Bont Riot G gravel shoes

The Bont Riot G is a great all-purpose shoe for anyone who's using SPD pedals on the road or the gravel. They're well made, light and comfortable enough for all-day riding. I like them.

> Buy now: Bont Riot G for £209 from Bont Cycling

The Riot G is a solidly constructed shoe built around a carbon composite sole. The Riot MTB+ has been in the Bont range for years – we reviewed it on off.road.cc back in 2021 – and the Riot G is basically an overhaul of that shoe, aimed more at the gravel market.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - instep.jpg (credit: road.cc)

It has a multi-section upper sewn into the sole, with a rubberised transition layer to guard against scuffs, and a ripstop nylon top panel. Closure is a dual-dial Boa L6 Fit System, and inside the shoe you get Bont's x Cobra9 dual-density EVA insole.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - rear.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The whole shoe is very nicely put together. This feels like a quality shoe, and pulling out the insole reveals a proper sewn construction.

The carbon sole is augmented with a deep rubber tread, and there are screw holes for spikes if you're planning anything really adventurous. Bear in mind that if you're pointing them at anything rocky you'll soon scuff up the exposed carbon on the sole, though.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - sole toe detail.jpg (credit: road.cc)

In use

The first thing I did with these shoes was pull them on and ride a tough 200km audax that had me in the saddle for over 10 hours. Nothing like jumping in at the deep end! Anyway, I'm writing this, so I clearly didn't die from any foot-related complications, so how were they?

Well, they were excellent for the most part. I barely thought about my feet for the entire ride; they were the least of my problems. The Riot G shoes are comfortable and at 795g for my giant size 48 pair they're pretty light, comparable with the Shimano RX8 shoes I often wear.

Like the RX8s they're a stiff pair of shoes; in fact the Riot G is probably the stiffest gravel shoe I've personally used. That makes them feel super-efficient on the bike. My outdoor racing days are behind me, and I don't ever use single-sided road pedals or disco slippers any more, but even so on the road bike it's nice to have a shoe that feels solid when you're giving it death up some punchy rise to try to hang on to your fitter and faster mates. These Bonts fit the bill nicely for that as well as the hours on the gravel.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - sole.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The Riot G is a comfortable shoe, too. Bont is known for its oven-mouldable shoes, but it says it designed the non-mouldable Riot G to be compatible with a wide range of foot sizes, with two widths available, and I certainly found the fit to be excellent.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - heels.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The Boa L6 dials don't have two-way adjustment, which is a shame, but they're easy to use and it's simple enough to get the shoes feeling snug. I did find there was a bit of trade-off with heel retention: to get them as secure as I'd like at the back I had to tighten the dials a bit more than I wanted to for maximum comfort. It wasn't really an issue – there wasn't any sprinting for the line during testing – but it's worth noting.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - BOA dial.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The insole is good quality, and gives just about the right amount of cushioning. There's not much arch support out of the box but it's simple enough to stick a wedge under the insole if that's a particular issue for you.

Bont claims 'improved walkability' for these shoes. They're okay to walk in, but as ever, sole stiffness and walking performance are mutually-opposing goals, and with a very solid composite tub under your foot there's no real articulation, so walking performance will naturally suffer.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - sole heel detail.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Heading into a cafe there's plenty of grip from the rubber outsole and they're not especially noisy as the cleat sits below the level of the outsole. For trying to scrabble up a loose section you couldn't ride, they're less good. If I'm doing a ride I think will have any significant hike-a-bike in then I'll normally reach for my trusty Shimano XC5 shoes and that's not going to change based on my experience of these Bonts – they're just a bit too solid for any extended trekking.

2025 Bont Riot G Shoes - sole toe.jpg (credit: road.cc)

For normal rides, where the walking is mostly to the cake counter, they're absolutely fine, and certainly better than road shoes.

Value

At £209 a pair the Riot G is quite an expensive shoe. You can pay significantly more: the S-Works Recon is well over £300 and the Lake MX329 is nearly up there too. For what you're getting here they don't feel like they're overpriced. They're £10 cheaper at RRP than the aforementioned Shimano RX8, and I'd say the overall build quality is a bit better.

You can get good shoes for less: the £159.99 Shimano RX6 and Decathlon Rockrider 900 at a mere £79.99 are both worth a look.

Check out more options in our guide to the best cycling shoes – whether you prefer riding on the road or off.

Conclusion

Overall, these Bonts are well made, stiff, light and comfortable, and I've enjoyed wearing them, so I wouldn't have a problem recommending them if you're looking for a purposeful shoe that feels efficient on the bike.

> Buy now: Bont Riot G for £209 from Bont Cycling

Verdict

Lightweight, comfortable gravel shoes that are stiff and efficient for road riding too