 2023s feel like a risky investment – especially when most of the best cycling shoes don’t require such interventions.