My size 42 test samples weighed 1,140g with cleats fitted. Crankbrothers Mallet BOA shoe performance The toe box is roomy enough to allow your toes to splay out comfortably, and I had no issues with the shoe pinching through the middle of my foot, thanks in part to the relatively neutral, quite flat insole which suits my feet well. 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. 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.

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. 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. In use, getting the Mallets set up is easy. Crankbrothers says that if you’re running Crank pedals (as I did), you’ll need just one spacer beneath the cleat. For those looking to use Shimano pedals, there’s no spacer required and the cleat can be bolted directly to the shoe. Crankbrothers says that the compound of the rubber is designed to be ‘mid-friction’, to prevent binding on release from the pedal. Clipping in and out is incredibly easy and I never struggled to get my foot out for any of those split-second dabs when things start going wrong

Match Box

There’s a significant weight difference, with the smaller Mallet Trails coming in at around 90g lighter for the pair.

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. While this may make the Mallets a little less efficient when pedalling, it’s nice to have the option and adjustment on offer, but it’s also a little puzzling as to why the brand thinks this isn’t required on the Mallet E shoe. We’d certainly like to see it on both clipless offerings. 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 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. 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 MediaI have a history with Crankbrothers and it goes like this: I don’t historically like, want or need egg beaters in my mountain bike repertoire. To say I have a bias against the original, no frills, eggbeater platform would be an understatement of epic proportions. I don’t enjoy the tiny, almost non-existent pedal surface underfoot. Nor do I often ride in, or need to “shed mud,” because PSA: riding through mud destroys the mostly clay trails here in Colorado (you’re welcome IMBA). Eight removable pins are in place on each side, and there's plenty of room around the clip-in mechanism to prevent mud from building up. 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 That being said, I recognize my bias stems from eons ago before Crankbrothers had platform options and I consider myself a “woke” woman, open to changing my mind when presented with new information. Well, consider it changed. The Crankbrothers Mallet E (short for enduro, see what they did there?) pedals are as versatile as they are confidence inspiring. It is truly the surprise of the century, that I really like the Mallet E pedals and shoes. Let’s dive into both. Crankbrothers Mallet E pedals 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.