Lake MX331 Cross shoe

At the heel there are just two studs and then four under the toe. As mentioned this seems to leave the carbon rather exposed; achieving lightweight must have been the major concern for Lake to simply leave the toe protector off completely.

With the metal spikes attached there doesn’t look to be an issue but when using the lower profile plastic ones, the carbon at the front of the sole looks a bit naked. We know from other shoes that you can soon pick up damage to this part of the sole, even from just waiting at traffic lights. It’s sure to have been tested to death but we’ll see how this holds up and affects their longevity.

Thermaform Carbon Fiber heel counter allows you to personalise the fit

If you are not already impressed by the technology packed into these shoes, the Lake’s also use ‘Outlast SmartFabric Technology’ to create a temperature regulating heel and tongue liner. This technology was originally developed for NASA to protect astronauts from temperature fluctuations and ’employs microencapsulated Phase Change Material (mPCM) working at a microscopic level’ to act as a buffer against the extreme temperatures generated during intense activity.

It adapts to thermal changes, absorbs excess heat to reduce your chances of overheating but can also release that heat to prevent chilling. It helps maintain constant skin temperature and create ‘drier, less sweaty, more comfortable feet’. It sounds awesome!

Simple BOA closure system keeps things together and makes sure all your power goes through that aggressive sole

The Lake MX331 Cross shoes only come in orange and black, and should be available in Men’s, Men’s Wide, and Woman’s specific sizes.

With the cross season already well under-way and interest high in this fastest growing type of cyclesport, we can see these shoes being an instant hit – there’s already been a bun fight here over who gets to test them. We wouldn’t be surprised at seeing them in a few mountain bike races and you can imagine anyone who wants to use spds on their road bike taking a long hard look at these as well.

Lake MX331 Cross Shoe

We can’t wait to get these shoes out into the field, so look out for the full, in-depth review soon.

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Lake Cycling

Todays Cyclist (Lake Cycling UK c/o Moore Large)