Crankbrothers Mallet Boa - Unisex Review

Crankbrothers recently entered the mountain bike shoe market with the release of their Mallet and Stamp shoes. Designed as an enduro and downhill shoe, our testers found the Mallet Boa at home on both fast flow trails and technical trail rides and kept reaching for them again and again because of their incredible fit and power transfer. Crankbrothers pairs Boa lacing with a velcro strap and silicone heel dots; this combination not only allowed us to dial in the fit perfectly to our foot but also ensures that our heel stays down when pulling on the pedals on technical climbs. The EVA midsole is stiff enough to not flex underfoot while pushing hard into the pedals, yet comfortably flexes for hike-a-bikes.

Some of the few drawbacks to this shoe are its breathability and price tag. The Mallet Boa has a reinforced toe box with perforations, a padded mesh tongue, and mesh windows for breathability, but falls short when compared to some of the other shoes in our lineup that breathe considerably better. It is also one of the more expensive shoes in our test selection and comes with a steep price tag. If you're a trail, enduro, or downhill rider who values and prioritizes fit and performance, we think you'll probably appreciate the Crankbrothers Mallet Boa.

Performance Comparison

Stability and Control

Crankbrothers uses an EVA midsole paired with their Match MC1 rubber compound on the Mallet Boa shoes. This combination provides stiff pedaling support underfoot and dampens vibrations from the rowdiest of trails. The shank is stiff, but no so much as to lose the feel of the pedal underfoot while still providing excellent power transfer.

Crankbrothers refers to the cleat opening as the Match Box. This opening is ramped both fore and aft, making it easy to slide your foot forward to clip into your pedals. Towards the midfoot, Crankbrothers has the “Race Zone” marked in red, this area designates the cleat setback area that is optimized for descending. The cleat pocket itself has 1 5/16-inches of fore/aft adjustment which should be adequate for most riders to find their optimal cleat position for maximum stability on the pedals.

The Mallet Boa comes with Crankbrothers cleats installed, a bonus if you already use their pedals. Our testers use Shimano XT and XTR trail pedals and SPD cleats and had no issues mounting the cleat to the shoes. We found there to be ample space around the cleat for both easy entry and exit.

The Mallet Boa has an efficient and stiff pedaling platform with a wide range of cleat adjustability, a combination that can sometimes be difficult to find in a clipless shoe. Overall, this shoe really impressed our testers in this metric earning it high marks.

Comfort

The Mallet Boa is a unisex shoe, so our testers used Crankbrothers' online sizing chart to determine what size would be best for our 8.5 women's foot. We found the sizing chart to be accurate and a EU39.5 or US Men's 7 fits perfectly in both length and width.

The shoe has a mid-volume fit with silicone heel dots that ensure your feet stay in place, especially on technical climbs. The Boa lacing system pulls tension evenly and securely wraps the foot keeping it in place. Throughout testing, we never felt foot slop fore, aft, or laterally, and always felt stable on the pedals no matter how rowdy the terrain.

Our testers enjoyed the set-it-and-forget-it nature of the Boa lacing system on the Mallet Boa. Unlike some shoes that need adjustment during a ride or whose laces loosen, the Mallet Boa is the one shoe we thought the least about once it was on our foot and the fit is incredibly comfortable.

During our testing we wore the Mallet Boa on a variety of terrain and never experienced too much flex through the midsole or foot fatigue, making them a great choice for long rides, especially on technical terrain.

The biggest drawback to the Mallet Boa is the lack of breathability. The small mesh windows and perforations do not provide enough airflow into the shoe in hot conditions. However, they do breathe better than some of the other shoes tested, but breathability is one area that we feel the shoe could be improved.

Walkability

Our SPD cleats were slightly recessed from the Match Outsole making walking easy and preventing the cleat from slipping while hiking. The sole flexes comfortably through the toe to allow a normal walking gait. The rubber soles provide good traction on rock and most other conditions off the bike.

The Match Outsole on the Mallet Boa has directionally angled lugs at the heel and toe for additional traction while hiking and a ramped toebox for hiking on steep terrain. The majority of the tread is still spaced fairly close together and doesn't provide the best grip in wet conditions and can easily cake with mud and other debris.

Protection

The Mallet Boa is designed for enduro and downhill use and has additional foot protection. The tongue and heel pocket are both highly padded and comfortable. The padded tongue also helps disperse pressures from the Boa lacing which sits across the top of the foot in hidden eyelets that help protect the laces.

The front of the shoe's toe box has a layer of TPU reinforcement which provides impact protection while maintaining a sleek, low profile and enough protection from stray rocks that kick up on the trail. However, the area above the toe box behind the TPU is thin and not quite as protective. A great feature of the synthetic uppers is that they are scuff resistant, repel water, and are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Weight

Our size EU39.5 Mallet Boa weighs 379-grams per shoe, (758-grams per pair) which is on the lighter side for enduro/downhill-specific shoes in our test. Overall, they fall in the middle of our lineup for weight which is impressive given their burlier feel and full coverage rubber soles.

Value

The Mallet Boa is one of the more expensive shoes in our lineup, but in comparison to the most expensive shoes we tested, it performs as well or better than some of the pricier selections in many metrics. There is an upcharge for the Boa lacing and we should note the shoe is available in a Speed Lace and Lace version at lower price points. It is also worth noting that these shoes come with a set of Crankbrothers cleats installed, which can save you $25 bucks or so if you already use Crankbrothers pedals.

Conclusion

For the rider looking for a do-it-all shoe with excellent power transfer, a secure and comfortable fit, and good walkability, the Mallet Boa is a solid choice. Our testers were impressed with this shoe's dialed fit and appreciate the lateral support it provides over the pedals. The shank is stiff enough for big power moves, but not so stiff as to be uncomfortable. The shoe's overall breathability is lacking, but like with many shoes, this is the trade-off for additional foot protection. The Mallet Boa is a versatile shoe we will happily wear on short or long trail rides, days lapping the bike park, or adventure rides with a hike a bikes.