Ride Concepts shoes are now stirring the scene on a regular basis. It was time to make the move from my tried and true Five Ten lineup and jump into Ride Concepts. And why not go with a set of three for this Ride Concepts Shoe review. Riding the Ride Concepts Hellion Elite, Powerline, and Vice shoes for several months now and excited to share the feedback on each of them so far. This is part three of three, concluding with the Vice shoe.

Ride Concepts has incorporated impact technology in every shoe with D30 insoles to help cushion the foot. And this offers reduced vibration on those long downhill descents. Ride Concepts has also teamed up with Rubber Kinetics to offer proprietary rubber compounds in the shoe’s soles. The compounds fall under three categories, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0. 4.0 offers the highest grip, but without the stiffness. Level 8.0 offers the highest stiffness but, the lowest amount of grip, leaving 6.0 to fall in the middle. Each shoe has a hex tread pattern which has proven to be successful when put up against other brands.

Ride Concepts Vice Shoe

The Ride Concepts Vice Shoe is geared toward BMX, dirt jump and freeride looking for durability and traction. This is a lifestyle inspired shoe with a technical feel. Vice comes with a suede upper and casual look and feel compared to the rest of the Ride Concepts lineup. The upper portion of the suede is perforated to offer more ventilation. The Vice shoe is outfitted with the Rubber Kinetics outsole like the rest of the Ride Concepts lineup, using the their DST 6.0 High Grip Rubber.

RC Fuzion outsole features sloped-angle inverse hexagons, varying in diameter from 9mm at the toe and heel to 7mm at the pedal contact area. D30 is used in the high impact zones to absorb impacts and vibration while on the bike. Ride Concepts slogan, “Ride Everyday” is supported here in full with damping properties to help reduce fatigue. Ride Concepts Vice Shoes are available in camo/black or black.

Ride

The Ride Concepts Vice Shoes is noticeably comfortable right out of the box. There was really no break in time required, and worked very well during those first few rides on several different bikes. The Vice offers the skate shoe feel and the grip required to stay pinned to the flat pedal with confidence. The shoes are low cut around the ankle which offers great mobility. Just walking around daily in the Ride Concepts Vice Shoes are perfectly comfortable.

Technical Details

• Weight: 468g (Men’s 10)
• Material: Suede, Canvas, Synthetic, Rubber
• RC Fuzion outsole features sloped-angle inverse hexagons, varying in diameter from 9mm at the toe and heel to 7mm at the pedal contact area
• Rubber Kinetics | DST 6.0 HIGH GRIP rubber outsole
• Suede upper is durable and protective
• Cup outsole design features 3mm EVA for additional shock absorption and comfort
• Perforated ventilation for breathability
• TPU toe protection
• Fully gusseted tongue prohibits intake of dirt and debris
• D3O High Impact Zone Technology insole absorbs impact and reduces fatigue
• Sizes: 7-15
• Price: ~$100

Conclusion

Honestly, the Ride Concepts Vice Shoes look great and I didn’t want to get them dirty at first, but, that didn’t last long. I’ll just need to keep that bike upright and stay out of the mud. The Rubber Kinetics High Grip outsole really keeps the feet planted on the pedals and the D30 and EVA foam offer ample padding for the feet. This came in handy having to bail and let the bike go on a dirt jump line that didn’t go well. The Suede does a good job at collecting dust, but, easy enough to blast it off with the leaf blower being used to clear the single track anyway.