GBK233

Time to upgrade my Shimano MT3 shoes. I like em, but would like something stiffer and with BOA. Been seriously considering the Shimano RX8s, but want some recommendations before dropping close to $300 on shoes.

WhyFi

"Best" is going to be quite subjective and may hinge significantly on fit. If I were looking, I'd be looking at something along the lines of Lake MX 238, which are just over that $300 threshold.

GBK233

What do you like about them? The double BOA?

WhyFi

The fit, primarily - being able to ride for 6+ hours without pain. At this price-point, stuff like sole stiffness and Boas are pretty much a given.

Edit: oh, and fwiw, I don't have these exact shoes; I have the road version, CX rather than MX.

Bob Ross

I haven't priced their current offerings, but many years ago I got a pair of Specialized/S-Works mtn shoes with BOA closures and they remain the most comfortable cycling shoes I ever wore.

Iride01 

As stated earlier and in different words, your foot isn't my foot so one manufacturer shoe might fit your foot better then they fit mine. Also, what do you mean by "best" my set of values to arrive at best are probably different than yours. These were best for me simply because I was in desperate need for new cycling shoes and they were the ones that fit that I could try on. Only one local shop had slightly high end mountain bike shoes, the others were low on inventory and just had budget minded models.


https://www.sidi.com/en/mtb/400-mtb-gravel.html

$248 if IIRC

They are very comfortable and fit my foot exquisitely.

Shimano sells shoes in widths too. What were yours? If wide, then you might have issues with some mfrs that don't sell different widths.

GBK233

Ya…those were def on my radar. Nice looking shoe, but the brown was a bit of a turnoff. Although at the end of the day….I just want comfort/performance.

Iride01 

I wasn't a fan of the brown either, but they look better on me than when off of me. And besides, I was desperate due to an upcoming cycling trip I planned in Colorado. As well, they were the most comfortable of anything I was able to try on.

WhyFi

I used to be a Specialized shoe person, but they changed their last once or twice in the last decade and they just don't work for me, any more, hence my move to Lake. You know, FYI if you should go looking at new Specialized shoes and they're not as good of a fit as they used to be.

GBK233

Do they have a nylon or carbon fiber sole? With that being said…I don’t know if carbon fiber sole is an upgrade that I would even notice.

Iride01 

The outer sole? The lugs for walking and traction are a rubbery something. The rest of the external is a tough plastic like or nylon material. Heel tread is a little more narrow than my previous Pearl Izumi X-alps (which also are good shoes). It took me a tad of getting use to walking and not look like I was trying to walk in my older sister's stiletto's.

GBK233

I do almost no walking in my cycling shoes….so that isn’t much of a concern for me.

GBK233

Thoughts on sizing? I’m a 45 in Shimano. Measured my foot at 10.75” (273mm). According to Lake size chart that’s a 43.5.

Bob Ross

Just fyi, those SIDI shoes don't use a genuine BOA closure, it's their own version of it...which ime is dramatically inferior to the genuine thing. A real BOA is very easy to loosen and tighten on-the-fly (i.e., on the bike) if/when necessary. The SIDI versions are much more difficult to loosen, and unless you ride with the flip-up levers in the up position can be exasperatingly difficult to tighten as well.

mstateglfr 

LG Granite II is both my most current shoe and my most recent prior shoe. They are light enough, stiff enough, easy to adjust, and most importantly- fit my foot. I have a size 14/50 and stick with what I know works.
I tried some Shimano RX800 shoes a year and a half ago and really wanted to like them, but the fit just wasnt great.

The LG Granite II arent the best, but they are the best for me.

WhyFi

Going by their full directions (outlining my foot, measuring L & W, adding the cushion and then referencing their charts) gave me spot-on results. I would think that most would get similarly good results if taking the time to do the process properly. FWIW, I think that I'm one size smaller in Lake than in Shimano, so you might be on the right track.

GBK233

Only 2 bike shops in my area that carry Lake. First one apparently only has MX176 shoes in stock…other store doesn’t open for another hour. I’m not holding out hope though…and local bike shops around me pretty much suck

WhyFi

Reference their website and see if the 176 uses the same last shape as the 328 (Competition, IIRC). If it does, you should be able to reliably use the 176 to test fit and then have them order the 238 in the same size.

Iride01 

I don't find them difficult to loosen. You just squeeze the buttons on the side. You don't have to lift the lever unless you wish to tighten them.

I adjusted mine while riding on a climb to over 14,000 feet. Neither tightening or loosening seemed to be an issue. However these are the first BOA system shoes I've used. Perhaps not being use to other versions made them easier to learn to adjust while on the bike.

