Review: Lake MX145 winter shoes

A good pair of winter shoes is key for year round riding if you live where it gets cold and snowy. Depending on your region, super duty boots like Lake’s MXZ might be overkill, that’s where Lake’s new $260 MX145 mid-weight winter shoe comes in.

The water resistant upper is constructed with a combination of waxed canvas, leather and a waterproof membrane to keep foul weather elements at bay. The fiberglass injected sole is stiff enough for good power transfer and the durable rubber lugs provide good traction in snow and over wet, slippery logs and rocks.

Closure comes from a dual, independent Boa lacing system that allows the shoe to open widely both across the ankle and at the top of the foot. This system makes the MX145 easy to put on and take off when you’re trying to squeeze into the shoe with thick winter socks. The insole has heat reflective material facing your foot and a waffled pattern facing the sole to trap heat inside the shoe.

I went up a half size compared to my normal summer shoes to help comfort with thick socks, this combined with the aforementioned wide opening made the MX145’s the easiest winter shoe I’ve ever used to put on and take off—that right there goes a long way on cold days. The dual Boa’s snugged up tight for a very comfortable fit, plus at about 500 grams each they split the difference nicely in weight between a basic summer shoe and a full on arctic-ready boot.

I comfortably used the Lake 145’s in temps from the mid-30’s down to the low 20’s and as long as I had a quality winter sock there were no warmth issues, my feet stayed cozy for the length of the ride, even when I had to hike through the snow on occasion. In snow conditions the lacing system never let moisture into the shoe nor did it let cold winds seep in. So far, I’ve been using these on every mountain bike ride since early December when winter really hit and durability has been exceptional. The next test for the MX145’s will be when temps drop into the low teens later this week. I know that surpasses their temperature rating but the comfort, performance, weight and warmth thus far makes these hard to give up.