Ride Concepts are a newcomer to the mountain bike shoe world, but they unveiled an impressively complete lineup when they made their official debut a few months ago. There are several flat pedal models currently available, with clipless versions on the way in the spring. All of the options are focused on the trail / enduro / downhill side of the sport - there aren't any carbon soled, featherweight XC disco slippers to be seen, at least not yet.
The Livewire is billed as the do-it-all model, a flat pedal shoe that can be used for everything from dirt jumping to trail riding. It uses a simple lace-up design, but there are several clever features that separate it from your standard-issue skate shoe.
Ride Concepts Livewire Details• Rubber Kinetics DST 6.0 high grip rubber outsole
• D3O incorporated into insole
• Gusseted tongue
• Molded toe and heel protection
• Colors: charcoal/red, charcoal/orange, black/charcoal
• Weight: 525 grams (size 12, per shoe)
• $100 USD
•
www.rideconcepts.com The asymmetric cuff provides a little extra ankle protection, and there's molded toe and heal protection, along with an elastic lace holder. There are also sections of D3O, the impact-absorbing material commonly found in knee pads, incorporated into the insole, where it's intended to help take the sting out of hard landings.
The sole of the Livewire is constructed with a rubber blend that was developed with Rubber Kinetics, and it's rated as a 6.0 on Ride Concepts' own grip scale, which is said to equate to a medium-high amount of grip – in this case, the lower the number, the grippier the rubber. For instance, the upcoming DH-oriented TNT shoe rates a 4.0 on that same scale. The sole itself is comprised of dozens of 12mm wide hexagons that interact with a pedal's pins to keep the shoe from slipping around.
Available in sizes 7 – 13 in three different colors, the Livewire retails for $100 USD.
PerformanceThe Livewire shoes have a very comfortable fit, at least for my average-width feet. They're snug without being constricting, and I never had any unwanted pressure points or heel lift. The sole is fairly stiff; I'd say it's similar to that of the Five Ten Freerider Pro, but it's still flexible enough that walking around feels natural. Having a stiffer sole does mean your feet won't curve over the pedals as much as they would with a floppy skate shoe, but it also helps prevent sore feet on long rides and after hard landings.
What about that D3O insole? Honestly, I never noticed it helping or hindering my ride. There didn't seem to be a dramatic difference in impact absorption out on the trail compared to shoes with a 'regular' insole, but I also didn't have any crashes that caused me to fly through the air and land on my feet – I could see it being a nice feature to have in instances like that.
I'm always a little hesitant when a set of flat pedal shoes arrives for testing, due to the sheer number of times I've been let down by the lack of grip. For me, the stickier the better – I'd rather need to take out pedal pins to reduce the amount of grip versus installing extra-tall shin destroyers just to keep my feet in place. Luckily, that wasn't necessary with the Livewire. The rubber isn't quite as sticky as Five Ten's Stealth rubber, which is still the gold standard, but it's not that far off. The tread pattern helps as well – there's enough space between each hexagon for the pedal pins to sit into, which minimizes the chances of your feet slipping off.
The only time I had any issues with the amount of grip was in really wet conditions, when the spaces between the hexagons became packed with mud. That meant that the pedal's pins couldn't sink in as far, and it was harder to get a secure perch. A stickier rubber compound would have helped here, but those conditions were also about as bad as it gets. The vast majority of the time there was a generous amount of grip and comfort.
After four months of use the Livewire shoes are holding up well, free from any rips, tears, or sole separations. The outer fabric does have a suede-like texture that's a little harder to keep clean, but that's really my only gripe – they've handled all the mud and grime they've been exposed to without any issues.
Pinkbike's Take | Ride Concepts are off to a very strong start with the Livewire – it hits the mark when it comes to traction, comfort, and durability.— Mike Kazimer |
It doesn't make your shoes crispy and it can't fill up. It very gently warms the shoes and the water evaporates. It looks like it shouldn't work but it does.
www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/oneals-pinned-shoes-reviewed
Also have a pair of shimano GR5.
Nothing beats my old impacts. And they ARE old.
