Lake CX332 vs Shimano RP9 Review

I have been cycling for the past 20 years of my life. I have tried many pairs of cycling shoes. Currently, I have two pairs of cycling shoes in my home: Lake CX332 and Shimano RP9. For each pair of shoes, I have worn it for 15,000 km in mileage, used in my trainings and races. I will be doing a comparison of them. At the end of this blog, you will find out which is the winner of the two pairs. The product review is unbiased and I do not receive any commission from the bicycle shop. 

The first shoe is Lake CX332 while the second shoe is Shimano RP9. Both are the high end models in their respective brand of shoe line up.

Brand	Lake CX332	Shimano RP9
Outer Sole	Carbon Fibre The carbon fibre sole in CX332 is thicker than RP9. This means more power transfer on downward pedalling from your leg to the wheels.	Carbon Fibre
Lacing Method	BOA The lacing system comprises of two BOA’s located at the side of the shoe. Throughout the ride, my feet are snugly fitted in the CX332. Minimal adjustments are needed even when I am riding in wet weather condition. To lace up, push the boa inwards and turn it downwards till your foot is snug fit.To loosen slightly, turn it upwards to release little tension till your foot is snug fit.To unlace, pull the boa outwards and the lace will be fully loosen for removal of foot.	Velcro and Buckle The lacing system comprises of two Velcro and a Buckle located at the side of the shoe. My feet are not as snug feeling compared to CX332. This is because the Velcro tend to be looser when you have force pulling and pushing the pedal during motion of pedaling. I had to re-velcro the shoes whenever I want to get a snug feel. When riding in wet weather, I am unable to get the snug feel compared to CX332. I had a few crashes when I was using the Shimano R315 (a model earlier that RP9) which also uses the same Velcro and Buckle lacing system. The buckle cracks upon impact to the ground and the shoe cannot be used anymore.
Material	Kangaroo Leather When I first wore the CX332, my feet hurts as the leather is stiff. After 10 rides with Lake CX332, the shoe started to break in and felt very comfortable. Its leather is thicker than the other brands which I have used previously. This means that when you unintentionally fall, the friction between the road surface and the shoe will have lesser chance of bruising it. I like the feel of my foot enclosed in the CX332 because of the kangaroo leather. It is very soft and comfortable to wear it, especially when my ride distance exceeds 100km. I have used cycling shoes from many brands and somehow did not get this type of feeling.	PVC Leather When I first wore the RP9, my feet hurts a little compared to the CX332 because the shoe is generally spacious. After 5 rides, the shoe started to break in and felt comfortable. The toe box of RP9 is wider than CX332. If you have a very wide feet, RP9 is the shoe to go for. The shoe has a plastic odour after usage due to its PVC leather.
Toe Shield	No There is no Toe Shield present in CX332. Hence, the leather at the toe area gets scuffed by the tires in certain occasions.	Yes I like the toe shield that is present in the RP9. It prevents the scuffing of the tires and the shoe during pedaling in certain occasions, which protects the leather from damaging.
Heel Cups	Mouldable Although it is mouldable, I strongly discourage you to heat and mold the heel cup as the shape of the shoe may change depending on how much you heat you used to alter its shape. This is from my past experiences.	Not Mouldable Heel Cup in RP9 is not mouldable.
Heel Pads	Replaceable Even after 15000 km of riding, the heel pad is not worn off.	Not Replaceable After 15000 km of riding, the heel pad is worn off.
Colours	Black, White, Chameleon Blue	Black, White
Inner Sole	Single Piece The inner sole comes in one piece. It does not have the flexibility to adjust the arch support to suit all cyclists.	Adjustable Arch Support with Mid and High Pads provided The inner sole comes together with two arch support pads to suit riders with low, mid or high arch.
Euro Size	43 Extra Wide	43 Wide
Weight	235 gram	230 gram
Mileage	15000 km	15000 km
Duration to break in	10 rides	5 rides
Comfort Level Toe Box	Snug	Spacious  Wider than CX332
Comfort Level Heel Box	Snug	Snug
Dry Weather Riding	Snug (Video, Dry) Comfort level in both dry and wet conditions remains equal.In dry weather, the breathability of the kangaroo leather doesn’t make my feet sweat a lot compared to shoes made from PVC leather.	Snug Comfort level in both dry and wet conditions varies. In dry weather, the PVC leather tends to make my feet sweat a lot more compared to CX332.
Wet Weather Riding	Snug (Video, Wet) In wet weather, the raindrops tend to repel away from the leather.	Loose In wet weather, my feet lost its snug feel and I had to retighten the Velcro and Buckle to retain its snug feel.
Issues faced	Only scuff marks at the toe section. The leather is intact to the carbon sole.	Toe Shield and the leather gave way after 15,000km. Parts of the carbon sole came off and I had to use shoe goo to temporary stick it back.
Price	$465	$299
Level of cycling	Advanced	Intermediate, Advanced

Many cyclists are curious to put on their new gears immediately after purchasing it. One must note that any shoes in the market has to be seasoned in order to feel comfortable when wearing it. “Good things must wait.”

Bike Guru’s Pick

In conclusion, I prefer Lake CX332 over Shimano RP9 in terms of its comfort, design and performance. Lake CX332 is priced at $465 while Shimano RP9 is priced at $299. I strongly recommend Lake CX332 for advanced cyclist due to its construction and durability.

Also Great

If you want to have a shoe for performance and don’t wish to spend a lot, Shimano RP9 will be second in the line up to consider. It is catered for cyclist between intermediate and advanced level.

Budget Picks

If you are beginner cyclist and on super budget conscious, I will recommend you several models to buy and start with. Lake CX176, Shimano RP1, Specialized Torch 1.0.

For Narrow Feet

If you have narrow foot, you can consider cycling shoes from brands such as Sidi, DMT, Gaerne.

For Wide Feet

If you have wide foot, you can consider Lake CX237 which offers a wider toe box compared to Lake CX332. Visit The Bike Settlement as they are distributor for Lake Cycling Shoes in Singapore. 

List of cycling shoes worn & tested by Bike Guru

This post is not sponsored by any of the brands or shops mentioned. Bike Guru does not receive any commissions or benefits from the sale of the products reviewed in this post. The product recommendations are based on Bike Guru’s personal opinions.