johngwheeler

I've got a painful bunion on my right foot and am looking for a shoe to replace my current Northwave Extremes that cause me pain after about 1.5-2 hours riding.

My current research has led me to Bont and Lake shoes, both in "wide" fittings. Bont and Lake sizing charts put me at a Euro size 45-Wide (biggest foot is 280mm long, 112mm wide).

Bonts seem to be easier to find in Australia, but one of my concerns is whether you can use them with after-market insoles. My bike-fitter sold me insoles with a "metatarsal-spreader" that has a "bump" that spreads the foot and toes out - imagine walking on a small squash-ball. If the Bont has a molded profile that included the arch support, then I may not be able to use the insoles with these.

I'd be very grateful for any feedback, especially if you have tried both Bonts and Lakes in the past.

WhyFi

No bunions, but I do have wide feet. After a long search to accommodate said wide feet, I finally accepted that I'd need to try shoes in the mail-order fashion.

I went through the Bont sizing and got my hands on the two most likely sizes, but was just off for me - the thing that stuck out was that they really didn't feel as wide as I'd expected or needed. I don't recall any impressions in regards to arch height.

Lakes have been great, however. I'm also in a 45 Wide, in their Competition Last, and I'll be sticking with them for the foreseeable future. There is some arch built in to the last, but it's not a lot - I have medium height arches and I could probably use a little more arch support in my Lakes, if that gives you any idea.

Obviously, sizing is going to be very personal and you're just going to have to try them for yourself. It sucks, but you'll be happy when the search is finally over - start having them shipped over so that you can slip 'em on.

Trek Al

My feet have widened considerably in the last couple of years due to arthritis. I have thick orthopedic inserts and it is hard to find shoes that have enough height and width to accommodate the insert. Lake seems to work best for me. I've several nice pairs in the closet that I can't wear. Bike shops stock very little inventory in shoes and I've gone the mail order and return route.

Al

johngwheeler

Thanks for the replies. I ordered some Lake CX332s in 45-Wide and am looking forward to trying them out. These aren't the widest shoes that Lake makes (the cheaper "Sport" line is wider), and in a size 45 are 1mm smaller than the maximum width of my foot, but I am told that the kangaroo leather uppers are very supple and are less likely to apply pressure than a harder leather or synthetic shoe. Let's hope this is correct!

I also need to change my Shimano MTB shoes, which have the same problem. OK for a 1 hour commute, but painful after 1.5 hours. I may try the Bont Riot+ MTB shoe (which is roughly half the price of the Lakes) just to test the Bonts for size. If not, I'll find the Lake equivalent for MTB shoes.

SapInMyBlood

I also settled on the same Lakes in a 44W after trying them on in store versus the cheaper ones.
They also have a heat moldable heel cup for what it's worth
I'm 265mm long.. And 114-115mm wide. Finding shoes wide enough is quite the struggle

Lakes MTB shoes are way softer and more comfortable imo than the Bont Riot MTB. If you like ultra stiff and racy carbon you'll like the Bonts. But to me it's a horribly torturous MTB shoe

On another note, if someone is interested in buying a 1-ride old pair of Bont 45W Helix in white.. PM me (Australia)

johngwheeler

Many thanks for the reply. According to Lake's sizing chart, the CX332 in size 44-Wide is 107.8mm wide. How do your feet feel if they are 114-115mm wide? Is the leather soft enough not to crush your toes together?

And thanks for the opinion on the Bont MTB shoes. This would be for commuting / long-distance / touring bike, so comfort is definitely more important than ultra-stiffness.

SapInMyBlood

They're soft / supple enough that my feet fit and they're not terrible. I still have some forefoot discomfort but at this point I can't tell you what the exact cause is. My feet fit reasonably well. The Bont's by comparison are so stiff because of their "tub" design

I used to run Lake MTB shoes on my road bike and I absolutely loved them. My feet swelled up a bunch since moving from Canada to Australia.I would have gotten them again for my road bike except Lake doesn't make their MTB shoes available in Australia ... no clue why.

johngwheeler

I bought my Lakes for these guys in Noosa, QLD: https://www.lecyclosportif.com.au/cy...mens-mountain/

They list the Lake MX218 although it's not in stock at the moment.

The importers are BikeBug (https://www.bikebug.com/?page=2&refi...ake&query=Lake). They have one pair of MTB shoes/boots.

Not sure if one of these could order other Lake MTBs for you.

Also these guys (in the UK, but they have an Australian web presence, and I've bought from them before): https://www.probikekit.com.au/brands...ne_content:MTB

SapInMyBlood

Bikebug directly told me that the Lake distributors in Aus explicitly do not stock MTB shoes.

As for online shops.. I really Want to be able to try them on. There is no other way with my feet.
Ordering a 340 euro pair of shoes on a fleeting hope is a bit rich for my budget

I've done 200km + rides in my minimalist merrell trail runners.. Shoes only matter so much sometimes

johngwheeler

Thanks for confirming the situation with Lake MTB shoes. That's a pity! I wonder why this is?

If the Lake sizing chart is accurate (which I will test when I get my Lake road shoes), then I suppose it's a small risk to order from overseas...but as you say, this is not ideal and risks expensive postage charges if having to experiment.