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I've got a well worn pair of Lake MXZ303's that are 8 years old but the cleat plates have rusted away and the hard sole under the rubber is almost worn through, plus they've been glued and riveted. They have lasted well though so for Christmas I got some MXZ304's. Eagerly awaited but now having doubts so would welcome any thoughts from those already wearing them! Just wondering if my initial impressions are clouding my view overall, options at the moment are ask for a swap for some that are put together with a bit more care, or refund and get something different (nothing springs to mind)
The reflective chevrons are wonky, badly stitched and make them look like cheap budget boots. There are loops in the stitches where they've wandered and then gone back to stitch over the top.
The inner liners are stitched into the outers unevenly so the left boot is a different height to the right.
Where the uppers are cut away for the tongue, the grey foam insulation is bare and unfinished, this continues all the way down either side of the tongue. In my old boots the edges are stitched over to tidy up the edges. You can see this is just how they are made so won't change if I get a swap, with some mud I won't notice but its still crap, and I can see the insulation edges soaking up water.
Trying them on, it seems they've tried to make them easier to get on than the 303's but as a result is having to wrestle with two awkward snap buckles that you can't really see whilst sitting on the floor.
The tongue is detached all the way down both sides so any water getting under the velcro'd lace cover looks like it will get into the boot very easily. (see red socks poking out in photo!) With my 303's the tongue was attached on one and a half sides so you could walk through a deep puddle. The bottom of the velcro lace cover only has velcro about 5mm wide so I can just see this lifting up during rides and letting in all the spray. Are my feet going to get wet as soon as I ride through a flood/river or when I hose the mud off after a ride?
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My old, like really old, Lakes were stitched Ok, but we're wonky. They also had a waterproof and thermal liner - which had a hole in the sole for SPD's and the sole was uninsulated...again, poor bike industry design.
I’ve got some Lake MXZ200s and while I am very pleased with their performance I did have to trim a small bit of the leather where the edge of the top of the tongue dug into my foot when they were laced up. Since I did that they’ve been fine though. That height difference would be enough for me to send them back - the wonky stitching is annoying on a premium boot though and your pics have potentially put me off buying any more…☹️
