Review: Lake MXZ303 winter boots

You know you have the wrong footwear when you have two pairs of thick stocks over your feet and you’ve stuffed them into your summer shoes. I had resorted to such measures on Saturday at the Hammer cyclocross race in Ottawa. The temperature wasn’t that low, just below 0 C, but wind made its way through the excellent ventilation (too excellent in this case) of my shoes. The following day’s race, the Anvil, would feature snow, a temperature of -9 C and a windchill of -20 C. I wasn’t going to mess around. I swapped my cleats onto my Lake MXZ303 winter boots.

I had got my 303s late last winter and I had only managed to use them for a few nasty, late-spring commutes. They did the trick then. The Pittards WR100 leather upper, which is water-resistant, did a good job of keeping the slush out. The Thinsulate lining at the toe box and the Thermosol insole were always enough to keep me warm on 20-minute commutes. But how would they perform during a 40-minute ‘cross race?

For warmth, the 303s were perfect. I have no doubt they would have kept my toes warmer in even colder temperatures, with only one pair of socks. The Boa closure did a great job of snugging things up, so I felt sure-footed hopping the barriers. On the Vibram outsole by the toes, there’s a spot to swap in two cleats if you need extra traction. While I didn’t make any modification on this part of the shoe for my race, I found the sole provided good traction on the snowy parts of the course and even on the steep, grassy run-up that got slicker throughout the race. The only quibble I have with the boots is the strap by the ankle. The buckle and hook-and-loop strap are solid, but a bit difficult to sung for those of us with skinny ankles.

So, I’ve learned my lesson. The next time the thermometer even flirts with negative numbers, especially with wind mixed in, I’m grabbing the Lakes.

Price: $295. Lake shoes are distributed by Stage-Race Distribution.