The Mallets and Mallet Es feature Crankbrothers’ ‘MATCH Outsole’, which uses its MC1 rubber compound (mid-friction, fast rebound). They also feature a ramped cleat box to make clipping in and out easier, radial tread pattern to help reduce friction when clipping in or out, as well as enough stiffness through the shank to deliver good power transfer. The malleable, almost rubber-like upper is reinforced around the toe and heel area to boost protection and help the shoe hold its shape and feel stable when in use. There are perforations and mesh windows, which allow your feet to breath a little, as well as prevent the Mallets from getting waterlogged. The easy-to-tighten speed lace closure system coupled with the narrow foot/toe box; heavy padding around the ankle, tongue, and heel; and velcro strap over top is the recipe for a snug fit. Crankbrothers doesn’t make women’s specific shoes, so I had to convert my size to men’s 7.5, which computes to the correct women’s size, and I am of the opinion they fit true to size. Style-wise, these remind me of simple skate shoe: well padded and comfortable immediately.

The clip mechanism is Crankbrothers’ free-spinning eggbeater design, which takes a bit of getting used to if coming from SPD-style pedals, but they allow you to clip in from multiple angles as well as directly downwards. The more open mechanism is great at shedding mud too. The Speedlace runs far down the shoe to ensure tension is controlled over a large portion of the foot. I suffered a number of false starts when testing this pedal, under the illusion I could simply fit them, bolt the cleats on and ride off into the sunset with the instructions gaily fluttering to the ground in their wake. Padding around the ankle of the Mallets isn’t as plentiful as that of the Specialized 2FO clips, but that doesn’t make them any less comfy and also helps contribute to that narrower profile. Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply.At the heart of the shoes’ design is the brand’s ‘MATCH system’, which Crankbrothers says: “considers the pedal and shoe as a unified system to provide optimal interface”. With a larger platform, the smaller of Nukeproof’s Horizon pedals still offers more support to flexier shoes than the Mallet Trails.

By increasing or decreasing this interface, it gives more or less stability to the pedal platform. The Mallet E features six adjustable pins that can be inserted to different heights or eradicated for less aggressive traction. For enhanced efficiency, Crankbrothers also sell a 0-degree float cleat. All this adds up to a fair bit of 'adjustability' for a Crankbrothers pedal, but the Xpedo GFX(that also has adjustable release tension) takes the win for this category. Weight Just like with all Crankbrothers pedals, there is no adjustable tension to the clipping mechanism on this pedal. However, as we mentioned above, the feel of the pedal can be adjusted with the height of the traction pins. The Mallet 3 has 6 pins per side on each pedal, while the Mallet DH Race has 8 pins per side, giving you an even greater range of grip adjustability. We find that 8 pins per side isn't necessary, and we get plenty of grip with the Mallet 3's 6 pins. The Crankbrothers Mallet are undoubtedly some of the most popular clipless pedals among mountain bikers, with countless downhill and enduro pros relying on the Californian brand. The Mallets also convinced the jury of our 2022 group test, outperforming the competition and coming out on top. Can they make it two in a row? The angled toe and heel treads are directional and spaced out for better mud clearance to help with walking up or down hill.

Match Outsole

They’re stiff enough too, and I had no issues when wearing them on much longer days trail riding in the hills. The shoes never felt like the sole was drooping around the pedal and costing me precious energy. Even when I tried them with smaller Candy 3 pedals, the Mallets managed to balance feel and stiffness incredibly well through the sole. Crankbrothers claims that by extending the cleat slot a further 5mm (dubbed the ‘Race Zone’ and denoted by the red area), ride control and handling are improved. Rob Weaver / Immediate Media Mountain bike shoes have a hard life. All your power is transferred through their soles, as well as an awful lot of bodily bike control.

There’s a decent amount of ankle padding to keep things comfy, though not so much that they’ll feel waterlogged when worn in the rain. Crankbrothers has bolstered at-risk areas with additional TPU material to boost protection over the toes and around the heel. The front of the shoe is stiff, perhaps due to the “mid-friction rubber compound,” reinforced toe, and wide cleat box which is referred to as the Matchbox. The theory behind the matchbox is multi-faceted. One, it matches the Mallet E pedals specifically. Two, it makes clipping in and out easy breezy and provides notable lateral stability. Three, it allows a large range of fore and aft cleat adjustability. The flat pedal Stamps use Crankbrothers’ MC2 rubber compound for the outsole, which is said to be high friction with a slow rebound, to better absorb pedal pins and dampen vibration through the feet. Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail is a brand new clip-in pedal that’s designed to suit a wide range of riding types. Featuring the iconic four-sided Eggbeater mechanism and a compact two-piece machined alloy body, the Mallet Trail straddles the gap between the Candy and Mallet E. According to Crank Brothers, this is now the most versatile pedal in its clip-in range. The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail is a brand new platform clip-in pedal that fills a gap in the current lineup. The Crank Brothers Mallet Trail pedals Double seal system combines a double lip internal seal and a new external seal to keep water and debris from entering the pedal

Details

Although designed to sync perfectly with its own pedals, Crankbrothers says its shoes will still work with other pedal brands. Rob Weaver / Immediate Media My size 42 test samples weighed 1,140g with cleats fitted. Crankbrothers Mallet BOA shoe performance I opted to ride in the size 42 Mallets because the sizing is a little generous compared to the likes of Shimano and Specialized, where I ride in a size 43, so I would suggest trying on before buying, to ensure you get the sizing right. As with most of the Crankbrothers pedals, entry is relatively straight forward; the pedal technically has a four-sided entry, but its cage makes it essentially a two-sided pedal. The traction pins, while helpful in many situations can hang up on some shoes, preventing smooth entry. This pedal's entry performance isn't affected by mud, sand, or debris, and can be relied upon when the trails (and your shoes) are in rough shape. The Mallet 3 is easy to clip into. The platform makes it easy for your foot to find the spring and the Crankbrothers spring action is smooth. Unlike the platformless Crankbrothers Eggbeater 2, which requires precision to accurately clip in, the platform on the Mallet 3 allows your foot a place to rest and push if you don't get clipped in immediately, and it also guides your foot to the spring, allowing for faster entry. Ease of Exit

In basic terms, it wants to simplify setup as much as possible. That means no more experimentation or guess work when adding/removing spacers under your cleats (no matter whether you’re on Shimano SPDs, Crankbrothers pedals or any other pedal system) and limited effort when it comes to pedal adjustments too.My feet are pretty average-shaped and most size 46 shoes fit me just fine. I found the Mallets sizing a little on the generous side, especially in length. They cinch down nicely with the Boa dial and Vaelcro strap, but I had to do both up pretty tight to make my feet feel secure. Once I'd done that, there's no heel-lift when walking or pulling on the pedals. The egg beater style spindle is said to be have four-sided entry but the surrounding platform essentially makes this more akin to two-sided entry similar to most clipless pedals. Jesse221 the pins are the real reason I’d consider switching. With the right shoes, like the 5 10s you don’t miss the pins when clipped, but you’d be more secure unclipped with the CBs with the pins. Switching to my 5-10s have reduced my desire to get the CBs because they grip the Time platforms so much better when clipped in, I feel like I get all the grip I need. My old Giros/ Sidis/ Pearl Izumis/ SixOnes, not so much. But you’d have to set the pins real low to not get hung up clipping out with certain grippy shoes, so I’m not sure how much they’d help in the end. As such, the best mountain bike shoes have to satisfy a wide range of requirements to reach the top of our table. In this group test, we pitted 12 pairs of clipless shoes from leading brands against each other during several months of sloppy winter testing.