Buy with confidence

You can always buy Bont Skates with confidence. Skaters have been buying Bont Skates since 1975 and we are the world’s largest manufacturer of inline speed skates and short track speed skates and custom skates as well as one of the largest manufacturers of roller derby skates.

We have a reputation for looking after our customers. We do everything possible to ensure that our products are made to the highest standards. As an example, all of our boots go through 16 individual stages of quality control before they are shipped out.

Our inline wheels, roller skate wheels and frames are all tested for strength and fatigue on the computer using the most advances computer-aided stress testing available. Bont bearings are produced in partnership with some of the best speciality bearing manufacturers in the world.

All Bont products go through a rigorous team testing phase before being brought to market. Team Bont skaters are the very best in the world.

When you buy Bont Skates, you get the best skates on the market. 

Technology - Carbon Fiber

Ever wondered what Carbon Fiber is? For instance, is it Carbon Fiber or Carbon Fibre? To clarify, Fibre and Fiber have the same meaning. Fibre is the British English spelling, while Fiber is the US English spelling.

Carbon Fiber is a revolutionary material. It is as strong as steel with a fraction of the weight.

Carbon Fiber consists of mainly bonded carbon atoms. For example, the fibers’ long axis consists of particles that have been bonded together and aligned. Following this, a yarn is created by twisting several thousand of the threads together. Finally, a piece of fabric is woven from the yarn.

Here at Bont, we have been producing carbon-based boots since 1989. Above all and most importantly, we source our carbon exclusively from the world’s number one carbon manufacturer, Toray of Japan.

 

INDUSTRY MISREPRESENTATION

In the old days, if you purchased a plastic or nylon based shoe, you knew what you were getting. However, nowadays, with all of the expensive modern materials, it is getting harder to identify what is in your product. As a result, you may not be getting what you thought you purchased.

Here are some handy tips on different ways manufacturers use materials. That is to say, use these points for consideration in your next purchase.

One layer of carbon
Often, manufacturers misrepresent carbon shoes. For example, the shoe base can be an injection-molded plastic, or nylon, or fiberglass base and usually covered with a single layer of carbon fiber. Unfortunately, when you buy a shoe, and you see that it has a carbon base, the chances are that only the outer layer is carbon.

Unidirectional carbon
A variety of shoes are marketed as Unidirectional carbon. However, many of these shoes use injection molded carbon in the plastic and call this Unidirectional Carbon. Consequently, we feel this is a misuse of the terminology. For example, here at Bont, Unidirectional Carbon means carbon fiber, where all of the strands travel in the same direction.

Silver fiberglass
Many shoes use a plastic injection molded base with some carbon particles in it. Also, these shoes typically have a single layer of silver fiberglass for the outer layer. As such, manufacturers advertise ‘carbon fiber’ for these shoes. They are allowed to use this term as there is carbon dust in the plastic mold under the outer fiberglass layer. However, the fiberglass woven material on the outside is not carbon. Above all, remember Carbon Fiber is always black.

100% composite
What is 100% composite? This term almost covers anything. Therefore, the question you need to ask when considering a composite boot is, A composite of what? In short, a composite boot is usually a nylon fiberglass composite.

Monocoque
A Monocoque shoe is where the carbon is directly laminated onto the liner. Unfortunately, some companies are calling a carbon shell with an integrated heel cup a Monocoque shoe; however, it isn’t.

In summary, be aware of companies jumping on the bandwagon of carbon technology and using keywords to promote their product. Above all, do your research and be mindful of what you are purchasing. We hope this helps your decision in your carbon boot purchase.

Technology - Heat Molding

Bont manufactures the most heat moldable boots available in the market. Improved continuously for over 45 years, Bont proprietary resin is extremely stiff that becomes pliable at relatively low temperatures.

 

 

Bont boots are moldable over the entire base, unlike other skates that are moldable only in select locations. Importantly, this provides skaters with the most anatomically designed boot on the market today. Additionally, skaters with Bont boots can fine-tune the fit of the whole boot to get that customized fit.

 

 

Technology - One Piece Construction

At Bont, we produce high-end skates using a method we call One-Piece Construction. This process is far more skill-intensive and time-consuming, resulting in far higher costs than mainstream skate construction methods. However, this method allows our range of skates to lead the market in performance. 

When the liner and skin of a boot have been glued to a pre-made base it is called a two-piece boot. Much of the stitching on a two-piece boot is purely cosmetic. Therefore, the stitching serves no structural purpose. It is positioned before the boot is made. As such, a two-piece boot can focus on cosmetics for stitching.

The stitching on Bont one-piece boots is stitching is not cosmetic. It stitches the outer skin to the anti-stretch material that is bonded to the carbon.