Lake

My feet gained volume with age, which meant no more narrow Italian road shoes. Needed to go wide. I wore Lake for cyclocross back in the day (loved the shoes) and read somewhere that Lake had the best wide shoes. Headed over to Bike Tires Direct and, sure enough, they had them at the lowest price. Shoes are very comfy; recently finished a weeklong, 400-mile tour without issue. Looking forward to buying the mountain version of CX177 when it becomes available on biketiresdirect.com. I know the price will be competitive.

I am moving from 2 decades of SIDI shoes, which have always worked out for me, however my foot has widened a bit with age and I was starting to develop some numbness I had not previously experienced. On recommendation I have shifted to the Lake shoe. It is definitely more roomy and so far good, but with my typical very thin sock they have more volume that I am used to. I am still working through that. Soles are rigid, material quality is high and the BOA has not been finicky and adjust well.

OK, so they are not cheap, but the fit is fantastic the comfort is extraordinary. The quality is great. What's not to like? I have been messing around with bigger narrow shoes, sidi mostly. Either I have to buy too large or suffer scrunched feet. For the too large I cannot get the cleat set properly. Right-sized and my feet are painful. Enter these Lake CX242 wides'great fit following Lake's on-line guide.

I would say that my feet are not wide at all, in fact, I have a narrow forefoot and a higher arch. These are just right so if you have wider feet you might want to go up to some of Lake's even wider shoes.

These shoes are touted as being wide in the forefoot. After trying 2 different sizes, a 46, & a 45.5, I found them to be too big & too snug, respectfully. I exchanged them for the Sidi Mega 45.5, which I currently wear. The Sidi's fit perfectly & are wider than the 45.5 Lake's. Yes, the Lake's have a full carbon sole & their closure system is easy to adjust, but if they don't fit correctly, those features are moot. Maybe it's their last or stiff sole, but these didn't do it for me. I suggest trying the Sidi's & comparing. Bike Tires Direct was extremely accommodating with returns & exchanges. They are a top notch company who recommend whole heartedly.