Oso Polar

I have Lake MX 238 and I'm seriously disappointed with these shoes, in particular their durability.

The good part: overall fit is excellent. Unlike the vast majority of cycling shoes that seem to be designed for 3-toe narrow feet aliens these shoes are actually designed with a human feet shape in mind and the size is quite similar to the normal shoes, may be a tiny bit (a couple of mm) shorter than usual. For example, my normal size is 10.5/44.5 in pretty much everything (except for some brands like Puma that are also designed for 3-toe narrow feet aliens and therefore don't fit no matter the size) - 44.5 MX 238 was a very tight fit, 45 is pretty much perfect. They have a very good size guide on their website that describes how to measure your foot and select the size, in my case I've ended up exactly between 45 and 45.5 - I went with 45 and this was a right choice. For comparison, Shimano ME3 that I've used before was size 46 wide - and it is narrower than regular Lake in 45 (and longer than necessary for my feet, so the fit was so-so) - Shimano 45 wide was so narrow, that I wasn't even able to insert the foot inside one! Now, not everything is perfect with the fit: the Lakes have awkwardly wide heels - and it is not only my feeling, this is the most common complaints in their reviews which I found out much later - I bought them just as their appeared on the market, they didn't have any reviews yet at the time. Basically, heel feels a bit loose inside the shoe and doesn't give this assuring "secure fit" feeling, it moves a bit up and down, not quite like flip flops but still... Anyway, heel IMHO is supposed to stay put and it does not, it always moves a bit. This can be mitigated to some degree by slightly over-tightening BOAs (which decreases comfort) or by using a bit thicker socks (which works better). Problem doesn't exist in winter (because of thicker socks in winter).

The bad part: for $300+ MTB shoes durability is just awful and this is not an issue with materials used or quality of manufacturing, this is a design issue of this particular model. They've lasted one year until, again, heels gave up. I'm not a native English speaker and not great with shoe terminology either but I'll try my best to explain the problem. Basically, the heel of the shoe, I mean in this case the rubber sole part of it, is made of a) very soft rubber and b) its height is very low, a couple of mm. This design is probably taken directly from the similar Lake road shoes. However, unlike road shoes, people do walk quite a bit in SPD MTB/gravel shoes. And they tend to walk on uneven surfaces (e.g. where bike simply can't pass at all). As a result, this rubber a) just wears off real fast and b) the rear part of the shoe (heel counter?) touches the ground directly in addition to the heel - and also wears off as a result. See the photo of the shoe after one year.

No, I'm not overweight - about 165 lb.

Good thing - Lake replaced them under warranty (they have two year warranty). Bad thing - I'm not sure how to protect the new shoes, so that they'll not suffer the same fate after just one year...

GBK233

Went to LBS….and tried on the 176 model. 45 is def the correct size. Owner of the shop says he personally rides the MX238s and likes them. Says he has to dress the leather twice a year.
Also said Lake hasn’t replied to his communications as of late, so has no faith that he can get the MX238 in a timely fashion.

Since I’m not venturing past the $300 mark….anyone have thoughts on the Shimano SH-XC9 S-PHYRE ?

Riveting

Got these Bontrager Rhythm a few years ago, wish I had bought a spare pair. Soft rubbery grip when walking on uneven rocky surfaces, slightly armored in the toe area, BOA, and high padding on the inside ankle. Heavy AF, but so am I. Close to $200 as I recall.

PeteHski

My current favourite road shoes are Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4 (what a name!). What I like about them is they come in a wide fitting option and they are a great balance between comfort and stiffness for longer rides. Not too expensive either. They have a single 2-way Boa closure, which works fine. These replaced a pair of Shimano RC7s, which I never really got on with - I found them a bit too narrow and overly stiff in the uppers. I like the Fiziks so much I bought a second pair to rotate.

Hiro11

This is all about what fits you. I have wide, high volume, inflexible feet and Shimano seems to work best for me. If you have narrow feet another brand might work, I can't say.

I wear and like the previous version of the XC7 for mountain biking and gravel riding. These are very comfortable and durable shoes. The XC9 is a really nice pair of shoes, but costs about double the price of the XC7 (and is over your $300 limit).

GBK233

Pulled the trigger on the Shimano RX8s. The Lake MX238s looked good, but not enough info/reviews online for me to take the leap. The Fizik X5 Terra looked good(and cheap price) also, but since I already know that Shimanos fit me well….I stuck with what I know.
Crappy color choices it’s the RX8s. Silver, Black, and a funky “cactus berry” color. I ordered black.