[mblittle]

What are you rocking and how do you like them? Here is what I want and don't want.
1. Can't run narrow as I have wider than average feet. Specialized Recons fit fine, Shimano does not unless I get E size and even then they are tight.
2. Price doesn't matter until I narrow it down.
3. Will be used for long XC rides, some races and some gravel. I've got Giro Chamber II for everything else.
4. Don't love BOA but not ruling it out. I do like laces.
5. Don't care how well they work for hike a bike or walking if they are awesome on the bike.
6. Doesn't create weird pressure points
7. Heel doesn't slip like crazy even though I don't plan to walk in them a lot
8. Don't need lots of armor as I won't be using them on rocky terrain

Shimano XC7 - have them in wide and they are too narrow even if half size up.
Specialized S-Works Recon Lace - bought a pair and sent them back b/c they dug into the outside of my ankle but everything else was great.
Specialized Recon 3.0 - I'd like to buy them but so many reviews complain of the bad fit and pressure point from the upper BOA. There are good reviews out there but plenty of bad ones.
Giro Ventana - Crazy amount of heel slip but they were also a size too big for me and I had to overtighten the BOA to keep them on. They may work great if I size down.

 

[acedeuce802]

Take a look at Lake shoes for wide feet. I tried a bunch of different shoes, Fizik Terra X5, Giro Terraduro, older Specialized, older Shimano, tried some friends shoes (don't remember the models of the last few, just noting that I tried probably 8 different shoes) and got a numb big toe each time. Some were size 44 and some were 45 (I wear 44 or 10.5 in all street shoes or FiveTen's). I ended up getting Lake MX176 Wide and then eventually MX241 Endurance Wide (only because I got such a deal after already buying the 176's) and they are great, both are 45 wide. No hot spots, I've done 5+ hour rides with no numbness. I get a bit of heel slip but not any different than the other shoes I tried. Most of their shoes are Boa, but they do have some laced.

 

[ST165]

Another vote for Lake wide shoes. Lake and Bont are the only manufacturers that make true wide shoes, that I am aware of. The sole (Lake refers to it as the last) is unique to a true wide shoe. All the other "high volume" shoes are just the same narrow sole with a little more fabric around them. Both Lake and Bont have real size charts on their website so you can measure your feet and get the right shoe. I have Lake MX218 wide for my everything shoe. I do MTB, road, and trainer with my one pair. They are 3 years old and still going strong.

 

[mblittle]

Thanks for the recs. I'll check out the Lake shoes.

 

[smartyiak]

...and Bont...

I have Bont shoes and really like them...but they are regular width.

But there's a thread...I want to say on weightweenies.com... posted by a guy who needed SUPER wide shoes. They look like shoes for club feet. So they seem to be able to accommodate anyone.

A not commonly seen shoe you could check out is Luck. They do custom. The customs aren't cheap...but they're less than some others you see around.

 

[jimPacNW]

Sidi Mega might be a good option, they're expensive but really tough, I have a pair of Dragons (4s? 5s?) I like those, mine have had a lot of muddy abuse and lots of miles, the heel treads eventually came off, It was about $50 for new sole parts, but I think I got my moneys worth from the originals. No issues with the boa type securing things.
I've also got a couple pairs of Lake, they are nice too.
Both Lake Wide and Sidi Mega are wider than Shimano or Specialized wide, in my experience.

 

[smartyiak]

I have a pair of Dragons (4s? 5s?) I like those, mine have had a lot of muddy abuse and lots of miles, the heel treads eventually came off, It was about $50 for new sole parts, but I think I got my

I have some Dragons (in regular width), but I will echo: that initial outlay of $$$$ was tough, but I've them for about ten years and done some tough and often wet and muddy miles. They look beat to ****, but still perform as well as when I got them.

 

[Taroroot]

Lakes are wide, I was running a pair previously and too wide for me, I could pretty much use them like slip-ons unless I cranked them ridicuously tight. Good constructed shoe with real leather tho. Currently on Sidis, one or two levels below the top. I like them, the only shoes I've had that do Not have problems with heel lift. Every other shoe I've had I get heel lift. I actually have low volume feet, so narrow shoes work better for me, although when measured I have fairly normal width. The Sidis are quite stiff, great for on bike, not good for walking. They're also fairly unstable for walking, easy to turn an ankle if not careful.

 

[mblittle]

I ordered Lake MX238 wide and went through their foot measuring process. I'll report back when I get them and see how they fit. Almost all of the reviews were positive but I did read a few that said they had the worst heel lift of any shoe so that's weird. Fingers crossed I don't have to send back another pair of shoes.

 

[jimPacNW]

Including road shoes I have 5 pairs of Lake, all but one are fine in the heel lift dept. The 'bad' pair are a Supercross model that I got at an insane going out of business sale at the local Performance store, 90% off, so I can't complain. The heel pocket is nonexistent on those, I would hate them for cyclocross, but for no run-up or steep hill walking they are fine, I think I raced in them once on a course I knew to be no-dab. Otherwise they're a great shoe (well worth the $29... or whatever it was).
I think many of the Lakes are heat moldable, but I've not tried that.

 

[mblittle]

Got them today (Lake MX238 wide 43 black/camo). First impressions are that they are very high quality, fit is excellent. They weigh 400g per shoe without the cleat. My old Shimano XC7 were about 325 without the cleat and the S-Works Recon lace were about 300g per shoe. I think most of the weight comes from the extra rubber/grip on the bottom of the shoe but the leather is thicker and more substantial all over compared to the XC7 and the S-Works Recon lace ups that I returned. I'm sure some people use these a "race" shoe but I think they fit best as an all around riding shoe that could be used for races, trail and gravel. I wish I could say that they don't have any heel slip but they do have some. They are very rigid with the full carbon sole so I guess that's to be expected but the amount of heel slip they have is easy to tolerate. My Giro Chamber II have zero heel slip but they are as flexible as a regular tennis shoe. The BOA can be adjusted in both directions so that's nice.

 

[NordieBoy]

Giro Cylinder, light but narrow. Hard to dry. Toe studs.
Specialized Recon 2, not as light, wide, better to walk in, easy to dry.
S-Works Trail, light, stiff, narrow, solid, toe studs, no heel cup to speak of. Only good for pedaling.
I hate laces.

The Recon 2's get all the use.
Wouldn't mind trying some Recon 3's.