Ride Concepts may be new to the MTB industry, only being a couple of years old, but they are making headlines with their new lineup of shoes. They offer mountain bike shoes tailored for men, women, and even young shredders. The “for the rider by the rider” mentality that Ride Concepts uses to create every shoe doesn’t go without notice. Their shoes are built from the ground up checking off everything on your list for a trail shoe. The Vice trail shoes encompass just that with a new but familiar silhouette specifically made to handle any trail or bike park, and yet stylish enough to walk into a FroYo shop post-ride.
When I first received the RC Vice shoes and opened the box, the sole’s hexagon pattern immediately caught my eye because it reminded me of my old pair of skateboard shoes (cough… Vans). It’s a welcoming design nonetheless for its thick and grippy, but also surprisingly flexible sole. These sole characteristics help improve pedal feel for better foot placement. There won’t be much sliding around the pedals with this shoe! But these aren’t your typical skateboarding shoes; the Vice offers plenty of protection at the toe area for when things get rowdy or messy. Composed of a durable suede in the upper part, you’ll feel confident and your feet will be safe around those sharp, flat pedal pins.
Front side 
Back side
At first, these shoes felt snug around the toe box, due to the thick gusseted tongue and padded heel area and being brand new shoes. After riding them a few more times, the shoes broke in nicely and are comfortable thanks to their unique “D3O High Impact Zone Technology” insoles. “D3O what?!” you may ask. You may have actually seen this technology being utilized for knee pads and other protective gear. It’s a high-tech, energy-absorbing polymer that is soft but hardens on impact. You can imagine how well this works when practicing jumps.
One small downside is that the insole is thick at the ball of the foot and lacks ventilation holes, which can make these shoes feel very hot after just a little riding. In my case, I was riding around in 100-degree weather during summer solstice. Any type of ventilation is highly welcomed, and with the lack of water repellent properties, I can see these shoes being my go-to during the fall/winter season for quick sessions.
Overall these shoes are great for free-riding, a quick session at your local trails, or a day at the bike park.
Vice shoes sell for $100 on the Ride Concepts website, Competitive Cyclist, and evo. Men’s sizes and styles are available as well.
Thanks to Ride Concepts for providing the shoes for testing.
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