It may seem like flat pedals shoes are a dime a dozen these days, but you’ll want to see these. An all new line up from an all new company, Ride Concepts is charging in to the shoe world with a tiered approach to footwear – that all have an impact story. That is to say that every Ride Concepts shoe at least has a D3O Impact Technology Insole to absorb shock on landings, and keep the vibration down to a minimum. The shoes also have a number of other technologies that will surely make these kicks stand out.
Flat pedal shoes are all about that grip, and the interaction of the shoe to pedal, so to dial it in, Ride Concepts partnered up with Rubber Kinetics. Together, they came up with three proprietary compounds with varying level of grip and feel. Most of the Ride Concepts models will fall into the 6.0 family with a transitional feel and mid-level grip with 12mm Hexagon tread.
Initially, Ride Concepts is launching their Session series which includes the Coaster sandal, Livewire, Wildcat, and Hellion. Later, the Flow series with the Powerline, Skyline flat shoes and Transition & Traverse clipless, and the Launch Series with TNT will follow.
As mentioned, every Ride Concepts shoe has some form of D3O impact protection (with the exception of the Coaster sandal). In most shoes, this takes the form of their High Impact Insole Technology with two D3O pads, one under the ball of the foot and one under the heel. Some models will take D3O to further levels with increased ankle protection and more.
Our test shoe was sent in the form of the Livewire which is described as a do-it-all, BMX inspired, classic flat pedal shoe. The lace up shoe uses 8mm oval laces with an elastic lace stay, a perforated upper for breathability, and plenty of molded reinforcements.
On the scale, the shoe comes in at 432g each.
Available in men’s, women’s, and youth specific sizing, pricing for the Livewire is set at $100. Men’s shoes will come in sizes 7-13, women’s 5-10, and youth in 3-6, all in three colors each.
Livewire First Impressions
To be honest, before I tried the Livewires on for the first time, my thoughts were, “right, just another flat pedal shoe.” Then I slipped them on, and right away was impressed by the fit. There’s ample room in the toe box, yet the shoes fit like a glove for your feet. The shoes are stiff, but they still flex enough that they’re not uncomfortable. And once you jump on a pair of pedals, they really come into their own. The rubber is supper grippy without locking in to the point where you can’t easily adjust your footing. Whether it’s in my head or not remains to be seen, but they do seem to be more “deadening” than your average flat shoe thanks to the D3O. I’m not crazy about the two tone grey/black look, but mostly black model would be a good alternative.
As with any new shoe, I’m still in the break in period, but I have to say I’m quite impressed so far. For a brand that is completely new, Ride Concepts seems to have done their homework. But since I ride clipless a lot more than flats, I’m really excited to check out the Transition when it becomes available.
Hellion
The Hellion builds on the Livewire with slightly more protection and durability. It still has the same DST 6.0 outsole and D3O Impact Technology inside though. Priced at $130, the Hellion will be available in men’s and women’s specific sizing.
Wildcat
For even more protection, the Wildcat uses a mid design with a velcro power strap on top of the laces. Priced in the middle, the Wildcat comes in at $120 in Men’s, Women’s, and youth specific sizes.
Coaster
And for those times before and after the ride, the Coaster uses a DST 4.0 outsole for extra grip around the trail head, and offers a velcro closure to dial in the fit. Available in men’s, women’s, and youth specific fits, pricing is $60 for the adult Coaster, and $50 for the youth.
Expect the Session line to hit dealers in late October, followed by the Flow and Launch series later this year. You can also expect to see a full line of synthetic and merino performance socks to experience the full Ride Concepts!