RC sounds like they may have found a good partner in Rubber Kinetics (the company RC is licensing it's rubber from). Currently I believe Rubber Kinetics only makes rubber for Goodyear's mtb tires and they may need RC even more than RC needs them and so may be able to make and bake rubber specifically for the needs of flat pedal mtbr's (fingers crossed). Personally I'm going to wait until that DH shoe comes out and see how sticky, but also how well that shoe wears. Also of note, I believe due to how technical these rubbers get, they can take up to 6 months to make which includes months of curing time before they're ready for use.
So, can others make a better designed flat pedal shoe with better features, protection, water proofness, durability and breath-ability - yes, there are lots out there. But do their soles match five ten? No. And that makes them a deal breaker.
Remember, Five Ten came from the rock climbing world where they developed their rubber tech and invested in it a long time ago. I'm not saying no one else can make a better shoe with and equal or better sole than Five Ten... It's totally possible, we just need someone with the resources to do it. I've been saying for a long time that companies like Scarpa and La Sportiva could easily branch out and make mtb shoes and really give Five Ten a run for their money.
I like the soles on the RC actually because they're not as grippy as the Five Ten. Lately I've noticed the Five Tens to be TOO grippy, making it too difficult to adjust my feet on the pedals if they get crossed up or wonky.
The RC's allow me to maneuver my feet easier, BUTTTTTT!!! they offer PLENTY of traction so I've never become disconnected from my pedals. Never thought I'd find a shoe with a sole I actually like BETTER than Five Ten, but I do with these.
The only 'drawback' if you wanna call it that, is the width of the shoes. While they're not as narrow as the new gen. Five Tens, they're still not quite as wide as my 2010 San Hill Especials
I have a pair of these also, and I would agree with Mikes assessment. It's a fairly firm platform. YMMV
"While Session Series is initially offered in whole sizes, we do intend to make half sizes eventually in these styles - and have planned production accordingly. Flow/Launch Series both come in half sizes out of the gates and will be available in Spring 2019. Socks too."
I have been looking hard at all the new options. RC looks very very promising.
FiveTen Freerider at the moment, but they are way to hot.
Any recommendations here what my next shoes should be?
I ride 5/10 but I would like to have some cheaper variants with the same quality.
Shoe manufacturers, if there any on the market for wide feet and costs less then 80$ of the same quality, please let me know
Five Ten are riding high on their proprietary rubber. They are totally "mailing-in-it" when it comes to overall shoe design and/or new features. It's just same old bullshit on top of amazing rubber that no one else can come close to.
The issue is that all new mountain shoe makers don't make or own their rubber. Making your own rubber is actually a very expensive, time consuming and resources intensive prospect (the factory, materials, material science (this ain't easy) and tooling required is huge. Plus you have to avoid aggressively held patents This is why many newcomers license their sole rubber from companies like Vibram or others. The problem is that Vibram or others don't make a rubber unique to the specific needs of flat pedal mtbr's. That new shoe company has to choose from a rubber that either is quite sticky but wears incredibly fast or wears well but is far to hard and slippery. (see Giro).
But, RC sounds like they may have found a good partner in Rubber Kinetics (the company RC is licensing it's rubber from). Currently I believe Rubber Kinetics only makes rubber for Goodyear's mtb tires and they may need RC even more than RC needs them and so may be more than willing and able to tailor make and bake rubber specifically for the needs of RC (fingers crossed). Personally I'm going to wait until that DH shoe comes out and see how sticky, but also how well that shoe wears. Also of note, I believe due to how technical these rubbers get, they can take up to 6 months to make which includes months of curing time before they're ready for use.
So, can others make a better designed flat pedal shoe with better features, protection, water proof-ness, durability and breath-ability - yes, there are lots out there. But do their soles match five ten? No. And that makes them a deal breaker.
Remember, Five Ten came from the rock climbing world where they developed their rubber tech and invested in it a long time ago. I'm not saying no one else can make a better shoe with an equal or better sole than Five Ten... It's totally possible, we just need someone with the resources to do it. I've been saying for a long time that companies like Scarpa and La Sportiva could easily branch out and make mtb shoes and really give Five Ten a run for their money.
www.unparallelsports.com/product-category/mountain-biking
A little 5.10 a smattering of teva, dash of Fizik.
Otherwise, nice shoes.
Just gotta trawl the (E)bay deep enough