cavit8

Nashbar versus Lakes:

As a died in the wool sandal fan, I thought I'd share some first impressions of the Nashbar Ragster versus the Lake sandal
because I know some of you also wear sandals. Except Shiznaz, who, despite ordering the Nashbars before me still hasn't received them. That's what evil living gets you, Shiz.

Here's my out of the box review of cycling sandals

The Nashbars are about $30 cheaper and:
- are shorter than the Lakes. The Lakes have an upturned toe area which is wider than the Nashbar. This means less stubbage and more room. We'll have to see how this plays out but I'm hoping foot overlap with the sole won't be a problem.
- seem stiffer than the lakes: That may not be fair as my old dead Lakes are over two years old.
- have no drain holes. The lakes have small holes to allow drainage when water gets in adjacent to the strap. I found that, with long term usage, this tended to be a problem as the footbed of the sandal broke down water would actually stay in the sandal. Making it literally, a Lake (Ah ha ha ha!).
- have an adjustable heel strap, which the Lake doesn't. It seems to ride a little lower than the Lake but I'll need some mileage to tell if that's going to be a problem. It also has what appears to be a neoprene cup which may be comfortable but will undoubtedly increase the stinky shoe factor.
- weight. While my barognosis may be off, the Nashbar seems substantially lighter.
- The Nashbar straps where they join the sole are a lot beefier and wider than the Lake. This is where the Lake broke down on me, so I'm hoping the Nashbar measures up to it's appearanc.e
- tread pattern and depth appear similar although the Nashbar has cryptic bicycle symbols around the perimeter of the sole to ward off cars.
- The Nashbar is practically logo-less, which I like as a personal aesthetic.
- build quality appears similar, but mileage will tell. My lakes held up for two years with a substantial amount of mileage, both city riding and touring and, as I bought them on sale, paid their dues.
- both sandals, unlike the Shimano, have two straps, which I like.

Once I get some distance on them, I'll post a follow-up.