M
BA
TE
CH
Up against a lot of tough competition
Recommended for intended application
Shows potential but has drawbacks
Save your hard-earned bucks
LAKE MX331 MTB SHOE
Lake Cycling is a company based in
the Netherlands that offers an extensive line of cycling shoes for mountain
bikers, roadies and triathletes. We tested their $379 MX331 MTB shoe that
is positioned on the high end of the
company’s performance segment. Stage
Race Distributing brings them into the
United States.
Tech features: The MX331 MTB
shoe uses a kangaroo leather upper that
is anti-microbial-treated. Silver mesh
is also used in the upper to aid airflow.
The outsole uses real rubber, and the
sole is SPD compatible. The MX331
has a patent-pending, 100-percent carbon fiber sole with therma-formable
enforcement material in the arch. The
shoe retention is handled by a BOA
technology closure system. The shoe is
available in both men’s and women’s
models in all popular sizes. Colors are
red or silver. Our shoes weighed 14. 6
ounces each without cleats.
Field test results: We ran into a
Perfection
Delivers above-average value and performance
Recommended for intended application
Shows potential but has drawbacks
Save your hard-earned bucks
deal-breaker before we ever clicked
into a pedal. The shoe’s cleat mounts,
or rails, are positioned too far to the
rear of the sole. Sliding the cleat all the
way forward in the mounting rails was
not far enough forward to get the ball
of our feet over the pedal’s axle. If the
ball of your foot is not directly over the
pedal axle, you are either losing power
or putting undue stress on your knees.
We have never seen a shoe with the
cleat mounting so far rearward.
With the cleats mounted as far forward as possible, we were able to ride
in the shoe, but so what? With so many
great cycling shoes to choose from,
including Sidi, Gaerne, Specialized,
Bontrager, Shimano and Pearl Izumi,
why suffer through trying to make the
best out of a bad situation?
Finally, we like a good hamburger
as much as the next guy, but the use
of kangaroo leather for a cycling shoe
when so many synthetic alternatives
are available just rubs us wrong. ❏
