The Lake MX155 cycling shoes are listed under the Adventure section of the Lake Cycling website and are built for “Long distance alpine touring, cross-country & extreme conditions riding.” So these shoes look more like cycling boots than cycling shoes.

I tested these shoes on three different sets of pedals. Shimano M525, Crank Brothers Candy C and Crank Brothers Egg Beaters. The clearance allowed for easy clipping in and out of the pedals without any adjustment to the shoes other then switching out the cleats.

The comfort level of these cycling shoes was surprisingly high. However, my first ride with them ended up being pretty painful. I cinched down the laces way to hard and it caused the outside of my feet to hurt pretty badly about twenty minutes into the ride. Once I stopped and loosened the laces a good bit the shoes became a lot more enjoyable.

The MX155 come with an inner lining that served two very useful purposes for me. First off, it kept me foot snug inside the shoe without having to tie the laces extremely tight. Secondly, it kept my feet dry when having to carry the bike through bad mud or an overly technical stream crossing.

The one frustrating thing I found was the length of the shoe laces. There is barely enough distance on the laces to tie them and forget about doubling up the knot. My guess, this is to keep there from being a big bow to get snagged while riding, however I would have liked to see some extra length to the laces and a way to strap them down instead of laces that are to short.

The additional downside of the shoes will only be noticed by those in the weight weenie department. These shoes are built to be tough and take a beating as they are “adventure” cycling shoes. And I continue to preach as the Blue Collar Guru… I’ll take tough, durable and heavy over weak, flimsy and light any day of the week.

To wrap it up, I recommend the Lake MX155 adventure cycling shoes for those looking for a tough pair of shoes. While my first impressions upon pulling them out of the box were a little shaky, the comfortable fit and tough build of these shoes make up for their clunky look. And the retail price ringing up under $100 only sweetens the deal more.