It was only a matter of time before Crankbrothers stepped up with a pair of mountain bike shoes, having produced some industry-leading flat and clipless pedal options in recent years. That time has come, and with it we have three all-new Crankbrothers Shoe options to choose from; the Stamp, Mallet and Mallet-E are all thoughtfully designed to match with their respective pedals. We have all the tech details and pricing right here.
Check out our first ride review of the Crankbrothers Stamp flat pedal MTB shoes here.
All-New Crankbrothers Shoes
The Match System is at the heart of the Crankbrothers Shoe design. Each of the three options are carefully optimised to work in perfect harmony with their respective pedal. That’s not to say they won’t work with other pedal options out there; Crankbrothers have ensured that their clipless shoe options will work just as well with the Mallet eggbeater style pedal as they will with standard SPDs.
| Crankbrothers Shoe | Type | Closure System | Starting Price |
| Mallet | Clipless | BOA, Speed Lace, Lace | $149.99 |
| Mallet-E | Clipless | $149.99 | |
| Stamp | Flat | $129.99 |
Each shoe is available at three price points, dependent on the type of closure it uses. The entry-level shoes get good old fashioned laces, the mid-range option gets a Speed Lace while the top-level shoes get BOA dials – including the flats! OK, it’s not the first time we’ve seen BOA on a flat pedal shoe (Suplest have done it), but it’s an uncommon sight.
Crankbrothers Mallet DH Shoe
Incompatibility issues between the Mallet pedal and MTB shoes from popular brands was Crankbrothers’ ultimate motivation for entering the shoe market. They struggled to get the Mallet pedal to work with FiveTen Hellcats with the cleat in its most rearward position. Also, many riders (including their own athletes) were cutting the cleat box to allow easier clip-in.
Crankbrothers realized these two issues were solvable with a ramped and elongated cleat track and a 5mm set back “race zone”. The cleat box is compatible with both standard SPD setups and the Crankbrothers Mallet setup. Due to the 1mm difference in cleat thickness between the two systems, the thinner Crankbrothers setup requires a shim to get the correct depth.
On the inside, a stiff shank provides a solid platform for a good shoe-pedal connection. On the outside, the Mallet shoe (and Mallet-E) gets the proprietary MC1 rubber developed by ex-Michelin rubber expert Vanni Scapin. This is a “mid-friction” high-rebound rubber, different from the one seen on the outsole of the flats… (we’ll get to that later).
Mallet-E Shoe for Enduro
The Crankbrothers Mallet-E shoe gets the same MC1 rubber outsole as the Mallet shoe but it loses the set back “race zone”. It gets an even stiffer shank than the Mallet and a more aggressive tread pattern on the outsole; notice the deeper angled heel and toe lugs. That’s to make it a more robust, grippier shoe for walking up trails when sessioning features.
Crankbrothers Stamp Shoe
The Crankbrothers Stamp flat pedal shoe outsole is supposedly optimized for grip and durability – two properties that are traditionally at odds with one another. The proprietary MC2 rubber is is the “high friction” option with low rebound, designed to allow pedal pins to lock firmly into place without getting bounced out through rough sections of trail.
Notice how the “on-pedal” region of the outsole bears high resemblance to the shape of the Stamp pedals. This is central to Crankbrothers’ Match concept whereby the pedal-shoe interface is designed for a maximum surface area connection for maximum grip. Rounded lugs are said to be more durable than the square edged tested during development.
What about the Uppers?
The uppers of the Crankbrothers Shoes are pretty consistent across the range. All are perforated with little windows for breathability. Each shoe has a heavily padded tongue and TPU protection at the toe area to keep your foot safe when you smash it into a trail side rock.
The exception is the Mallet-E shoe which gets enhanced protection around the toe and heel area in the form of an extended outsole.
The main variation in the uppers is down to the closure system. The Mallet, Mallet-E and Stamp shoes are all available with the BOA, Speed Lace or basic Lace options.
Pricing & Availability
Crankbrothers Shoes are available now in full sizes 5-14 (US) and half sizes 6.5-12.5 (US). Mallet and Mallet-E clipless shoes come “Ready to Ride” with a Crankbrothers cleat and shim worth $26.99 pre-installed. The base-level lace option is priced at $149.99. Upgrade to the Speed Lace version for $169.99, or go all-out on the BOA option for $199.99.
The entry-level Stamp flats are priced at $129.99, increasing to $149.99 for the Speed Lace option, and $179.99 for the BOA dial with velcro strap closure.
