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While Boa-like dials and straps dominate the higher end of the trail shoes market, Crankbrothers has stuck with tried-and-tested laces on this £169.99 / $179.99 / €169.99 model of its popular trail-enduro Mallet line.
It gives you tons of control over the tension across your feet, but there are compromises compared to a dial or strap.
There's no problem pedalling in these shoes all day, but if your adventures include off-bike excursions, you might want to look elsewhere.
Tied down
With six ‘crossings’ of the foot, rather than the three or four you’d enjoy from a dial system, there’s more opportunity to control the tension over your foot with the Mallet's laces.
The laces pull nicely through the top loops and remain in place in the lowers for a consistent fit.
The downside of the lace system is the shoes take longer to ease on and off, are less mud-proof, and a little ‘messier’ aesthetically.
That said, the lace garage at the top of the tongue provides a tidier finish than stuffing the loops in the lace runs further down the shoe.
Keeping it cool
The highly perforated upper offers good ventilation and quick drying, while the synthetic material is soft and flexible.
The material moulds to your feet nicely, but doesn’t make the shoe feel particularly protective – something to think about when you're bombing downhill.
The reinforced protection level is on the lighter end, so the Mallets will be more suitable for trail riders. At 800g (size 44), they’re a lightweight pair of MTB shoes.
Inside, the ventilated insole offers a little more arch support than some rival shoes.
Despite good control of the lace’s tension, and some additional padding around the ankle opening, there's a little more heel lift in these shoes than others.
Walking in the Mallet Trails feels a touch more awkward than some shoes – the sole’s near-curved profile from heel to toe rocks beneath the foot, rather than flexing with it.
However, this translates to good power transfer into the pedals for an efficient, all-day feel that doesn’t tire your feet.
The sole is chunky, with deep tread blocks at the toe and heel that dig into dirt well when you get off the bike. The rubber on the sole showed no wear in testing, despite being used with pedals littered with pins.
The reasonably thick sole is comfortable on prolonged, rough descents, too.
Nicely integrated
Crankbrothers’ ‘Match Box’ cleat channel is chamfered, which helps guide the cleats into the pedal mechanism.
The shoes come with Crankbrothers cleats already attached in a neutral position – the cleat position markings are clear and helpful.
The channel sits a touch further forward in the shoe than others I tested, so if you like a slammed cleat position, you might want to look elsewhere.
I had no compatibility issues with any pedal size or system.
How we tested | trail shoes
Key to the performance of trail shoes is how they feel on the bike, and so these shoes have been in rotation for months, often with different shoes on either foot to dig into the differences between them.
While it may not be obvious, shoes interact with different pedals in a range of ways, so every shoe has been tested with small- and large-platform pedals – some with pins, some without, and with both Crankbrothers and Shimano-style mechanisms.
Finally, all the shoes have been taken into the workshop for a full set of measurements.
Shoes tested
- Ride Concepts Accomplice Clip BOA
- Crankbrothers Mallet Trail Lace Clip-In Shoes
- Fox Union
- Giro Chamber TR
Crankbrothers Mallet Trail Lace Clip-In Shoes bottom line
Laces might seem antiquated when pitted against the Boa dials and ratchets found on other high-end trail shoes.
However, they enable plenty of control over the fit, giving all-day comfort and no heel lift when on or off the pedals.
The Mallets are well-ventilated, dry fast and transmit power to the pedals effectively.
However, they feel awkward off the bike and the most aggressive riders will probably want their cleats set further back in the shoes.
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