Which Bont Skates Are Right for You? The OurSkates Buyer's Guide
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Written for OurSkates. Reviewed and verified by Vincent Henry, 50x British National Champion and FISS Level 3 coach. Last updated July 2026.
The question we answer most at race events is the simplest one: which boot? Here is the honest pathway, from a child's first push to a national final.
Ages 3 to 9
The Bont Scoot. Adjustable through sizes, so it grows with the foot instead of being outgrown by autumn, and forgiving enough to learn on.
Juniors getting serious
The Jet. Fully heat mouldable, supportive, and light enough that a developing skater is never fighting the equipment. It is also the right first boot for most adult beginners.
Adults stepping in with intent
The Eclipse. Carbon stiffness close to the flagship at a fraction of the price, for the adult who knows they will race.
Coming across from plastic recreational skates
The Semi Race III. It bridges the gap, giving more support than a full race boot while you adapt to a proper skating position.
Racing to win
The Slipstream. A professional boot on a narrower last, with exposed mounting blocks and firmer padding for direct power transfer. It asks for commitment and repays it.
The summit
The Vaypor. Hand-laid carbon including uni-directional layers, custom buckles and the premium fittings. When championships are the goal, this is the stock boot to beat.
And when stock is not enough
Some feet need more than a size and a width. Bont has built custom boots since 1974, longer than anyone, and today produces more customs each week than every other maker combined, each pair built by a bootmaker with at least fifteen years at Bont. If one foot is longer than the other, your ankles are narrow, or nothing off the shelf has ever fitted, read Do I Need Custom Boots and Semi Custom Bont Boots, then talk to us.
Two final pieces
Whatever the boot, size it from a millimetre measurement of your feet, never your shoe size; the sizing guide shows you how. And match the wheels to your surface using the wheels guide, or start simple: Elemental to learn, Typhoon for the rain, Highroller for training miles, RedMagic to race.
Not sure where you sit on the pathway? Contact us with your age, level and goals, and we will recommend the full setup: boot, frame, wheels. Or browse boots and complete packages.