Lake

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.

Had pain on lateral foot. Figured out my Q factor was too wide so improved that first but by end of rides in my other shoes I could not walk after due to pain. Followed the lake shoe size guide which recommended wide and a size smaller than what I was used to. Fit was right on. The sole is stiff, and when walking the lake of any give causes a mild heel slip. With good pedaling, I haven't noticed any heel slippage on the bike and my pain is gone.

I needed a wide shoe and the footbed is actually wider on Lake's wide offerings as opposed to just adding more upper material like most other brands. These shoes are very comfortabke and stiff. Dislikes: The boas stick when it is dusty and you have to work to get them open to take off the shoes. The Lake footbed inserts are worthless, I expected better for the price point. My Specialized footbeds were not as wide as the shoes in the toebox area so my foot hung over on the outside and hurt my foot. I had and older pair of the same inserts so I trimmed off a piece and used duct tape to attach the extra bit so the insert matched the the cheap Lake inser's shape. Works like a charm.