Winter shoes - Lake or Pearl Izumi?
Looking for some good clipless shoes to wear in winter. I will be using them with an RBH vapor barrier sock and possibly a wool sock on top of that for insulation. Probably going to add an extra insole for extra warmth as well.
I have heard mixed reviews for the Pearl Barrier GTX and the Lake 302...Lake seems to be regarded as warmer and comes in a wide version, both pluses. Have heard the Pearl is warmer also due to having FULL Thinsulate in it.
Thoughts? Really want to do this correctly this time. Thanks, all.
And Yes. I searched.
Originally Posted by Johnny K
I personally would never put my feet in a lake, especially if I'm looking to stay warm and dry.
But go with the shoe that fits you; you can always get booties on top of them if they aren't dry enough. You can ask Highdelll about booties.
Sometimes, I question the value of my content.
No B.S.. Go Lake MXZ302 and Forget it!
I found Lake shoes extremely narrow and difficult to fit into while wearing a medium thick sock. However, my feet are wide. I have a pair of Shimano MW-80's and they are very nice and fit quite well. I recommend sizing winter shoes up one or two sizes above your typical mtb shoe size to accommodate a warmer ski type sock. Shoe covers are not going to keep you warm. You need a winter shoe which has extra insulation and allows for thicker sock.
I have the MW80s already but did not size them up ENOUGH...too constricting = cold. Therefore, on the hunt for some new shoes.
Originally Posted by 2wheelsnotfour
I noticed Lake is now making the 302 in the X version or wide width which is encouraging.
I highly recommend you take the sock/insole "system" you intend to wear and find a place to try these shoes on. I think fit will be a bigger issue than warmth with the RBH+wool sock especially if you try to add an additional insole.
Originally Posted by Johnny K
I normally wear a size 8.5 medium width shoe. I bought the Lake MX302 in size 9 (43's) and the wide width figuring that a 1/2 size larger/wide winter boot (I though it would be sized for heavier than normal socks) would allow plenty of room. Wrong.....one mid-weight wool sock is all that they have room for.
I recently bought MW-80s in size 44. The toe box has more room in all directions, but with the cleat as far back as possible, it is still a little farther forward then I prefer. That is the drawback of going larger with a cleated shoe.
Oh wait...your profile says you're in Alabama. You just need to go with a medium weight sock and sandals.
While I can't comment for the PI's, I can on the Lakes. My experience, and those of others I know who have tried both Lakes and MW-80's is the Shimano's are far superior all-round, and the Lakes are generally a poor product. The latest Shimano boots are more comfortable and warmer too. That's where my money would go
The Lakes let in water with all the problems that brings, need more maintenance and do not last as long.
Lakes seem to get a seemingly disproportionate positive feedback which just goes against what I have seen
OK. I just returned from a ride. The temp was/is 26 (and it feels like 17 according to weather.com). There was already snow on the ground when we started and it was snowing like hell while we rode. We guessed the snow depth at about 4 inches plus.
It was a fairly grueling ride with some hiking due to snow dept. I can honestly say my feet never got cold enough to bother me. As I mentioned above, I ride the Lake winter boots. My last "boots" were the Sidi winters which always seemed cold.
I do not know about other boots, but the Lakes keep me warm. I agree with the Poster above that sizing can be rough. Be prepared and willing to send them back for others if they don't fit to your liking.
Have a good ride.
I'm in PA and I use the Specialized winter shoe, with a Smartwool ski sock, and it works for me. Second season on them and going strong.
I too was disappointed by Lakes' product. The challenge with winter shoes is that its a niche product you usually need to order, so you're forced to guess on size. I would recommend sizing the Shimano's 1-2 sizes up in order to wear a ski type sock. However, I'm not talking a super thick sock from a hunting store.
If you order from a reputable place and only try them on inside without mounting cleats and without taking the tags off, I see no reason why one couldn't exchange them for a larger pair if they needed to.
On my second pair of lakes
never had any problems nor has any of my friends.
Sidis are cold, pearls seemed kind of cheaply made but my friend swears by them. the new shimanos have gotten good reviews as well. the key as mentioned above is at least 1 full size bigger and mega ( wide) I've worn mine down to 5 degrees with summer socks
I think people who say theirs are cold are wearing too thick of socks making the shoes too tight. you need wiggle room or your toes will suffer. if you must wear thick socks get the shoes a size and a half bigger.
as far as waterproof, the only time mine got wet inside was when I went through the ice up to my knee and nothing would have stopped that water. Funny thing though, I hauled ass, being afraid my feet would freeze and after a mile or so I noticed my feet werent cold. I stopped , took off my shoes, dumped out the water , wrung out the polypro socks and continued the ride. ploypro and wool retain heat even when wet. and the shoes did as well