CrankBrothers Mallet Trail Boa Clip Review

Crankbrothers sells the Mallet Trail Boa as a trail/enduro shoe, and the market has a wide interpretation of what that means. If you've felt like trail shoes have turned into bulky, heavy, skateboard shoes with cleats, you're not alone. This shoe backs off on bulk and padding, giving you a streamlined fit that offers exceptional toe box protection and a near-perfect closure. With a sticky sole that won't let you down when you drop a foot on a granite slab, these shoes quickly became a tester favorite.

Comfort

The Mallet Trail leans away from the wide, pillowy feel that has become common in trail and enduro shoes, opting instead for a shoe that feels ergonomically sculpted. Sliding them on, you really don't notice a lack of padding so much as how well the stiff upper feels supportive. If you've ever sat in a race car seat, you know it's not built like a La-Z-Boy; it provides comfort because it's built right, not overbuilt.

The malleable sole is made from a mid-friction MC1 rubber compound that isn't quite as sticky as a 5.10 flat shoe but balances walking comfort and longevity. While the fiber-reinforced sole feels stiff and transmits power well, the shoe isn't too stiff for running up an embankment or climbing a boulder. A low-rebound EVA rubber midsole provides some compliance without robbing you of watts as you spin up the trail.

What we found particularly comfortable about the Mallet Trail is the closure and neoprene collar. The Boa dials in your forefoot tension while the single velcro strap prevents any heel lift. Unlike most shoes on the market, the collar lining is only lightly padded, and the tongue is made of a soft, neoprene-like material that provides comfort without bulk. While the upper is firm and the toe box is even firmer, the shoe doesn't feel like a wooden clog. The fit is fairly wide in the forefoot with a snug heel cup.

The little pull tab on the back is a nice touch.   Credit: Joshua Hutchens

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Traction and Walking Comfort

Any solid all-mountain shoe needs to be a team player both on the pedals and on the dirt. Let's be real, almost every ride involves a little hike-a-bike at some point, whether you're bypassing a tricky obstacle or hanging out taking photos. We spent plenty of time walking around in the Mallet Trail Boa, and they performed as well as we could have hoped. There is just enough flex in the forefoot that you don't feel like a duck and can pull off a surprisingly natural stride. They won't replace your hiking boots, but we never found ourselves rushing to take them off at the end of a ride. They don't have really aggressive toe tread, but the soft rubber and midsole flex give them enough purchase on most terrain. The cleat box is tucked deep enough that you're not grinding your cleats against the ground, unless the terrain gets really uneven.

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Don't let the low-profile lugs fool you; this outsole provides surprising traction across steep, variable conditions. Thanks to the EVA midsole and some fairly sticky rubber, the shoe sole seems to flex around jagged rocks and not slip off as a harder XC shoe might. Overall, we found them to be every bit as comfortable as a pair of multi-purpose sneakers, and the neoprene cuff at the ankle relieves a pain point we find in many bike shoes

Power Transfer

Despite the comfort we found in the Mallet Trail Boa, they're ready to jump on the gas when the time is right. While they have a less stiff walking feel, that may be due to the EVA foam, which doesn't come into play when you're clipped in. The connection to the pedals feels secure and efficient, but they're not the stiffest shoes we've tested. Our testers agreed that we'd all race in these shoes, but they don't have the wooden-clog feel that has characterized so many race-worthy shoes. They feel efficient, not flexing over the tops of our pedal spindles, but the comfort is their real selling point.

These quickly became our favorite everyday shoes because they balance comfort and performance so well. If you're vying for a podium spot or just out for a pedal, this shoe isn't going to let you down. Crank Brothers calls the cleat area the Matchbox, and it allows for a wide range of fore/aft cleat adjustment. Pushing the cleats all the way to the rear can give you a more centered feel that is great for DH riding, while trail riders will likely want to push those cleats forward toward the ball of the foot to exert more lower-leg leverage. The cleat box has more room than we needed or would have used, even in extreme scenarios.

We had two testers test two pairs of these shoes, and they rode with a mix of XTR trail, OneUp Clip, and Wolf Tooth CTRL pedals. The interface on the XTR and OneUp pedals was ideal, providing enough width to feel support toward the outside of the shoe. The CTRL pedals looked like they'd interface perfectly with the shoes, but ended up feeling much smaller, perhaps due to the sole's compliance that let the shoe lean further outward.

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Weight

Our size 11.5 test shoes weighed in at 465 grams each sans cleats. Not the lightest shoes we've tested, but the weight feels impressive given the comfort and performance.

Durability

After a half season of riding, the uppers and soles remained in excellent condition, but the EVA foam that joins the two was pretty beat up. This midsection gives the shoe a malleable feel and above-average comfort, but it doesn't seem durable enough for the exposure it saw. Clipping a rock or stump left most of the shoe unscathed, but the section between the upper and the sole lacks the durability of the rest.

The upper offers excellent abrasion resistance, and the BOA is placed high enough that there is little risk of catching on the trail hazards. Importantly, the toe box is rigid and reinforced so that kicking a rock doesn't break a toe.

Value

Despite the cost, we felt like we were getting our money's worth, and this is a good time to remind you that we buy the gear we test at retail prices; no freebies or industry samples for us.

Conclusion

Crank Brother says, “The Mallet Trail BOA clip-in shoe is the perfect blend of performance and adventure. Built for the trail or your next enduro race, the Mallet Trail BOA® will provide you with all-day comfort paired with ultimate racing performance.” It's not often that we read marketing jargon from a website and just nod our heads. This is a stellar shoe that doesn't skimp on performance or comfort.