Lake MX 237 SuperCross cyclocross shoes

When Lake decided to make another cyclocross-specific shoe with their MX237 Supercross, the world listened. Well, the cyclocross world did anyway. The second-tier Supercross shoe gets a stiff but runnable sole, a super rugged upper, aggressive grip teeth and Boa's L5 lacing. It all combines to create a super shoe.

Making a shoe specific for cyclocross is trickier than it might seem. The shoe needs to be stiff for racing, yet compliant enough to make running possible. It needs a durable construction to withstand racing mishaps and constant washing. Traction also needs to be good enough for the muddiest run-ups, while always allowing the mud to clear. That's quite a list of features to pack into a shoe that still needs to be light. Lake seem to have managed it with the MX237, though it'll cost you.

Outsole

Lake have produced a stiff sole that still felt compliant. When on the bike I was able to sprint without feeling any flex. On longer rides, I also noticed that I had no pain at the pedal contact point. Other shoes that I've had in the past have been a little too flexible here and have left 'hot spots' under the ball of my foot.

The Mountain Race X rubber sole is robust and provided very good grip on concrete stairs. The tread coped very well with heavy mud conditions and steep, slippery runs. The sole also cleared mud extremely well. Not once was I left kicking my pedals to clip in.

Included in the box are a range of studs. The ones that I used most were the blades that really bite into soft ground well. They are interchangeable with flat studs and unscrew via a Phillips screwdriver.

Upper

One of the best features of the MX237 Supercross is the upper. It's made from what I can only describe as magic material. Lake call it Helcor Abrasion resistant leather. I've crashed these, ridden them through brambles and scrubbed them endlessly. They still come up looking perfect.

The material is relatively light and the thin construction also means that they dry very quickly. The mesh panels are small, and I was rather delighted to find that my feet stayed warm even on the coldest days. After one training ride, I took my shoes off to find steam rising off my feet. This does mean that in the hot weather, they might be a little toasty, but I'm yet to find a cyclocross race in over 20 degrees.

Closure

The Boa L5 lacing system is my only gripe about an otherwise excellent pair of shoes. After a few muddy races, I found the system getting a little clogged. I never had an issue of the shoes coming undone, but it doesn't bode well for longevity. I took the dial off and cleaned out the system. After that, all was well.

I was also a little annoyed to find the dials are not dual-directional. You can tighten incrementally, but releasing tension must be done as a full release. This is something that isn't a huge issue, but at this price, you might find it frustrating.

Value

At £247, the Lakes are at the upper end of the price scale. Rivals in this price bracket include the Specialized S-Works 6 XC and the Sidi Drako MTB, both more expensive at £280 and £325 respectively. Add to this that neither is cyclocross specific and things are looking very good for the Lakes.

A key rival might just be one of the new Bont offerings in the Riot XC, Vaypor XC and Vaypor G. Details of pricing are not available for the UK, but we believe the Riot XC will represent a significant saving over the MX237 Supercross.

Conclusion

Riding cyclocross in the UK means my priorities centre around performance in the mud and the robustness of the shoes. The Lake MX237 Supercross is a stiff shoe, with great traction in the mud. The outer is seriously robust and I love the aesthetic. I'd prefer a different Boa system but it's not the biggest issue. Overall, I'm seriously impressed with these shoes.

Verdict

Cyclocross-specific shoes with superb performance