Crankbrothers debuts in footwear category with trio of shoes
Crankbrothers has introduced its first range of mountain bike footwear for both clip-in and flat pedals.
The Mallet and Mallet E clip-in shoes and Stamp flat shoe apply the firm’s new Match System to ensure optimised engagement for clip-in and flat pedal riders.
The range is focused on the downhill, enduro, all-mountain and trail side of mountain biking. The outsoles are optimised for Crankbrothers pedals but are also designed to work with any mountain bike pedal system.
Gaspare Licata, Crankbrothers CEO said: “We have spent many years finding innovative ways to optimize the shoe-pedal interface focusing on the pedal system, but we were missing control over the shoe, which created interference issues with the pedals. We saw riders cutting the cleat box in order to properly engage with the pedal and lengthening the cleat track to allow for more cleat placement options. We’ve been working obsessively in the space of less than 1 mm to develop the right cleat depth to improve clipping in and out. We constantly look for opportunities to challenge the status quo and improve the riding experience.”
The Stamp Flat shoe outsole has a high-friction rubber compound (MC2) to stick to the pedal body and low rebound properties to dampen vibrations. In addition, the lug depth is designed around pin dimensions to absorb the pin body. The Mallet and Mallet E shoe outsoles have a mid-friction rubber compound (MC1), which allows for easy pedal entry and exit. The MC1 rubber compound also provides more stiffness for power transfer.
The Mallet and Mallet E clip in shoes come with a Match shim and Crankbrothers cleat pre-installed in a neutral position so they are ready to ride with Crankbrothers pedals right out of the box. A rider who prefers SPD can simply remove the shim and replace the cleat to achieve the proper cleat height.
As wearing of the outsole’s rubber around the Match Box begins to occur, a rider can remove the shim and ride with the cleat only to maintain effective cleat height. The Mallet shoe has a Race Zone on the cleat box that allows the cleat to be positioned further toward the heel for added stability when descending based on feedback of professional Downhill racers.
Crankbrothers shoes feature a synthetic upper with premium materials designed to offer breathability, protection and comfort. Features such as perforated materials and mesh windows provide ventilation to keep feet cool in hot conditions and dry quickly in wet conditions. Reinforced TPU in the toe box provides protection against rock strikes and impacts. Furthermore, details such as silicone heel dots provide heel grip and a padded tongue provide all-day comfort for long rides.
Each shoe model comes in three closure systems, BOA and strap, speed lace and strap, and lace.
The range is priced as below:
Stamp BOA – £164.99
Stamp Speedlace – £134.99
Stamp Lace – £114.99
Mallet / Mallet E BOA – £179.99
Mallet / Mallet E Speedlace – £149.99
Mallet / Mallet E Lace – £129.99
*all Mallet/Mallet E come with cleats included.
The Crankbrothers shoe range starts at US size 5 up to size 14 with half sizes to fit riders with small and large feet.
The complete shoe collection is now available at crankbrothers.com and select retailers worldwide.
