Test / MTB shoes: The market for MTB shoes for flat pedals is becoming increasingly confusing. In recent years, however, Crankbrothers has been able to make a name for itself here - rightly so? That's what we're trying to find out by testing the Crankbrothers Stamp Lace.
Just ten years ago, the selection of special shoes for flat pedals on mountain bikes was extremely limited. Actually, there were no real alternatives to the industry leader at the time, FiveTen. With the growing popularity of MTB sports, also due to the triumph of e-MTBs, things look very different today. The selection of flat pedal shoes is now gigantic - Crankbrothers not only has the largest selection on the market, but is also likely to be one of the most popular suppliers. In any case, the shoes from the US manufacturer can often be seen, whether by professional athletes like Fabio Wibmer, on local trails or in bike parks around the world.
With the Crankbrothers Stamp Lace, we are looking at the "simplest" of the three available versions of the shoe: Equipped with a classic lacing, the shoe comes in numerous different designs and for an RRP of 129,99 euros. There is also a Speed Lace version with quick lacing and an additional climbing closure for EUR 149,99 and the top version is equipped with a Boa closure for EUR 179,99. If you don't use flat pedals, you will also find corresponding variants for clipless pedals with the Mallet and Mallet-E models.
If you are familiar with the Crankbrothers portfolio, you should have already noticed the name of the shoes: their name corresponds to that of the matching pedals in the program. Although the Americans say that the shoes would work particularly well with their own pedals, in practice we could not find any particular advantages or disadvantages here. In plain language: The Stamp shoes work with all flat pedals available on the market.
Crankbrothers uses their own MC2 rubber compound for the sole, and care has been taken with the profile to ensure that this works well, especially with longer pins on the pedals, that the rounded edges show less signs of wear and that it should also offer a good grip off the bike. The synthetic upper has a mostly smooth texture, which should help with cleaning. Both the top and sides of the shoes are perforated to allow some fresh air; Of course, the shoes are not waterproof.
The fit of the shoes is excellent - they are normal for the size. Here you can confidently reach for the usual shoe size of street shoes. Basically, they are more on the broad side, but without becoming extreme. In our opinion, this is a good compromise, as it should do justice to most foot shapes. Comfort is one of the biggest advantages of the Crankbrothers Stamp Lace anyway, both on and off the bike. The sole and footbed dampen the vibrations from the pedals very comfortably, but never feel spongy, even if the sole itself is not one of the stiffest on the market. This is noticeable here and there during propulsion, even with jumps or harder hits, the shoe bends noticeably on the pedal. If you prefer higher stiffness here, you probably have to go for the Mallet shoes for clipless pedals from Crankbrothers. Due to the rather soft sole, however, the comfort when wearing or walking next to the bike increases at the same time, even if the sole should offer more grip, especially in wet forest conditions. Carrying or pushing passages quickly turn into a slide.
The grip on the pedals offers no reason for criticism. We tested the Crankbrothers Stamp Lace on their own Stamp 3 pedals, but also on various models from other manufacturers. The grip was particularly convincing in combination with longer pins. It is definitely positive that you don't stick too much to the pedal, but that minor corrections to the foot position are possible. In this regard, the Stamp Lace strikes a very good balance.
The reinforced toe cap offers good protection against accidental contact with stones, rocks or the like. On the other hand, the ankle is completely exposed – we might wish for another model from Crankbrothers for the future that has additional padding.
