Yes I l know spring is here but so is my birthday. I need some winter shoes . My Northwave Raptor GTX have served for a few years but are not warm enough . Big enough to have a nice slack non restrictive fit means sloppy heels (they seem narrow) . What is really warm and also wide. I suspect that the Lake 304's may be a better fit but they seem to be out of stock. Any alternatives. I get mega cold feet despite using decent wool socks, plenty of room and neoprene over shoes and all the other tricks. Need to be SPD soles and wide at the toe as I have triangular feet!
Any suggestions?
I'm still using indestructible Scott Heaters, which is a shame as I've become a Lake convert.
Though I'd be tempted to see if 45Nth have a Spring sale....
I bought the north wave winter boots Amanda reviewed on here in the great CRC fire sale.
They are good with trousers over the top to stop water running down inside the ankles.
Super warm, waterproof with the hole in the top delt with.
Not cheap at full price.
Lake 304s FTW. Super comfy and cold feet are a thing of the past - even on rides at -6 (only an hour and a half tested but not even a hint of cold) . Bought some MXZ 176s as a sort of autumn/spring type shoe but they’re not as comfortable or anywhere near as warm.
https://www.saltdogcycling.com/lake-mxz304-winter-cycling-boots/
Bloody hell - absolute bargain if they have your size…
Cheers all. Forgot 45Nth. Well couldn't remember the name. Sadly the 304's are all gone except in a 43 which is on the big side of my normal shoes. However according to Lake I should be a 44 and it also says go up 1 size on normal for winter socks. That suggest a 45. The only size close. Hmm
Drop Mr Saltdog a message, he'll be happy to advise. He's connected to an excellent cycling club....
What MCTD says. If you email he’ll ring you back with advice..
I've just bought a pair of both Shimano and Lake shoes in size 50. The Lakes are a good size bigger than the Shimano....
I've got Lake 146 and 304. They're small for their size so definitely go a size bigger. They both have a normal width (eg mx146) and a wide fit (mx146x). I'm normally an 8 but I couldn't get my foot in a 42 wide. The 43 wide felt too big when I first tried it in but that was just because I was used to narrow fitting shoes.
I find the mx146 warm enough with decent socks. I'm not riding in extreme temps though, -3 was the limit for winter this time with it rising to about zero over the course of the day.
Boots, woolie bookie socks, gripgrab gaitors, tights and trousers over the top. Warm feet starts with warm legs!
The 304s are much chunkier as they have double the insulation. Lake class them a winter boot where the 146 is described as 3 season.
I almost never wear the 304s. Firstly because the 146s are warm enough and then because the 304s don't have a membrane. They're waterproof because they're leather and the leather is treated with whatever makes it waterproof. The fact they're leather means there's no sticking them on the radiator so you can ride again tomorrow and you have to keep up with treating them.
The tongue isn't gusseted so the wading depth is basically the top of your foot. A foot down in a puddle means water is likely to get in down the side of the tongue. On wet days, they don't keep the water out anywhere near as well as theb146s. The 146 still soak up water pretty quickly. The Gripgrab gaitors help but is still not perfect.
The 304s are mega warm but designed for places where winter is a dry and frozen playground. UK winter (at least where I am) is mostly miserable, drizzly greyness with permanently wet ground even if it's not raining. They're not the boot for that type of winter.
I like the look of the Northwave Himalaya with the tall cuff or the 45nrth Ragnarok Tall. Not many places stock either in the UK though.
I'm a cheapskate and use the same shoes all year round (tho the shoes are s-works gravel/XC so potentially contradicts my earlier statement) and i just wear a thick woolly sock and a decent GTX overshoe and never had any problem w damp or cold, and on th edowns sometimes you're up to your ankles in clayclag
Following advice on here I checked out EBay , got a pair of North wave Raptor Arctic never worn for £90 with cleats . When they arrived I think I worked out the reason. Jesus H they are a right barsteward to get on ! High Gore Tex cuff with just a single loop at the back , newer version has one at the front. But armed with my trusty shoe horn I'm hoping in time they give a bit 🤔
A few years ago Northwave actually made the ankle a lot looser. Which is annoying as following that they had a big gap to let water and muck in, requiring a gaiter. So either you have the old ones or they could have been a whole lot tighter. I didn't struggle to get in the old ones anyway.
Defrosters open up wide for ease of entry, but obviously not made anymore, so ebay job. Fizik are very easy to get on, but not quite as warm as some.
Jesus H they are a right barsteward to get on
Yup,great boots,but the single tab cuff,and the force needed was their downfall.
I didn't use a shoehorn on mine and tore/separated the inner lining on one boot*.
Had it repaired,but it was still a real PITA to get on if I was in a hurry.
I am sure the twin tab version is much better and doesn't require ankle dislocating force. 😀
*they were only a few weeks old 🤨
Shameless advert but I have a pair of month old size 43 Shimano MW702 winter boots for sale in the classifieds. Bought to replace a pair I thought I had lost which then turned up a couple of weeks later.