A shoe brake assembly for a rail vehicle including a bogie connected with the rail vehicle. The assembly also includes a wheel having a wheel web and radially inward-facing surfaces on opposite sides of the wheel web. Also included are at least two brake pads adjacent respective radially inward-facing surfaces of the wheel and a pendulum suspension arrangement connecting the at least two brake pads to the bogie. The assembly further includes an operating device configured to move the at least two brake pads via the pendulum suspension essentially radially against respective radially inward-facing surfaces of the wheel.