Lake MX165 Review
October 12th, 2005 by MikeBlue Collar Summary:
The Lake MX 165 shoes are a very stylish and durable shoe. I have been testing them now since June and I am very impressed. The Lake MX 165’s have a great fit with the three Velcro straps and the additional laces. I have worn the shoes on short rides and on long rides and the comfort level has stayed the same throughout. I haven’t had any problems with my feet going numb or with blisters. They 165’s are very sturdy when it comes to tackling the steep inclines; when I’m pulling as hard as I’m pushing. There is no discomfort when I don’t quite make that hill and have to dismount, the Mudstuds that come with the 165’s help in those situations. Overall I am very impressed with the Lake MX 165 mountain bike shoes. All other shoes that I use will have to live up to some great expectations. The 165’s MSRP at $109 and they are worth it.
Disclaimer:
There is no money involved, so this is a completely unbiased review. The review was conducted over a period of three months.
My background:
I am 6?, 230 lbs. I for the most part only ride singletrack, cross country trails ranging from easy to fairly technical.
Testing Grounds:
I have tested the Lake MX 165 shoes on local trails that range from easy to exper. The main trail that I ride is Peaks View Park that contains a lot of short steep climbs and fast singletrack. I have also used the shoes at Black Water Creek trail which has miles of paved walking and bike paths and a lot of short easy singletrack. My favorite rides so far have been up on Candlers Mountain. The trails are steep and fast at some points and littered with fallen trees which makes for a fun technical ride and also has a few points where dismounting is a must.
Some of the specs:
• Action leather & mesh upper.
• Performance midsole.
• Molded heel counter.
• Dual strap, 6 point closure with laces.
• New Mountain V outsole by Vibram® with Mudstuds.
Performance and Observations:
The Lake MX 165’s are the second pair of clipless shoes that I have owned. The first pair I used were the Nike YVR’s. It wasn’t until I got the Lake MX 165’s that I knew what a good mountain bike shoe was supposed to feel like. The YVR’s were definitely not a bad pair of shoes but they lack the quality of the 165’s. The 165’s have a great fit to them. This is achieved by the three Velcro straps and additional laces. I personally keep my laces tied and just use the Velcro straps for tightening. I did notice that if I tightened the straps too much, my feet would go numb much quicker. I typically wear a size 12 normal shoe and the 12-12.5 Lake MX 165’s fit me perfectly.
The Lake MX 165’s are very sturdy as well as comfortable. I have noticed that when I’m trying to tackle steep hills the soles don’t give at all with the constant push and pull. This is due to the Mountain V outsole by Vibram®. I’ve worn the 165’s on rides ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours and the comfort level stays the same throughout the rides. My feet stay nice and cool during long rides also, that is a combination of the Lake MX 165’s and my DirtRag socks. Getting them wet is a bad idea. Riding with dry feet is hard and riding with cold, wet feet is even harder.
When the issue of dismounting comes up I have no problems. The Lake MX 165’s come with Mudstuds that screw into the bottom of the shoe to add some grip when you get stuck in the middle of a steep incline. I have had to walk up my share of hills and such and I haven’t had any problems with my heels slipping up and down in the shoes.
I like the fact that the Lake MX 165 shoes are very stylish. The first thing my wife said when she saw them was that she wanted a pair just to wear. They do become a bit stinky which is to be expected. That is a negative when you ride before work because they end up staying in my hot car all day which gives me a nice welcome when I climb in for the ride home.
Strengths:
• Nice comfortable fit
• Very easy get on and off
• No give in the sole
• Very functional when having to dismount
• Stylish and durable
Weaknesses:
• I haven’t found one yet
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I also have become a fan of Lake shoes. I forget the model name of mine, but they are the mid-cut style that kind of look like a hiking boot.
My question is, do you find that your feet would be described as narrow, or slightly narrower than the norm? The reason for the question is that different shoes are designed to fit specific foot types. Example: Shimano shoes, which are designed with the American foot in mind, which is typically wider than say, a Sidi shoe, which is designed with the European market in mind- typically a narrow foot. (That’s why a few years ago, Sidi introduced the “Mega” size shoes for the wider, American foot.) I find that Lake fits into the “narrow” camp, with Nike being slightly wider, and Shimano the widest shoe on average.
My feet are right in the middle. Not very wide but not narrow. That is a good point though.
I have these shoes and have owned them for a little over a year now. They have been great in terms of support and comfort. I pretty much did away with the laces and just use the 3-strap system to hold them on my feet and without issue. They have been great in all weather and all types of riding terrain.
My only complaint about them is that the sole is starting to peel from the bottom of the shoe around the cleat area and also, a few of the knobs on the sole are splitting away from the sole itself.
This is a little troubling to me considering my last two pair of much cheaper Specialized shoes each lasted my 4 and 6 years before the uppers began to tear. I never had any sole separation issues.
I think the Lake using the Vibram (although has good intent), is using a material that flexes too much compared to the rest of the sole and ends up straining it to the point of tearing prematurely.
I’ve had my lake mx165’s a bit over a year now and they are absolutely stellar shoes. I tie the laces to a comfortable fit and then just leave them tied and use the velcro to get the extrasupport plus help take them off/on.
I’ve had no problems with the any of the materials other than that I’ve used my “mud” studs in all weather conditions and I guess the torque has caused me to lose a few. You can buy an extra set for $6 from Lake. I’ve absolutely punished these shoes through torrential rainstorms, muds, etc. and if you put newspaper in them and dry them correctly plus condition the leather…they are just bombproof and supercomfortable.
Limitations: All the vents make winter riding in these a drag. Let be known these are perfect for three season riding. I was a bit too poor to buy Lake’s winter model so I just duct-taped the vents in the front. Temps were single digits with 2-3 inches of snow and I had to stop at a local bar to warm my feet up.
I recommend Wigwam Ingenious Crew socks or the DeFeet wool-e-ator’s for cool/wet weather riding.
No problem with Vibram sole’s for me either…
Cheers,
Michael