sayn3ver

Good day.

I have flat feet, almost no arch. The shimano,fizik and specialized shoes I've tried on locally have been too narrow in the toe box. The specialized torch 3.0 were the closest to fitting.

I ordered a pair of lake cx201 via mail. I'm returning them because while the toe box feels fantastic (maybe too wide?) the mid sole and especially the heel cup are too wide.

I basically looking for a wide toe box shoe with a normal sized heel cup.

I don't race so ultimate sole stiffness and aero are low priority for me.

I am currently in a pair of old specialized mid range carbon comps from 2008 (toe box is a bit small but has been doable for me. The straps are breaking and I'm in dire need of replacement shoes)

ClydeClydeson

When I sold XC ski boots, the general wisdom I was told was that the heel of a shoe is shaped like a triangle, and the higher you go up in the heel, the narrower it is. In ski boots with a sloppy heel fit, the Fischer sales guy recommended using some sort of extra thick insole in the heel to push the foot a few mm and into a narrower part of the heel.

Iride01 

Only a few cycling shoe brands have sizes that come in widths too. I thought Shimano was one of those brands. Were your Shimano's specified as being a wide for that size length? Might also be that not all of their models of cycling shoe come in differing widths.

But I really don't know for certain. I usually want a narrow shoe.

WhyFi

Some of the upper models from Lake have heat-moldable heels.

Ross200

Lake makes shoes with a variety of last configurations. Did you review the Lake Fit Matrix and the last descriptions when you ordered? Good cycling insoles make a world of difference making happy feet.

Sidi Mega with additional insole might work for you

MidTNBrad

About a year ago I purchased some CX201 online. I was also looking for a wide toe box, which it had and felt good for my toes, but the rest of the shoe was too wide. My heel slipped quite a bit so I ended up returning them. I really wanted them to work but it just wasn't going to. I ended up getting a pair of Torch 3.0s and they fit pretty well. Sounds like you and I are in the same boat.

thin_concrete

Have you tried the 302s yet?

PoorInRichfield

It seems like a lot of shoe companies equate "wide" with "high volume"... i.e., if the front of your foot is wide, then all of your foot must be larger. Giro has multiple shoes with "HV" in the title which means "high volume". They don't offer wide shoes, just high volume, which doesn't help riders like you and me.
I'm looking for the same and have come-up empty after trying many, many shoe brands (and returning them). Bont is the only cycling shoe company I'm aware of that has a slightly more natural shaped toe box. However, I'm not a fan of their "bathtub" sole and of the three Bont shoes I tried, they were all too rigid for my tastes. A review I read recently of a pair of new Bont shoes suggested that they felt like they were made out of wood.

I currently ride Lake MX 237s because they're made of real leather and thus eventually shaped to my feet. However, the toe box is still pointy and squishes my toes together, so not an optimal solution, but there aren't any other options that have worked better for me.

Note that most brands that offer a "wide" option simply add a little more material to the upper w/o changing the sole (last) at all. To me, that's not actually "wide", that's a hack.

Troul 

They do offer E ranges in select styles. Some are wider than other's with the same specified E selection in width.

sayn3ver

no. But their race lasts in wide look to possibly be my next move.

sayn3ver

I did review the matrix and did their foot sketch and measure twice.

the cx201 simply had too wide of a heel cup. Tightened up the mid sole would have been passable. If the cx201 had a moldable heel I would have kept them. But as is stands, even with the boa tightened as much to cause serious uncomfortable pressure throughout my mid foot, my heel was still loose (little less than an index finger could be slipped in on either side) and that was just sitting on the couch trying them on.

the toe box width was perfect. So I'm sure the 112mm width listed (my foot measured 110mm at its widest) is accurate. I also like the overall flatness of the last.

It definitely is made for those with flat feet and didn't have an arch or height difference between the cleat area and the heel like many other shoes have. The sole was relatively flat from toe to heel. They really should offer that same last with just an upper with a smaller more restrictive heel cup as I bet they would sell tons, especially to the "endurance" crowd who like myself don't race but who have goals of riding further and faster as a training goal. I don't need every ounce of stiffness but want equipment that is comfortable and makes spending more and more time on the bike possible.

For me, my distance restriction is saddle or
shoe discomfort after 4 hours of ride time. I haven't hit a limitation with muscle or body system failure yet. I typically want off the bike because my ass can't take anymore and not because my leg muscles have been exhausted to failure.

now the question is how are the other lasts compared to the 201?

according to the matrix I would guess their race width lasts shoes in wide should have the width I need. I also assume their heel cup isn't quite as wide as it's a race fit?

Their competition lasts list too narrow in normal and too wide in wide.

unfortunately to be honest it's sucks they don't have local distribution for near me. I have no desire to continue the mail order journey with return shipping costing what it does.

Amazon carries one or two models at full retail costs. I have prime so it may be worth using a credit card and ordering from their to check size and fit and use Amazon's generous free returns. That inherently feels wrong for me to do that without real intent to keep any purchase.

The lake shoes at full retail are way out of my price range in their race last models.

sayn3ver

I tried using my insoles out of both my running shoes and my work boots underneath the stock insole to see if adding some insole volume would do the trick. It did not due to the shape of the heel cup. Having my foot sit higher in the shoe actually made the situation worse surprising and also put too much pressure on the "lace area".

on a more traditional heel cup that has some padding or shape that locks the heel down I would agree with your suggestion. But the cx201 has basically a smooth semi rounded cup that is basically flat in the vertical direction. It doesn't get narrower near the top to mimic most heel/ankle profiles.

merlinextraligh

l have Lake 403’s and they are heat moldable. I have wide feet, and I needed to loosen up the heel cup a bit, which you can do with the heat molding.

they’re pricey but very nice.