Lake winter boots

A

al415

Banned
A lot has been written about these babies here on MTBNJ, so I won't bother preaching to the choir for too long. I resisted buying these boots for years, because I found them a bit narrow every time I tried them on. I ended up buying a pair a full size larger than I normally wear and they fit very well. I spent three hours in Allaire yesterday, the second half of which included the first wave of snow. These boots are the real deal. A medium weight wool sock and I didn't have to think about my feet for the entire ride. They are a bit on the heavy side compared to a regular MTB shoe, but it's a fair price to pay for such comfort.

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I've been considering buying these, but I have not had cold feet yet this winter season and have been putting off the purchase. We'll see what happens. i was just in Halters the other day, and it did not look like they had any left there. Or at least I didnt see em on display where they usually were....
 
Dr Superb said:
I've been considering buying these, but I have not had cold feet yet this winter season and have been putting off the purchase. We'll see what happens. i was just in Halters the other day, and it did not look like they had any left there. Or at least I didnt see em on display where they usually were....
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I was on the fence for a long time about them. I'd only get cold feet a couple of times each winter, but when it happens it sucks. Now I can take cold feet out of the equation. I think these boots are one of those long term "investments". I'll have them a long time and perhaps not use them that often; though when needed they'll be invaluable.
 
You have to admit that they are a lot lighter than you would think for a boot that appears that large. They are a lot lighter than my hiking boots and my lake's' are the older ones.
They are awesome.
 
gtluke said:
You have to admit that they are a lot lighter than you would think for a boot that appears that large. They are a lot lighter than my hiking boots and my lake's' are the older ones.
They are awesome.
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You're right, I'm nit picking really. By my second ride I didn't notice the weight.
 
al415 said:
I was on the fence for a long time about them. I'd only get cold feet a couple of times each winter, but when it happens it sucks. Now I can take cold feet out of the equation. I think these boots are one of those long term "investments". I'll have them a long time and perhaps not use them that often; though when needed they'll be invaluable.
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This is so true. I bought them last season and only used them a few times. Then I was able to use them road riding in November. I have a feeling I'll get a lot of use out of them this season. I thought of using shoe covers, but I wasn't sure how they would help much with keeping my feet dry in the snow. It just seemed like I would wind up with the Lakes eventually anyway.
I rode allaire yesterday in the snow and my feet were toasty.

I have wide feet and didn't find them to be narrow...just get a 1/2 size up.

Jorba discount at Halters too :getsome:
 
Perfect timing. Just spent time looking at reviews and the Sidi Diablo GTX and Lake seemed like winners. My feet get cold easily ( esp with a shoe like a biking shoe that has a rigid shank and very little foot flex happens ). What is the model of the Lake that you have? 302? My Specialized shoes in a 43 fit perfectly with a med weight hiking sock, I guess I'll need to try on the shoes rather than getting online.
 
I think ordering any bike shoe online is a bad idea. Unless you ware getting the same exact shoe and you know your size.


As far as winter shoes.... I think its fair to say you will get what you pay for. A lot of people tough it out and just use thick socks and shoe covers. The problem with that is with a tight fit, you have no circulation and you will inevitably get cold feet.
I finally sprung for some PI barrier GTXs last year and they are awesome. Not cheap, but when i am on hour 2 of a 3 hour ride, and my feet are not on my mind, its worth it.

so my points....
1. buy local and try them on
2. dont get cheap
 
I have a pair of these for a few years and like them a lot. Having said that I have had some problems with them. The cable broke on one of them (Halter's repaired on warranty). Also had the heel cup on both come unsewn. I had the first one fixed at a shoemaker. The second one came apart a year later and before I could have it repaired it snagged a spoke in my rear wheel and did $150 worth of damage to the wheel. Check the stitching and keep after it and you should fine.
 
jShort said:
I think ordering any bike shoe online is a bad idea. Unless you ware getting the same exact shoe and you know your size.


