Crank Brothers Candy Lace – Get Your Gravel On

During our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage, we covered the new Crank Brothers Candy Lace shoes. Made for gravel and endurance mountain biking, they are the brand’s offering for a more aggressive shoe versus the more flat pedal style shoes they offer. We received our demo pair and put them through about 150 miles of eastern Pennsylvania gravel, including about 15,000 feet of climbing. So, what’s the verdict?

Well, let’s recap the shoes first so everyone is on the same page. The Candy Lace pairs a fiber reinforced nylon shank with a water resistant synthetic upper and a lace closure system. The sole is stiff for pedaling, but still comfortable for walking. The tread is an aggressive lug style that you typically would see on a cross country or gravel shoe and features Crank Brothers’ Match System, which is optimized to work with their pedals, but works with other brands as well.

The Match System has three components, Match Box, Match Compound, and Match Outsole. The Match Box is the opening where the cleat mounts, which offers some nice marks to help with fitting cleats. The Match Compound is Crank Brother’s unique compound used in the treads that is durable, yet still grippy. The Match Outsole is designed to interface with the pedal to provide stability and power transfer. They pair best with Crank Brothers’ pedals, but are designed to work with other brands just as well.

Slipping them on from the beginning, they were very comfortable. The upper isn’t as soft as something knit or a premium leather, due to the coating, but they conformed to my foot well. Even my funky bunion that can be a challenge, had plenty of room in the toe box, which leads me to believe that they are cut a little on the wider side compared to something like the Giro Empire. While they might not look the most breathable, the upper does a good job of balancing breathability while staying water resistant. Even though there is a little texture to them, dirt and mud wipes off easily. I didn’t have a chance to ride them in the rain, but I did purposely spill some water on them and watched it roll right off.

Comparing to the Empire or the Adidas Gravel shoe, since they are both lace ups, the Candy felt like the Empire, more so than the Adidas shoe, because of the traditional laces and tongue in place of the ankle cuff fit of the Adidas. I didn’t feel that I needed to cinch the Candy super tight to achieve a good fit, yet I still felt locked in. I couldn’t tell if the laces had much stretch to them, but I never felt like I had to retie them mid ride to tighten or loosen the fit. The loop on the tongue did well to keep the tied laces in place while riding.

The sole was stiff enough and remained comfortable throughout the total of ten hours of riding. I didn’t have many hike-a-bike excursions, but getting off and walking around at the aid stations to refuel felt natural. In the one area where I did need to walk/run through some gnarly, nasty sections, they gripped well disappeared on my feet, which is exactly what you want. Honestly, I never felt the shoe was lacking for stiffness or grip, or remember much flex. If you are looking for an ultra-stiff race shoe, something like the Empire or Bont Vaypor G would be a better choice, but expect to pay a premium.

I did primarily run the Candy Lace with a set of my own Eggbeaters 11, which was perfect for putting the Match System to the test. For some of their pedals, Crank Brothers recommends putting their shim under the cleat, but this was not needed for the Eggbeaters. Even with the rubber inserts around the side of the Eggbeaters, the Candy Lace clipped in and out easily and felt stable while pedaling. I did briefly test them with a set of Xpedo CXR pedals and their cleat versus the compatible SPD style cleat, but didn’t find any issues their either. Even something with a large cleat like the old Speedplay SYZR looks like it would have plenty of room to mount the cleat and clip in without interference, thanks to the large opening for the cleat.

So what’s the verdict? It’s a great shoe. It’s not just a great shoe for the $159.99 price, it is just a great shoe. Again, keep in mind, this is not going to be your super stiff race shoe like an Empire or Vaypor G. This is going to be your shoe for a long day in the saddle and maybe off the bike a little bit. Unless you are putting out massive watts, you won’t notice any flex in the sole, and the insole adds a little bit of cushioning for your foot for longer days. The lace closure is classic and very functional, offering a custom fit that is hard for other systems to match. The upper is comfortable and water resistant, and feels like it also adds some abrasion resistance from rocks and other trail debris. The outsole offers plenty of grip, and a stable connection with the pedal. There’s not much more you can ask for or need.

The Candy Lace is available in three colors, black/gum, navy/light blue, and white/gray. Sizing runs 5-15, with half sizes from 5.5 to 12.5.

www.crankbrothers.com