Additionally, the Velcro strap could push the lace’s runner onto the top of my feet, which was annoying, so I only put the end of the lace into the pouch. On our scale the Mallet DH weighed in 5 grams heavier per pair than Crankbrothers' claimed weight of 479 grams.

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. 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.

Crankbrothers Mallet Speedlace bottom line

For example, Crankbrothers says, with confidence, that if you want to use its shoes with Shimano pedals, the cleat can be mounted directly to the shoes without a spacer. Fitting a Crankbrothers cleat requires a ‘Match Shim’ underneath to work as effectively as possible. Tried and tested While this may hold true for most clipless pedals, the Mallets need a little more tuning, otherwise they either refuse to work or, possibly worse, don’t work at their best with the rider unaware they aren’t getting the most from their expensive investment. 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. 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. The angled toe and heel treads are directional and spaced out for better mud clearance to help with walking up or down hill.

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. Anyone who’s used a set of Crank Brothers clip-in pedals before will be familiar with the ergonomics of its distinctive Eggbeater mechanism. Entry is smooth and fluid, with the spring providing a linear rate that means very little force is required to engage your cleats. These new shoes are named after some of Crankbrothers’ key pedal models and are designed to reflect the intentions of them perfectly. For those not completely au fait with its pedal range, the Mallet is designed for downhill riding and racing, the Mallet E is designed for trail riding and enduro racing, while the Stamp is Crank’s flat-pedal offering. There is no adjustable tension on the spring mechanism on any pedals by Crankbrothers. The only adjustable feature is the height of the traction pins, which can be dialed up taller for more grip or screwed in lower for less grip. This changes the feel of the pedal when clipping in and out. The DH has eight pins per side.The Speedlace runs far down the shoe to ensure tension is controlled over a large portion of the foot. The almost rubberised upper is malleable and features perforations and mesh windows in strategic places to help keep your feet from overheating. As we’ve already mentioned, Crankbrothers is offering the choice of three different closures: Boa dial and strap; SpeedLace and strap; or regular laces. So there should be something to fit your preference and bank balance. Crankbrothers took its time (four years in all) to bring these shoes to market and assured us they’d properly been through the wringer when it came to testing. While some of this took place in the lab, to at least get the rubber compounds right, much of it was down to real-world testing. Steep banks were scrambled up and down, while we carried our bikes on our shoulders to see how much our heels slipped in the heel box and our feet slipped in the mud. We even sprayed them with a hose to see how water-resistant they are, then timed how long they take to dry out. Other shoes we tested: 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”.

They offer the effortless entry and release that Crank Brothers is well known for, and incredible mud-shedding capabilities that few clip-in pedals can match. There’s excellent adjustability for customising their fit, and while outright grip isn’t as good as their bigger siblings, the platform is still usefully broad. If you’ve a keen eye and enjoy watching World Cup downhill racing, you may well have spotted Luca Shaw (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) sporting these shoes with a question mark emblazoned on the heel. 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 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 Neat detailing on the Velcro strap (and net detailing throughout) help contribute to the high-quality finish of these shoes, but also the relatively high price. Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media

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. Potentially the most important part of the shoe is the rubber compound used on the MATCH Outsole. The MC2 rubber blend that Crankbrothers settled on is said to be very close in terms of grip to that of market leaders Five Ten, but far more durable.