I have a pair of Specialized shoes that have been solid but I wouldn't say they are exceptional. They are 5-6 years old and I'm thinking about buying a new pair in the off season. Just wondering what the highs and lows of Sidi and Lake have been here. I should mention that I'm pretty average in that I take a 10.5 (45 Euro) with an average width.

Since I graduated to Real Shoes, Sidi Dominator is all I've used. I know for sure they go 50,000 miles without showing much wear or any change in fit or stiffness. Almost all the long distance riders here wear them. Maybe just to fit in? Or maybe not. I like the replaceable buckles and straps since I've had to replace them due to go-downs. Pretty much ruins the buckle on that side. I stock spares now. The MTB sole makes it possible to walk around normally.

SIDI Wire Carbon. I have diabetes and in order to be able to ride over long distances, a well-fitting shoe is essential.

I like these so much that I bought an extra pair as a spare.

All the other shoes that I have tried have been very uncomfortable during long rides.

YMMV

I wouldn't ask us. It's your feet. Try them both on. My feet love the lasts of Lake shoes. I have a bunch of them. (I run three different cleat systems and like having both laced and strap/buckle pairs.) I periodically go out and try on fancier shoes but I rarely find a fit my feet actually like except on those Lakes that are too inexpensive to be called "good shoes" (though they are well made and last me a long time). I have a couple of pairs of really good, light shoes but I rarely wear them and it is always "let me have those Lakes" when I do.

Edit: 130 miles riding fixed is no big deal for my feet in those Lakes.

I should have mentioned that I use Speedplay Zeros and have no interest in changing.

I tried Lake's earlier & they just didn't do it for me. I came from Specialized. The Lake's have a very large toe box. Just something to keep in mind since you are coming from Specialized also.

Sidi shoes are known for their excellent heel retention. The shape of the shoe at the heel is fantastic. The higher end models have adjustable heel cups.



I can't speak to Lake shoes but would like to try a pair.


-Tim-

I got Dominator 7s and some Lake MX228s.
I like them both though I wear the Lakes more. Mainly cause they are new I suppose.
I got the Lakes for I wanted something a bit more low key.
I don't think you can go wrong with either.
I think next time I go Lake I'm ordering a half size larger. This just me and the ones I have I actually have no problem with. Just want a bit more length.
I came from Spesh also.

I have been using Sidi Dominator since 1990. The plastic or non leather cup at the back of the shoe protects them from being torn up when you sit and put your legs forward on pavement.

I went from a mid level Sidi to an upper level Lake and have been very happy with the change. Try on a few from each brand to see which fits better for you. If you can't find a local shop that has a good selection try an online retailer that has a good return policy. Also there are some Lake models that have a four hole mount for the Speedplay cleats. I've never found a decent deal on those in my size however, but I am always looking.

Sidis are heavy- like strapping a CO2 and and inner tube to each foot

vs my Giros.

I have owned both and Sidi’s fit me like gloves
but every foot is different

I started with Lake, but the heel fell apart prematurely. Up to that point, I liked them. However, SIDI was the big buzz around here a few years ago so I switched to SIDI. They were fine for about two years. Then I started to have some pain in the toe area. I noticed that I didn't have the pain when wearing an old pair of Specialized shoes. So I made a comparison and found that SIDI has a European toe box, i.e. it narrows quickly from the point of the ball of the foot. Specialized has an American toe box, that is, wider. If you have narrow feet, SIDIs should work fine. If your feet are wide, SIDIs might not fit that great. Average feet, YMMV. I wear EU45 and now went to Specialized.

There's a decent deal on Sidi Alba road shoes. Anyone have any experience?

FWIW I am trying to research which models work with my Speedplays. I'm in research mode.

Sidi Genius for me, but i have narrow feet. You need to see what fits your feet, though Sidi makes the Mega (wide) version. My Sidi's have thousands of miles on them and look like they will go many more.

Lake's are often heavier.

I've put extensive miles on Sidi, Specialized, Shimano, Lake and Riivo. I've also tried Giro, Northwave, Bont, and Fizik.

I generally found that Sidi and Specialized fit very different. If you liked the Specialized, you probably won't like the Sidi. Shimanos are kind of in between. My Riivos are custom - so they don't count. The others were all way too narrow for me.

As for Lake, they have three lasts. Some have wider toe boxes than others. Lake does a great job posting the length and width of each last on its website. I use the widest last possible, and it's ok. The heel fits pretty well, despite being very wide at the toe box. The high end Lakes are really, really nice. I wish they fit me.

In regards to quality, they are all solid shoes.

Well, I stumbled upon a sale and ordered a pair of Sidi Kaos Air shoes. In a few days I'll know if this was a good decision.

Lake was my first pair and I still love them. Yes, they're heavy.

for what it's worth, sidi makes a speedplay specific model cycling shoe, that eliminates adapters and shims.

I just got a pair of genius 6.6 mega that are Speedplay specific. They are 700g including cleats.

My worn-out carbon soled Diadora's they are replacing are 685g with Look Keo cleats.

Right now I like the new shoes but they're new. It's hard to compare to a super broken in pair. Fwiw, I've never needed a wide shoe in my life. With the Sidi's, I had to get the Mega.

I got my Sidi Kaos Carbon Air shoes today. Look like serious quality and aesthetically beautiful. But, the 6 out of 6 reviewers who said they fit true to size are absolutely crazy. Every shoe or moto boot I've ever bought have been a Euro 45 or US 10 1/2 and that's what I ordered. These are seriously too small. Back they go for a 46.

Were the Bonte too narrow?

It is not the length, it’s the volume. They are just so narrow. The Mega seem to be average width of most other shoes.

I'm about to find out. They are a bit tight but they were also seriously short for 45s.

I wore a 45 in Sidi, but a 44 in pretty much everything else. Giro's also run very small, in my experience.

I also found that the Sidi Megas weren't really wider, they were just bigger. It was as if instead of making a 45 wider, they just gave me a 46 and called it a 45 Mega. My forefoot is very wide. My heel is normal. So, the Megas really didn't work for me because the heel was much too loose.

Yes, Bonts are too narrow. Regular and wide. They post the widths on their website, but even the wides aren't quite wide enough. To be fair, I have only purchased and tried a cheap pair of regular width Bonts and not the wide ones. I didn't feel like ordering them and trying to mold them wide enough only to find out it wouldn't work since once you mold them, you cannot return them.

Lake's widest option is just wide enough for me.

I really do have duck feet.