Born in Evanston, Illinois in 1982, Lake quickly became a household name for creating some of the best cycling shoes on the market. As cycling genres developed in North America, so did the versatility and demand for shoes to fit the function. Lake created its MX winter boot to cope with the extreme cold that hits Lake’s headquarters on the shores of Lake Michigan – where temperatures are possibly reach the the coldest in North America. Many other innovative designs have come from Lake’s shoe collections and recently Lake took cycling shoe comfort to a new level with its MX 242 featuring a wider toe box and segmented panels to adhere to each rider's unique foot shape.
Lake values the input from customers, and various cycling communities from all around the world which is how they aim to remain at the top of the cycling shoe market. There has been much demand for a wider and more comfortable off-road shoe, and Lake say they have listened and present the Lake MX 201 shoe as a result. This new technical off-road cycling shoe comes packed with features to challenge in the best mountain bike shoe market and we had a first look at some of the stand-out features.
Key features of the Lake MX 201
Lake says that the MX 201 shoe is all about giving comfort and great performance. The shoe features Lake's all-new Comfort Plus Last system that matches the shoe fit to the shape and size of the natural foot, and embraces current research on what is a natural foot shape. Lake adds that by making a shoe that is wider and more comfortable, it allows the foot to simply relax during long days of pedaling.
To create what they call a durable and comfortable all-day mountain bike shoe, Lake worked with specialized footwear manufacturers and employed cutting-edge engineering and performance materials. Up top, Lake has collaborated with the performance features of Clarino microfiber leather known as a benchmark in the footwear industry. Clarino allows for advanced engineering to maximize the physical properties of the material to perform like leather which allows Lake to design a shoe that forms perfectly around the foot, with the BOA fastening system wrapping the upper snugly.
Microfiber material is also added to help retain strength and shape in all conditions with a NuFoam mesh upper, which aims to give you an extremely breathable shoe and further enhance foot comfort. The addition of Tectuff toe protection on the new MX 201, also enables the upper to breathe and adds necessary strength for the tough trail terrain. Lake says it will take a multitude of knocks and keep looking after your precious feet all day long.
The sole is an SPD-compatible EVA Enduro Sole, which features Lake’s legendary fiberglass-injected nylon sole formula with an all-new design that they say has incredible grip and durability. The sole is also designed for mountain terrain with enough flexibility to strike the perfect balance for flat pedal riding and all-day walking use, whilst also allowing the fitting of SPD's for secure foot placement.
The MX 201 looks like a quality shoe option for bikepacking adventure seekers and although it's definitely not the cheapest, they price up with some of the established MTB/gravel shoe brands. We will have a full test review up very soon and they are available now from www.lakecycling.com priced at $279.99 / £225.99 / €257.99.
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