Lake CX331 Shoes

The new CX331 is a top-class mouldable shoe that offers an excellent combination of comfort and efficiency.

Despite the £250 price tag, this is actually the second tier road shoe in the Lake line-up. We tested the range-topping CX401 last year when it was £299.99. It has now gone up to £339.99. Yikes, that's hot! I have to say, though, that this CX331 is just as good as the CX401, it's just a little heavier.

The best features are the carbon-fibre outsole and heel – two separate sections that you can mould to your foot. The sole scoops around the sides of your foot from the midfoot backwards, to offer extra stability, If the side sections aren't shaped right for you, you might have rigid carbon causing you discomfort.

With me, the section of carbon on the outside of the foot, just below the buckle, was uncomfortable. So, following the instructions carefully, I put the shoes in the oven at 80°C for 4mins. They came out pliable so when I put the insoles back in and put them on, that section of the sole moved out slightly with the pressure from my foot. You leave them on for 15mins as they cool and then the fit is spot on.

If you don't get it right first time, just give it another go. Lake reckon you can remould the shoes as many times as you like. The upper part of the heel counter is mouldable too and it's a similar process. When you're done, the shoe feels secure and comfortable without any tightness.

The upper is made from kangaroo leather that's remarkably soft and supple. There are plenty of perforations to add to the breathability and extensive mesh sections too. The tongue is comfortably padded and you get an eSoles custom footbed inside (Bontrager and Nalini shoes also have this).

Closure is taken care of by a Boa system. I've used Boa on a few different shoes now and it's brilliant. The lace is a skinny steel cable and you just turn a dial to tighten it. That means it's super-easy to adjust on the fly. If your shoe feels too tight, you just pull the dial outwards and it slackens off. The Boa system is lightweight, secure and it works without any fuss. The clever bit here is that you can select how many times the lace criss-crosses your foot and so adjust the tension in the various sections.

All this adds up to a superb level of comfort. These shoes feel incredibly good on. You can get a close fit and, because the pressure is even throughout, it's perfectly comfortable. Get the moulding right and you'll experience no heel lift whatsoever, and there's no discernible stretch in the uppers if you pull up on the pedals during an out of the saddle sprint.

One of main differences between this CX331 and the CX401 is that here the sole and heel counter are separate whereas with the 401 the sole simply extends up the sides to cup your heel – it's one piece. I wondered whether this would mean less stability with the 331 but not a bit of it. I could barely tell them apart in use.

To me, the only real distinctions are that the 331s are about 100g heavier (in a size 46) and they're £90 cheaper, so the choice is yours.

The CX331 is available in men's sizes 39-48 and in both standard 3-bolt and Speedplay drillings.

Verdict

Mouldable race shoes that are superbly comfortable and very efficient