diff --git a/parquet/benches/encoding.rs b/parquet/benches/encoding.rs
index bc18a49da2a4..8e61666e6345 100644
--- a/parquet/benches/encoding.rs
+++ b/parquet/benches/encoding.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 use criterion::*;
 use half::f16;
-use parquet::basic::Encoding;
+use parquet::basic::{Encoding, Type as ParquetType};
 use parquet::data_type::{
     DataType, DoubleType, FixedLenByteArray, FixedLenByteArrayType, FloatType,
 };
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ fn bench_typed<T: DataType>(
 ) {
     let name = format!(
         "dtype={}, encoding={:?}",
-        std::any::type_name::<T::T>(),
+        match T::get_physical_type() {
+            ParquetType::FIXED_LEN_BYTE_ARRAY => format!("FixedLenByteArray({type_length})"),
+            _ => std::any::type_name::<T::T>().to_string(),
+        },
         encoding
     );
     let column_desc_ptr = ColumnDescPtr::new(ColumnDescriptor::new(
diff --git a/parquet/src/data_type.rs b/parquet/src/data_type.rs
index 01e92115c45b..324e1c379bcd 100644
--- a/parquet/src/data_type.rs
+++ b/parquet/src/data_type.rs
@@ -674,6 +674,13 @@ pub(crate) mod private {
 
         /// Return the value as an mutable Any to allow for downcasts without transmutation
         fn as_mut_any(&mut self) -> &mut dyn std::any::Any;
+
+        /// Sets the value of this object from the provided [`Bytes`]
+        ///
+        /// Only implemented for `ByteArray` and `FixedLenByteArray`. Will panic for other types.
+        fn set_from_bytes(&mut self, _data: Bytes) {
+            unimplemented!();
+        }
     }
 
     impl ParquetValueType for bool {
@@ -953,9 +960,7 @@ pub(crate) mod private {
                     return Err(eof_err!("Not enough bytes to decode"));
                 }
 
-                let val: &mut Self = val_array.as_mut_any().downcast_mut().unwrap();
-
-                val.set_data(data.slice(decoder.start..decoder.start + len));
+                val_array.set_data(data.slice(decoder.start..decoder.start + len));
                 decoder.start += len;
             }
             decoder.num_values -= num_values;
@@ -998,6 +1003,11 @@ pub(crate) mod private {
         fn as_mut_any(&mut self) -> &mut dyn std::any::Any {
             self
         }
+
+        #[inline]
+        fn set_from_bytes(&mut self, data: Bytes) {
+            self.set_data(data);
+        }
     }
 
     impl HeapSize for super::ByteArray {
@@ -1093,6 +1103,11 @@ pub(crate) mod private {
         fn as_mut_any(&mut self) -> &mut dyn std::any::Any {
             self
         }
+
+        #[inline]
+        fn set_from_bytes(&mut self, data: Bytes) {
+            self.set_data(data);
+        }
     }
 
     impl HeapSize for super::FixedLenByteArray {
diff --git a/parquet/src/encodings/decoding.rs b/parquet/src/encodings/decoding.rs
index 16467b32dcaf..b5217d02ff09 100644
--- a/parquet/src/encodings/decoding.rs
+++ b/parquet/src/encodings/decoding.rs
@@ -901,11 +901,7 @@ impl<T: DataType> Decoder<T> for DeltaLengthByteArrayDecoder<T> {
 
                 for item in buffer.iter_mut().take(num_values) {
                     let len = self.lengths[self.current_idx] as usize;
-
-                    item.as_mut_any()
-                        .downcast_mut::<ByteArray>()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .set_data(data.slice(self.offset..self.offset + len));
+                    item.set_from_bytes(data.slice(self.offset..self.offset + len));
 
                     self.offset += len;
                     self.current_idx += 1;
@@ -1029,7 +1025,7 @@ impl<T: DataType> Decoder<T> for DeltaByteArrayDecoder<T> {
 
     fn get(&mut self, buffer: &mut [T::T]) -> Result<usize> {
         match T::get_physical_type() {
-            ty @ Type::BYTE_ARRAY | ty @ Type::FIXED_LEN_BYTE_ARRAY => {
+            Type::BYTE_ARRAY | Type::FIXED_LEN_BYTE_ARRAY => {
                 let num_values = cmp::min(buffer.len(), self.num_values);
                 let mut v: [ByteArray; 1] = [ByteArray::new(); 1];
                 for item in buffer.iter_mut().take(num_values) {
@@ -1051,20 +1047,7 @@ impl<T: DataType> Decoder<T> for DeltaByteArrayDecoder<T> {
                     result.extend_from_slice(suffix);
 
                     let data = Bytes::from(result.clone());
-
-                    match ty {
-                        Type::BYTE_ARRAY => item
-                            .as_mut_any()
-                            .downcast_mut::<ByteArray>()
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .set_data(data),
-                        Type::FIXED_LEN_BYTE_ARRAY => item
-                            .as_mut_any()
-                            .downcast_mut::<FixedLenByteArray>()
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .set_data(data),
-                        _ => unreachable!(),
-                    };
+                    item.set_from_bytes(data);
 
                     self.previous_value = result;
                     self.current_idx += 1;
diff --git a/parquet/src/encodings/decoding/byte_stream_split_decoder.rs b/parquet/src/encodings/decoding/byte_stream_split_decoder.rs
index 9b2f43ace8a8..b72ae8f62c34 100644
--- a/parquet/src/encodings/decoding/byte_stream_split_decoder.rs
+++ b/parquet/src/encodings/decoding/byte_stream_split_decoder.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use bytes::Bytes;
 
 use crate::basic::{Encoding, Type};
 use crate::data_type::private::ParquetValueType;
-use crate::data_type::{DataType, FixedLenByteArray, SliceAsBytes};
+use crate::data_type::{DataType, SliceAsBytes};
 use crate::errors::{ParquetError, Result};
 
 use super::Decoder;
@@ -234,12 +234,7 @@ impl<T: DataType> Decoder<T> for VariableWidthByteStreamSplitDecoder<T> {
         for (i, bi) in buffer.iter_mut().enumerate().take(num_values) {
             // Get a view into the data, without also copying the bytes
             let data = bytes_with_data.slice(i * type_size..(i + 1) * type_size);
-            // TODO: perhaps add a `set_from_bytes` method to `DataType` to avoid downcasting
-            let bi = bi
-                .as_mut_any()
-                .downcast_mut::<FixedLenByteArray>()
-                .expect("Decoding fixed length byte array");
-            bi.set_data(data);
+            bi.set_from_bytes(data);
         }
 
         Ok(num_values)