The Lake CX401 has been ridden by Carlos Sastre who has won the Tour de France. We test the CX401 to see if it will help elevate your cycling.

Up close and personal with the CX401 - note the real rubber 'bumpers' on the shoe

• Product name/model: CX401, Black, Size 42.5 tested
• Compatible with: 3-hole Compatible, Look, Shimano SPD SL & Speedplay specific Soles
• Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: CNY 3350
• Weight: (without cleats) Size 42.5: 270g per shoe
• Company website: www.lakecycling.com

Quality! This was the first word that entered my mind when Lake Cyclings’ Design & Production Manager Chris Hutchens gave us the first glimpse of the CX401. Chris was flexible enough to come and visit us in Shanghai during a recent trip to China.

The CX401 is the top shoe in the Lake road hierarchy built on a Lake custom fit, 3k Carbon fibre sole with a replaceable heel pad. Chris spent an afternoon with us and took the time to explain the molding process of the custom fit, 3K carbon fibre sole – he even brought his own oven!

The CX401 closure system is worth discussing using the innovative BOA lacing system, with no Velcro, the Lake is a definite break from the norm. Lake has been working with, and improving its use of the BOA system in partnership with BOA for a number of years and are practiced in its use. The system couldn't be easier to use - simply push the knob all the way in, and turn clockwise for tight, and pull out to release your foot or loosen the shoe. One thing that the lack of Velcro assists with is making the shoe SUPER easy to get into shoe covers (one of my favourites as its starts to get cold).

Dialed in - the BOA lacing dial on the Lake CX401

Lake has always been defined by the look of their shoes and the aesthetics stand apart in a sea of 3 Velcro straps. They are beautifully made, possibly a bit flashy in the white option, robust, and easy to clean. Once I got home I threw on the cleats and jumped on the rollers. I enjoyed breaking them in for a couple weeks before racing in them in local road races and criteriums.

Lake is no stranger to Asia, their shoes have been manufactured here for a number of years and they have built a strong relationship and a very clear expectation on the quality of their product in their top class manufacturing plant in Guangdong Province, China.

History of Lake

LAKE cycling started in 1982 and after 1 year in business they designed and produced the first mountain biking shoe. This was the beginning of a 25 year tradition of innovative designs. Lee A. Katz has been a leader in the cycling industry since 1965. In 1982, he founded LAKE (Lee A. Katz Enterprises). Since then he’s never looked back.

Two years later Lake designed the first pure triathlon shoe and changed everyone’s perception of what’s fast for a triathlete. In 1987 Andy Hampsten wore LAKE road shoes. The design was innovative as to prevent his feet from swelling during the intense heat of racing in Italy, Lake designed white shoes with white soles which reflected the high temperature from the road and prevented his shoes from absorbing more heat.

Then in 1988 LAKE manufactured their first shoes with carbon plates, thereby reducing weight and increasing stiffness in the sole. In 1994, Lake attached a rubber race focused sole  - the world’s best rubber soles are exclusively built for Lake.

Real rubber (seen on the toe bumper here) is used on Lake soles. Easy to replace, providing excellent grip

The year 2003 brought the beginning of Freeride, no, not skate shoes, not running shoes, a pure cycling shoe that keeps your feet where you want them to be, on the pedal and not slipping off when you hit the ground.

In 2006 LAKE created an innovation called CFC which is a unique application of custom thermoforming allowed the rider the ability to use their entire pedal stroke if they are an effective pedaler. This increased stability, provided more power, more comfort and reduced muscle fatigue.

Also in 2006 they created I/O, a completely new system of shoe worn in the spin studio on the road or in the park. It provided support on gym floors, park trails and city streets.

In 2007 Lake really pushed the BOA® heel mount concept to cycling. This mechanical closure stabilizes the foot at the heel, and is offered with a sole which allows the rider to attach a four hole cleat without an adapter. Then in 2009 The ALL WEATHER™ system was created giving LAKE the chance to truly enjoy cycling year round. Now back to the shoes.

Reality

I initially found the Lake shoe a bit snug and my feet went numb rather quickly. I tried various fixes and eventually took out the Lake insoles entirely which Chris had suggested initially as something that many riders do. Because the inside of the shoe isn’t lined with that cheap looking cardboard stuff many shoemakers use (the Lakes are lined with high quality Kangaroo leather) the insoles can be removed and you can let your feet lay on a comfortable bed of Kangaroo leather (aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh. . .). Lake uses Kangaroo leather as it is simply the lightest, strongest and most durable leather available. These shoes feel similar to a pair of luxury brand mens shoes rather than sports shoes at times (this is a good thing). If you are part of the 'lower stackheight' craze, removing the insoles will make you faster ACCORDING TO SPEEDPLAY.

The CX401 is lined with Kangaroo leather - spoiling your feet with luxury. Note ample vents in the liner

As per usual, the goal was to get my feet to stop from going numb which they do almost every ride after 2.5 hours. I must report that after putting a pair of custom eSoles in the shoes I have been able to push this back to 3 hours consistently which was a nice change. The Lakes have helped, but one area they have separated themselves is in service. I have had a custom fit by a knowledgeable professional, and when I have had issues Lake has taken the time to problem solve ways to fix it. What this boils down to is supporting, and standing behind their product, and their customers, and this means a lot to me as a consumer. Getting to the point, Chris has suggested I try moving my left cleat back 1 cm towards my heel. It helps that Chris is also a cyclist, and lucky for me he has had exactly the same problem with his left foot going numb. Chris has consulted the legendary Steve Hogg and this was Steves’ fix for Chris. We will keep you posted there.

The custom formable integrated heel counter - to make sure your shoes actually fit your feet!

These shoes custom formable carbon fibre integrated heel counter. This means to you as a person who may purchase them is you or your dealer simply has to heat the shoes in an oven and they will be a fit to your foot. I have reformed the shoes twice now, and other than a minor blemish on the carbon I have had no problems. Lake tells us that they can be formed, and reformed 7-8 times with no problems to the shoe.

The Lake insole - many riders use the insert in their day to day shoes

Bottom Line

These shoes look and feel like quality. I only have one issue; the soles don't have adequate ventilation for extremely hot climates. If you are riding in a tropical spot this specific model will become overly hot. Lake has addressed this with newer models having more, larger vents in the carbon sole. The only other issue I had while testing was I did rip the rubber when I caught it on a chunk of metal. The positive aspect was that the leather held tight, and the rubber was fixed easily with epoxy.

Lake has created a beautifully crafted, durable and robust pair of shoes that will serve you on the race course or 'just riding'. They are easy to maintain, can be custom fit to your particular foot, and look good doing it. For many people the price may rule them out, but I would suggest investing in these shoes will save you money in the long run when you don't have to replace them after one season.

Pros:

• Quality - real leather, real rubber
• Durability - they hold up to abuse - built to last
• Looks are a personal preference
• Easy to clean and maintain
  

Not So Pros . . .

• Venting not great on hot days - this is addressed on newer models
• Looks are a personal preference

This product can be purchased in:

China at: www.chainssprockets.com
Korea at: www.odbike.co.kr
Japan at: www.circles-jp.com
Taiwan at: Speedhigh Co. Ltd Tel: 9375 1 3335

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