The new Bont Cycling Riot 24 shoes take the brand’s popular budget friendly Riot model and upgrade them with improved fit and performance. As the product name suggests, the Riot 24 are new for 2024 and inherit the same simplified upper construction as the Vaypor 2023 shoes which makes it easy to visually differentiate the previous Riot model. With a retail price of $219 the Riot 24 are relatively affordable and feature a dual BOA L6 dial system with three row cable routing. The shoes are constructed from a microfiber upper material along with Bont’s trademark heat moldable carbon fiber sole. The Riot shoes have Bont’s unique wide anatomical shape along with the bathtub style carbon sole that wraps up the side of the heels for additional stiffness.
The Bont Riot 24 shoes combine a relatively affordable price point with Bont’s heat moldable carbon fiber sole and updated slide-and-ride design.
| Retail Price | $219 |
| Rating | Design: A Closures: A Comfort: A Value: A |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 572 (EUR 44 Wide) |
| Likes | + Heat moldable carbon fiber sole + Simplified upper construction is easy to put and take off + Wide anatomical fit that’s comfortable yet stiff |
| Dislikes | – Fixed cleat position – Foam insoles lack arch support |
| Where to Buy (US) | Bont Cycling |
UNBOXING
The Bont Cycling Riot 24 shoes come in a standard Bont branded cardboard box. The shoes are wrapped in some protective paper and have some stuffing inside them to hold their shape. Note, Bont does not include a fabric carrying bag for the shoes as you’d find on the higher cost Vaypor models.
FIT & FINISH
Bont Cycling has incorporated their “slide and ride” design into the Riot 24 shoes which replaces the previous wrap-around with a traditional center tongue design. This uses a standard three row cable routing and flexible tongue that can open up wider than the previous design. While it’s less interesting to look at, this design is far more user friendly and really lets you slide your feet in and start riding. The Riot 24 shoes are currently available in three color options: black, white and the shiny gold that we have in this review. This is probably the most polarizing color scheme as it has a shiny light gold coloring that is only broken up by the carbon fiber sole and black accents. The upper material is covered in small round perforations to allow airflow and larger slots along the tongue. As with other Bont shoes, the Riot 24 have a bathtub design with the carbon fiber sole wrapping around the heel.
Bont Cycling is also very transparent with all the difference between the shoe models to help buyers find the right shoe for them. The main differences between these Riot 24 shoes and the Vaypor 23 are: taller stack height (4.8mm vs 3.6mm), slightly heavier weight, carbon composite vs unidirectional carbon and the BOA L6 vs BOA Li2 dials. There are also minor differences like the fixed cleat holes and EVA foam innersole which all help the Riot 24 achieve a more affordable price point. Aside from the subtle difference in the BOA dials, the shoes are visually quite similar and could be easy to mistake for each other in the standard white or black color options.
The upper material on the Bont Riot shoe is a lightweight and supportive microfiber material. It’s highly flexible to accommodate different foot shapes and has two exposed seams with one on the rear and one on the inside. Bont has incorporated a toe bumper on the front along with some additional structure. While the shoes aren’t as soft as a knit construction, they are still highly flexible to accommodate different foot shoes and adjust their shape as the dials are tightened. However, we suspect the combination of the shiny gold and flexible upper material may not age as the shiny color will highlight the inevitable creases and marks on the upper material that show up with age.
As far as fit systems, the Riot 24 uses a dual BOA L6 dial setup with three rows of cable routing. The upper dial controls the heel fit while the bottom dial controls the two lower rows to adjust the toe box. As with all Bont shoes the Riot 24 have a wide anatomical shape that ensures all-day comfort. The main difference between the BOA L6 dial and the higher-end BOA Li2 dials is the fact that the L6 dials do not have micro loosening. You can only do micro tightening by rotating the dials in one direction and then a full release by pulling up on the dial. Otherwise the dials have a slim profile and rubberized exterior that is easy to adjust on while riding.
While the Riot shoes are more budget friendly, Bont didn’t compromise on stiffness or comfort. The soles use the brand’s heat moldable carbon composite construction which wraps around the heels. It also has a beautiful exposed weave and a wide anatomical shape that eliminates pressure points. Bont has designed the shoes to be compatible with 3-bolt cleats such as LOOK Keo or Shimano SPD-SL with fixed cleat holes. There is no forward or aft adjustment on these models so you’ll have to use the adjustment in the cleats and the white grid printed on the sole to position them. We are also happy to see a replaceable heel bumper which ensures you can continue to ride these shoes for years to come. Inside the shoe you have the standard Bont Cycling EVA foam insoles. These are not the upgraded Cobra9 insoles found in the higher-end shoes but you can always swap different insoles in if you want more arch support.
ON THE ROAD
While we haven’t had the chance to ride with the original Riot shoes, we’ve ridden with the Bont Vaypor S shoes for years and were impressed with the updated Vaypor 23 “slide and ride” design. It’s nearly the same design as the Riot 24 shoes have so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the performance and feel is nearly identical. The most noticeable difference between the shoes is the lack of micro tightening with the BOA L6 dials and fixed cleat positioning. Otherwise, we found the shoes to be comfortable and fast from our first ride. Unlike previous Bont Vaypor S shoes which needed a few rounds of heat molding to dial the fit, the Riot 24 shoes felt perfect from the first ride. The EUR 44 wide size was a perfect fit for our wider feet with a generous toe box and anatomical shape. The shiny gold color also attracted a lot of attention with one rider asking if the shoes were an Olympics special edition.
The shiny finish is a breeze to keep clean as you can simply wipe away any dirt and debris to keep the shoes looking new. Both dials also open up wide which let you get under the laces which makes it easy to put the shoes on or off as well as clean hard to reach areas. Our only issue with the shoes was related to the simple EVA foam insoles which lacked arch support. As someone with larger arches, the stock insoles didn’t provide enough contact area that could be uncomfortable on long rides. Swapping in the Cobra9 insoles was an easy fix and has made the Riot 24 shoes one of our favorite. Even though the Cobra9 insoles aren’t cheap, the combination of the Riot 24 and the insoles still undercut the Vaypor shoe price which is impressive.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Bont Cycling Riot 24 shoes to be well priced and high performance. As with all Bont shoes, the Riot 24 are anatomically shaped with a stiff and supportive heat moldable carbon fiber sole. The updated “slide and ride” simplifies the design of the shoes which makes them easy to put and take off without sacrificing any performance. We found the shoes to be stiff and fast with a generous toe box to accommodate long rides. The relatively affordable price of the Riot shoes is also impressive as they offer a dual BOA dial system and stiffness that is typically reserved for higher-end shoes. The only negatives we found with the shoe is that the fixed cleat position limits positioning of cleats and that the simple EVA foam insoles lack arch support of higher-end Bont Cobra9 insoles. That said, if you’re looking for top-level performance and stiffness that won’t break the bank then the Bont Riot 24 are an excellent choice.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Bont Cycling. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.