Lake CX402 Cycling Shoe - Men's for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

Shoes are a very personal thing, but these just did not work for me feet. The Race Last that Lake uses on their two highest models is very narrow and the carbon sole ramps up onto the sides of the feet, which to me was extremely uncomfortable (and a bit of overkill, as much as I like a nice stiff sole). That said, the kangaroo leather uppers are plush and cozy. I had kangaroo leather on my old Fiziks and it's hard to find any material more comfortable. If you have narrower feet, maybe consider these. But mine are pretty wide. I traded for the CX241's and they might be the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

I referred to the chart and ordered a 42 which was cross referenced as a 9.5. Shoe is too small for my foot.

I put these things in the oven and made them fit like a glove after I installed Superfeet insoles. The stock insoles have a little radius behind the heel that hurt like hell the first time I used them. Also, the US sizing on the box is incorrect. Go with the sizing chart on the webpage.

Had my feet going numb after 40 miles. I tried numerous other shoes with no luck. I finally stepped up and ordered the moldable shoes..... what a difference!!

I was caught between sizes on this shoe. I wear an 11.5 in a sneaker, and I ordered both a 45.5 and 46 in this shoe. First off, the heat molding is definitely not a gimmick (I was skeptical). After molding the shoe, it holds my heel much better and that helps when I'm picking up the pedals. I think the shoe fits a little narrow, but as it turns out that's as much a product of Lake's insole as anything with the design of the shoe. I found that with the Lake insole, I felt a little compression along the outside of my foot, which seemed to result from the insole's design. It places your foot in a tub in the insole INSIDE the carbon fiber tub-- and it's that tub that makes the shoe so great. You're foot is as much IN the insole as it's ON the insole in the shoe. It's fat and curves up on the outside of the insole, taking up a lot of real estate inside the shoe. I removed the insoles from my old pair of Specialized shoes and put them in there and it's fantastic (I think anything with a flat outside perimeter would be similarly effective). Now my foot can use the entirety of the width of the shoe. I have read some criticism that it's hard to adjust the tightness of the BOA knobs on the bike, but I didn't have much problem. I just pull the knob and that pops it loose, and then pushing it in gives me a lot more room to tighten it back down. These shoes are a big lick. No doubt they're expensive and I was extremely nervous about settling on a size with these. If you nail the size, everything you've read about them is true: spectacular kicks.

I've put 8,000 miles and about 5 crashes on my current pair of CX402s. While they are torn up, they still perform flawlessly. I have tried several other pair of shoes and constantly have my feet going numb. The 402s felt a little awkward out of the box, but after a few rides and some heat molding they felt great. Quality is top notch as should be expected from a shoe at this price point. The only thing to be aware of is they take forever to dry, which again, is to be expected of a leather shoe. For me things hit the nail square on the head.

I too experience the sole digging into the inside of my foot when I first tried them on. I wasn't concerned as the soles are intended to be form fitting. I followed the heating instructions but didn't get it right the first time. At 200 degrees for 5 minutes I just didn't get them malleable enough until the 3rd heating whereby I went a little hotter by 5 degrees and another minute. They definitely smelled like they were well done but the payoff was that I was finally able to move the inside of the sole wide enough to fit my very high arched feet. Believe me that I was at the point of return before I went all the way up in temp. After that the key is to use (assuming you are looking for additional arch support) something cylindrical and solid-I used a wooden baker's rolling pin-to stand and firmly roll your the shoe over repeatedly right under the arch of your foot. Then promptly sit and squeeze the sides working from the heal forward. The trick for me to get the inside wide enough to feel snug was to put all my weight to lean into the shoe so that the inside of your foot is pushing the sole outward. I got them to where they, as Lake describes, feel like slippers. For the record, I also purchase the Diadora Vortex Pros that CC had a smoking deal on recently. Side by side, the Lake's kicked arse by far. There is a striking difference in quality. In my opinion (duh, I'm writing this), the Diadora's felt/looked cheap by comparison. I dedicated a disproportionately excessive period of time to evaluate the two shoes side by side in terms of materials, build quality and overall value for the price. Two primary reasons the Lakes are worth the extra buck is that the CF sole is hefty and well laid out with cleat alignment guides and heavy duty stainless threaded inserts. The leather is extremely supple and claimed by Lake to be more durable than cow hide. CC's policy is rock solid on returns so indulge yourself by trying on a pair. Just get your oven finely tuned until those soles are singing your song...

Been using Sidi shoes for well over 20 years... Decided to break free and try the Lake 402's Impressive quality, supple leather, boa fasteners and one hell of a stiff sole. I first ordered 42's I have narrow low volume feet but immediately noticed the shoe digging in on the lateral aspect of my foot neat the base of the metatarsal, the sole is not flat, the Lake sole is like a bathtub, the sides curve up... the heat molding is more or less for the heel cup of the shoe so it would not affect the forefoot. A cool design as long as it does not hurt your foot. I sent them back and got 43's now they are way too big, no bueno. I still had the issue of the lateral foot pain.. I was thinking 42.5 but I decided to get DMT Vega shoes.. Competitive Cyclist was super accommodating on dealing with the returns. They are a class act. .

I found that I didn't start to really warm up to this shoe (pun intended) until I went through a few cycles of riding it, and adjusting it. Others might have been lucky enough to find nirvana with one molding session, but it took me a few tries to get everything adjusted. Fit wise, I wear a 45, which is the same size I've worn in Sidi, Shimano and DMT shoes. I have a fairly narrow foot with a reasonably high arch, and I find the volume is comparable to those shoes as well, versus a high volume shoe like the old Carnac models (which fit me like a bathroom slipper). While not cheap, these shoes strikes a great balance of adjustability, old school materials and new school looks. Just give them the benefit of the doubt and don't judge them too harshly after only one session in the oven.

The fit is true to size for me. I wear an 11 and the 45 Lake fits perfectly. In fact, the fit was so good, I only heat molded the insole. There is a good amount of room in the toe box which is a welcome treat compared to Sidi's, Northwave, and Mavic. On the bike, the shoe is very supportive but not constricting. This allows my knees to track properly while the foot pressure is evenly distributed, which is a problem I have had other shoes. The carbon soles are solid. I do not notice any flex. The kangaroo leather uppers are a treat. They are very supple, far more so than the artificial leather used in other shoes. This allows the dual Boa closures ability to fine tune the pressure to really be put to good effect. No hot spots anywhere. Also, the leather seems to breathe very well. Even riding on 100 degree days here in Texas, my feet were never too hot as happens with some plastic leathers, even those that are well vented. My guess is the excellent fit, supple leather uppers, and the twin Boa closures have a lot to do with this. These are the best cycling shoes I have ever worn.