Lake shoes help me as a bike fitter to solve foot problems. Anything from hot spots to foot numbness can be caused by a pair of tight fitting cycling shoes (or any shoe).
When do you see a pro cyclist tighten their shoes? Before the sprint; that means for the fist 98% of the race the shoes don’t need to be zinging tight.
Some cycling shoe shapes and sizes can restrict the riders foot, both movement and circulation. Any high pressure from the shoe to the foot is most likely too much. Often this happens with wide feet in and around the forefoot area of the shoe. Lake shoes have a wide forefoot and toe box. Their regular fit is wider than most brand’s wide shoe version, if one is even offered. This allows wider feet to relax and flex and the toes to wiggle. The amount of room for the foot, foot correction and arch support in the shoe can be dialled easily with insoles. The rider can then experience propreoceptive arch support with out the constant pressure from the sides of the shoe and forefoot. The Lake gains it’s width through the wide last that supports the shoe. The last is also smooth and many insoles can be setup in Lake shoes with minimal fuss.
If you have a feeling your feet are being squished… Lake shoes are a great option.
Other good options are Bont 2023 in a WIDE or EXTRA WIDE or MTB flat shoe with grippy pedals.