Product Review: Bont A Three Cycling Shoe

With just under 70 miles in this weekend, I felt compelled to write about my ever-so-fabulous Bont A Three cycling shoes. Yes, they rock.

My friend Josh found Bont after noticing Bradley Wiggins wearing them in the tour. The idea of a heat-moldable cycling shoe immediately appealed to both of us. For me, I'd been having some issues with numbness in my toes on longer rides, as well as general discomfort. Plus, my cycling shoes were pretty entry level and I'd been considering an upgrade to something stiffer for a while.

Bont was originally known for speed skates (with heat-moldable boots, of course). They were smart enough to realize that many of the properties of a skate would translate directly to cycling footwear.

Unfortunately, most cycling shoes use the European sizing standards, and there's often a great deal of variance between brands. I've worn shoes from EU44 to EU47 that were comfortable - though I'm usually best in a 46. But Bont has a handy sizing chart. So I used that and placed my order, even though the size they recommended (44) seemed much too small.

Fail.

The first pair arrived - shipped on the slow boat from Australia. As soon as I slipped them on, I knew they wouldn't fit. So back they go, with an order for the correct size 46. In the meantime I score a barely used pair of 46's from eBay.

Lesson One: Buy from a local dealer. At the time I ordered mine, there wasn't one. Now there is. Next time, I'll know.

OK, so now I have a pair that seems like they're going to fit correctly. Per the instructions, I preheat the oven to 160 degrees and remove the insoles. Bake for 20 minutes at 160, pull 'em out, stick in the insoles and put 'em on. Then stand in one place as they mold to your foot and cool. The result? A full-custom fit that's positively awesome.

The next evening, I get them out on the road. Wow. Just wow! The improved fit is evident, but the real difference is in the stiffness. I had no idea how flimsy my previous shoes were! Every pedal stroke goes straight to moving you down the road. I gain a significant advantage on hills. Pure happiness.

A few weeks later, my replacements arrive from Bont. I do the heat molding process again. Here's where it gets interesting. The used eBay pair simply had three Velcro straps. The new ones are the replace the top strap with a buckle system and the difference is extremely noticeable. Much more rigid fit, and more comfortable as my foot stays in-place on the footbed.

Lesson Two: Buckle/strap models dramatically outperform just straps

Now I've got the better part of a year on my A-Three's and I couldn't be happier. They clearly deliver a fit and performance advantage I could never have imagined. Cooling airflow is also surprisingly good, considering the upper is all smooth leather. While these shoes are pricey (I got a deal - I bought mine as the improved A-Two was being introduced) they're comparable to other top-notch shoes like Sidi, Mavic, or Diadora. The difference is the heat moldable fit. None of these competitors deliver this at ANY price.

Highly recommended!

-Sean-