As far as winter shoes.... I think its fair to say you will get what you pay for. A lot of people tough it out and just use thick socks and shoe covers. The problem with that is with a tight fit, you have no circulation and you will inevitably get cold feet.
I finally sprung for some PI barrier GTXs last year and they are awesome. Not cheap, but when i am on hour 2 of a 3 hour ride, and my feet are not on my mind, its worth it.

so my points....
1. buy local and try them on
2. dont get cheap
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Don't buy them online. I tried that with another type of winter biking shoe that I considered before the Lakes. The site claimed to have the size I wanted, but after I paid I found that they were backordered. Then I found a bunch of bad reviews about the place. It took me a month to get a refund. Getting cheap almost cost me double.

led1002 said:
I have a pair of these for a few years and like them a lot. Having said that I have had some problems with them. The cable broke on one of them (Halter's repaired on warranty). Also had the heel cup on both come unsewn. I had the first one fixed at a shoemaker. The second one came apart a year later and before I could have it repaired it snagged a spoke in my rear wheel and did $150 worth of damage to the wheel. Check the stitching and keep after it and you should fine.
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I know someone else who had the same issue that was eventually resolved.
I was told that the BOA cable thing is actually warrantied by the BOA manufacturer and your LBS where you bought them will be able to fix them like you said.
 
I bought the road version instead of the mtb version and I'm kicking myself now b/c the road one's are really hard to walk in. Oh well. Very warm and not that heavy. The thing I like the least is the restriction is place on your ankle movement.
 
Anyone looking for an alternative to Lakes or Sidis will be happy with the Northwave Celsius. Just got them and they've been great with just a basic wool sock.
 
I have the Northwave Celsius boots too, they work fine for people who don't normally suffer from cold feet, but for me they aren't even in the same ballpark as the Lake's. I know Utah likes the Northwaves, but I think his feet never get cold.
I'm probably on the extreme far end of cold feet, my feet are always cold.
 
pjrohr said:
Anyone looking for an alternative to Lakes or Sidis will be happy with the Northwave Celsius. Just got them and they've been great with just a basic wool sock.
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I like Nortwave Celsius so far. Actually I compared lakes to Nortwave at Campmor and lakes were much bigger and heavier. I didn't like it...
 
I have both the Northwave and the Lake. The Lakes keep my feet much warmer and I struggle with my feet. They also have a softer sole for good grip and comfort. I bought the Northwaves for cross b/c they are light weight, less bulky and act as a spare*. The only problem I see with the Lakes is the boa. Although boa guarantees for life ( http://www.boatechnology.com/ ), you will be without the the boot for a week while waiting for free parts, *like I am right now. Hopefully the new wire will come before it drops into the teens. I wish they would also include lace loops for when the boa breaks.
 
My Lake shoe boa wire arrived yesterday and it is already installed, no problems. Now just have to wait for the snow to melt :cry: so I can wear them.
 
I didn't want to come in here and be negative, but all I heard about these shoes is that my feet would NEVER get cold. That these were the bees knees.

Every time I wore these in under 32 degree weather, my feet got just as cold as my SIDI indoor trainer shoes that I use for mountain biking. We're these people talking way too highly of these shoes? I really don't get cold often (still haven't wore anything more than a warm base laser and a balaclava on a ride this winter) and I think I have a high tolerance for the cold. I don't think its me, I think its the boots.

The only thing I've liked about these is that if I splash through some water, the odds of my socks getting wet are slim to none.

I'm wearing my wooly socks with these. Is that the problem? Should i wear just a standard cycling sock?
 
I have the northwaves. Work fine for me, but yes my feet still get cold depending on what im doing. Only reason I got northwaves is because they were given to me by someone who upgraded to lakes. They work, so I havent seen the need to run out and spend money on more boots.
 
pearl said:
I'm wearing my wooly socks with these. Is that the problem? Should i wear just a standard cycling sock?
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i don't have them, but it sounds like you could be cutting off circulation. you need some space in boots to keep your feet warm, soi would try a thinner sock.
 
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