Bike World News

There are three contact points that the cyclist has with the bike: saddle, bars and pedals. We have many options with hand placement on the bars and even on the saddle we have the option to move forward or backwards or come off of it all together. Our feet however never lose contact during a ride so shoes are an investment that should never be taken for granted. Think about how many times your foot comes around in a minute, an hour, a weeks worth of rides a full season and you’ll see why shoes that are comfortable and durable are so important.

The Lake CX170 road shoes, retailing at around $150, are one of the better shoes I’ve used in that price range, and in fact at any price range. As far as comfort is concerned, these shoes are like putting your feet into a pair of gloves. They felt broken-in right out of the box and had what seemed to be a little more padding in the heel than most cycling shoes. From outdoor rides to indoor spin classes, these shoes just felt good.

The shoes have a leather upper with more than adequate ventilation holes and a very solid fiberglass-injected nylon sole. It may not be carbon fiber, but I found this sole to be solid and allowing excellent power transfer to the pedals.

The most unique feature is the Boa lacing system. The shoes have a ratchet button on the rear of the shoe at the re-enforced heel. Turn it clockwise and the wire laced across the tongue slowly tightens. Pull the button out, and the wire releases for easy removal of your foot. Adjustments on the fly are much easier than trying to tighten Velcro straps and also easier than trying to use the standard ratchet found on the sides of many shoes. Plus, this system looks much cleaner on the shoe. I’d have to think that triathletes would find this shoe to be a time saver in T1.

The only downside I could imagine would be the Boa system malfunctioning with either the cable or ratchet system failing. Both items seem solid and well-built so only time would tell but I’d be willing to give these shoes a try given the price.

Features:

Upper: action leather

Outsole:Competition fiberglass-injected nylon sole.

Closure: Heel mounted push/pull BOA lacing system

Compatibility/Drilling: Three hole compatible with optional SPD® compatibility.
compatibility note: Included SPD plate must be installed by customer. See FAQ’s for installation instructions

Colors: Silver/Black, Black/Silver, White/Red & White/Copper

Sizes: Men’s: 39-48, 50 / 39.5-46.5
Men’s Wide: 39-48, 50 / 39.5-46.5

Disclosure: The Lake CX170 shoes were provided to Bike World News for the purpose of review and promotion.

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