MX 238 GRAVEL

Excellent fit. Followed the online fit giude. It was spot on. Only cycling shoe that ever fit my EEE foot. Also learned my right foot is slightly larger

Bought these as an upgrade to my MX 176, which was my first Lake shoe if you don't count my winter boots. Also because they offered these in entirely beetle color, my 176 is half beetle/half black. Still a good looking shoe, but the full beetle with just the black mesh inserts looks much better. I now have several pairs of Lake road shoes, including a couple pairs of CX238. This model in Lake's lineup just fits my foot the best. Most cycling shoes, sizing differs from brand to brand, one company's 44 can be another company's 45. Most of my shoes have been size 43, with these Lakes, I needed 43.5. When I first bought the 176, I measured and remeasured my foot dozens of times, in several different ways, to make sure I was getting the right size. With the 176, I had to get a size 44, as Lake doesn't offer that shoe in half sizes, but the Sport last size 44 has the same width as the 43.5 Competition last used on this shoe. While these feel pretty much like the CX238, there is one slight difference I can see so far. The Clarino fake leather used for this shoe doesn't feel as slipper-like comfy as the real leather used in the CX shoes. It just feels a bit stiffer, less supple, there's a little bit of tightness feeling around my big and little toes. Granted, these shoes are brand new, and after some miles on them, perhaps they'll break in a bit. That extra stiffness might turn out to be beneficial. Also, the Clarino used for these may not shrink or toughen up after getting soaked like real leather can, making these more suitable for offroad use.