i have very narrow feet!
Youāre not helping, @BEEutiful_Wednesday_DDS 
That shark fabric in the heel cup was on my old shoes and it is still holding up after four years. The sole cracked first.
I did my first actual ride with the rx8s over the weekend and they were great.
Iāve ridden somewhere around 400 hrs in my XC5s. Theyāre still in good shape visually, but Iāve started to get really bad hot spots in them. I think Iām also right on the edge of having too wide of a foot for them.
My current jam is the Special Ed Comp with the green metatarsal buttons.
I gave up on the 3-bolt to 2-bolt SPD adapters on my road shoes after losing one of the rubber pads that would nominally contact the ground while walking.
Back on SPD-SL cleats and 7810 pedals. Feels good.
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I heat molded my Bonts the other day, and it sorta made them feel better-ish? It definitely fixed a hotspot I was getting in my right midfoot, but wasnāt some revelatory leap in comfort.
In playing around with the Bont sizing guide, it seems as if I might need either a wider or larger shoe? Iām not sure I get their fit thinking, as iām already pulling the velcro over far enough to fold the fabric around it a little. The main issue Iām having is that the tub shape of the sole is a bit tight at my outer midfoot. This is what they suggest going nuts on with a screwdriver handle during a molding, which Iāll try after first making sure my old SiDis are ready to go as backup shoes in case I accidentally knock a hole in the Bontsā soles.
update edit: ran them through the oven again, which slightly improved the footbed fit. Then I did a spot heating on the spot where the widest bit of my foot sits, using a hair dryer. I couldnāt know how hot things were getting, so I just steadily applied pressure and took the heat off when the sole started to deform.
Doing all of this has definitely improved the fit of the shoe, and thus far hasnāt made the shoe crack in half or whatever, so for now, Iād say that the Bont Riot is a pretty good shoe for more serious clipless riding, particularly as itās usually available for around $150.
Iām still curious about $600 wonder shoes that weigh a couple hundred grams and ventilate better than Tevas or whatever, but for now, the cheapskate tinkering mode appears to have won the day.
Got these yesterday. Fit great. Huge improvement running in them vs the specialized jawns they replaced.
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On the opposite end of the spectrum I got these yesterday. On sale for $35 at universal.
Have about 20 miles in so far, great $35
Shimano CT-5
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Colorway notwithstanding, Iām kinda excited to try these:
https://www.pearlizumi.com/US/en/shop/men/cycling-shoes/mountain/x-alp_launch/p/15192101
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@Andrew_Squirrel do these colors fit into any of your schemes for eliminating laces from your flat pedal life choices?
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I might need Fred asking me the tough questions as I navigate existence, Arrested Development narration style.
Narrator: he wouldnāt.
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Maybe Iām missing out and experiencing these would be life-changing, but Iām not sure I get the boas on flat pedal shoes thing. Is it just to ditch laces? I donāt think I really feel like I need a more secure connection to my shoe than I am getting with my Five Tens.
No laces to get tangled in your drivetrain. More consistent retention in wet weather, too.
Really though, they just look cool.
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Iirc squirrel has been attempting to lead a coup against Big Shoeā¢ļø regarding the mere existence of laces
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I could use boas on my work boats. Laces are bullshit
yeah itās like 2020 already over here. why are we still using bits of string that donāt have ratchets or magnets or what have you
I just got some Shimano ME7s and the speedlace plus ratchet are giving me more of it than the Boas on my 5-10s were.