Lake Cycling MXZ303 Men's Winter Boot - Vibram Outsole - Thermosol Composite Insulated

I was shocked at all of the review on these shoes since they are all over the map. Some ride them in 0F and other say they are only good to 40F. Some say they fit great and others say they order 3 sizes up (which is nuts because the cleat and arch will be in the wrong position.I just got a pair in today. I have Lake CX 331 in a 46 and I love those shoes. I put on my heavy Assos fugu wool socks with the CX331 road shoes and they fit perfectly. Lake says the MXZ303 have a wider and taller toe box to accommodate a thicker sock, so I thought great - this will be awesome.Well - the 303 has a narrow toebox IMO. The heel area up to the arch are pretty similar to the road last for teh CX331, but the toe is smaller in the MXZ303 than the CX331. By a good bit. They feel very warm and the leather is great and overall workmanship for the shoe is great. The sole is soft and flexible. Nice to walk in, but not too flexible to cause and issue pedaling (comment made with only pedaling on a stationary bike).I have ordered a 46 wide since it seems logical that all I need is room in the width and not the length. I will be sunk if the shoe is super wide, but should be able to sinch them, down more with the BOA. You want some space in the shoe but not so that you swim and your foot moves relative to the shoe or you will get blisters.I still think these warrant a 5 star rating so far, but wish their last would at least match the road last. I would go wider and not longer since longer causes bigger fit issues. The shoe might feel better since a longer shoe will be a bit wider but you will pay with the cleat and arch issues. Bottom line is to try them on and see what works for you. If I take the insole out, my 46 regular feels fine so I know it is a width issue. Also with no sock, I am OK as well.Addition - watch out for returns with Amazon Prime. If it is not fulfilled by Amazon and says Free Returns - you are on the hook for return costs and in the case of Brands Cycles - you will get hit for the to AND from shipping. So, with this shoe make sure you take an appropriate guess on sizing. Length seems correct but wifth is narrower than a Lake Road shoe last.

Great shoes! They definitely run small, even relative to the Lake sizing chart. I measured my foot as instructed on the Lake website and came up with a 40.5 wide. I'm usually a 41 in biking shoes, but never a wide, but I knew I should get the wide based on other reviews. I decided to go up to a 42 based on the fact that I will want to layer socks inside these boots once it gets really cold. The 42 was still too short! The 43 is about right; maybe a little wider/roomier than necessary, but not too long. I think the width will be perfect for layering socks and maybe even adding another wool insole (though the included insole has a nice reflective layer to retain heat and I expect it will do well in most temperatures).Warmth: I was surprised that these were not very bulky when I got them, and was not particularly optimistic about how warm they would be. I was wondering if I would end up swapping for the new MXZ400 whenever the wide version is in stock. My feet get cold easily; in regular mountain bike shoes, my toes are cold in the 40s (F) and freezing in the 30s. I have only worn these shoes twice but they arrived just when our weather turned cold. Yesterday my 35-minute morning commute was at 21 F with a light breeze, and I was pleasantly surprised that my toes were perfectly warm in these boots and a regular pair of acrylic/wool blend socks (not my warmest socks). Today on my way home, it was 40 F, sleeting, and windy, and again my toes were toasty and perfectly dry. My feet probably would get too warm above 40, especially with no wind, and I can't speak to breathability in those conditions. I haven't put on the cleats yet, but the soles on these boots (which are rugged - big advantage for when I might have to walk through snow/ice on part of my commute) provided good traction on the flat side of my pedals even in the rain - better than my tennis shoes do. I'm optimistic that these boots alone will do well for most winter days, and that with an extra pair of socks and shoe covers, my feet will stay warm through the coldest days of my winter commute here in Wisconsin. I'll update this review when I have more experience in colder temperatures.UPDATE after ~2 months of winter commuting: When temperatures get down to 0-10 F (actual temperature or wind chill), my toes are pretty frozen by the end of my commute! They're okay for the first 25 min or so, but numb and/or painful by ~40 min. So I switch to my super warm snow boots at those temperatures. I was hoping these boots would be better in colder temperatures, but down to 15 F I'm satisfied with them. If you're riding in cold temperatures, especially if you tend to get cold toes, you might want to think about saving up for the MXZ400 instead.

The goal - warm feet during winter riding. A potential solution - the Lake MXZ303. As I tried these cycling boots on I was very impressed with the initial look - they looked and felt sturdy, loved the boa lace system and the buckle on top around the ankle. Then I took them out for a couple of rides one hovering around 30f and the other around 50f. They have not been out in rainy conditions. Both rides my feet stayed comfy and warm (maybe too warm at 50f) but after about two hours things changed. My feet felt wet and my toes started chilling. I pulled off the boots and my feet were sopping wet- I didn’t need to ride through a rain storm or mud puddles... bottom line- the boot has a moisture management issue. I acknowledge these boots are better than my neoprene booties but not by much.