Ride Concepts Hellion Elite (2023) Flat Pedal Shoe

(discontinued)

For a company that has only been on the market for 2.5 years, Ride Concepts has certainly built up an impressive catalog of riding shoes by now. There’s something for pretty much every type of riding, and we’ve had good results with all the models we have reviewed so far. Not ones to rest on their laurels, this Reno, NV based crew is now turning their attention to making further revisions to some of their existing models. After the introduction of the Vice Mid last month, the time has come for the Hellion to kick things up a notch – meet the Hellion Elite.

Ride Concepts Hellion Elite Highlights

• Rubber Kinetics | DST 4.0 MAX GRIP Rubber outsole
• Microfiber synthetic upper is abrasion and weather resistant
• D3O High Impact Zone Technology insole
• Anti-bacterial mesh lining controls odor
• Fully gusseted tongue prohibits intake of dirt and debris
• Elastic lace tuck to keep laces secure
• EVA midsole provides support and shock absorption
• Anti-abrasion toe and heel protection
• Men’s colors: KHAKI/BLACK and CHARCOAL/BLACK
• Women’s color: BLACK/WHITE
• MEN'S SIZING (US): 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, 14*, 15* (*Size 14, 15 available only in Black/Charcoal)
• WOMEN’S SIZING (US): 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10
• MSRP: $140 USD | $210 CAD | €150 Europe | £130 UK

Initial Impressions

When the Hellion Elite showed up, we knew what to expect – and we weren’t disappointed. Ride Concepts shoes are very well made, with outstanding attention to detail and great care taken during manufacturing to produce a well-finished item. The materials used look great, and the branding of the Hellion Elite is very much in line with other shoes from the company. Our test sample is the sober charcoal/black combo, there’s also a more colorful khaki/black combo (in the men’s shoes) if you want to brighten things up a bit.

The Hellion Elite is billed as the ultimate all-mountain shoe, made for all-day fun on any kind of terrain. The Hellion sat in the middle of the range in terms of pricing, while at $140 USD the Elite version is knocking on the door of the category above it. You certainly get a long list of features for your money though: D3O insoles, fully gusseted tongue, anti-bacterial mesh lining, elastic lace tuck and anti-abrasion toe and heel protection. Ride Concepts does not use a shank in their flat pedal shoes, relying instead on the EVA midsole and the general construction of the shoe to provide the necessary stiffness and power transfer to the pedals (much like many other shoes in this category).

As for the sole, the Hellion Elite gets a bump up to the stickiest rubber in the Ride Concepts catalog, called DST 4.0 (the regular Hellion made due with the slightly less sticky 6.0). In previous testing, the 4.0 rubber has proven itself more than grippy enough for any kind of riding, although it has always gone about its business in a slightly different way to Five Ten’s Stealth rubber, in that it relies more heavily on the mechanical aspects of grip as opposed to pure surface stickiness. Now there’s more to the story here however, keep reading to find out what…

On The Trail

The Hellion Elite runs true to size, and fits very comfortably. The overall feeling is firm and supportive, but with a certain amount of softness present as well – especially in the sole, which is super cushy thanks both to the midsole as well as the unique, D3O-equipped insole. Comparing the shoe directly to a Five Ten Freerider Pro, we would say it sits just below that one in terms of overall stiffness on the foot – directly comparable to a Leatt 2.0 for example. On the other hand, it is stiffer and slightly more protective than the recently launched 2FO Roost from Specialized.

As we rolled out onto the trail for the first ride with the new Hellion Elite, we noticed something – they seemed to have more grip than we remembered from testing previous Ride Concepts shoes equipped with the 4.0 rubber. In addition to the great mechanical grip produced by the lug pattern, the Hellion Elite was now exhibiting some of that surface stickiness that we’ve previously only seen with Five Ten Stealth and Specialized’s new SlipNot ST compounds. Curious to understand more about what we were feeling, we reached out to Ride Concepts.

The answer lies in improved manufacturing processes and quality control. Simply put, the factory has improved its execution of the compound formula, which gives it that much coveted extra surface grippiness. Is it fully as grippy as the aforementioned competition? Not 100%, but oh-so-close. This is great news for fans of the brand, as the shoe itself is definitely poised to take the fight to any comers, and now it can really back it all up on the pedals.

This is a First Ride type of review, so we can’t provide any observations on the longevity of this new shoe. Based on our previous experience with other models from the Ride Concepts range, we’re expecting the shoe to last a long time. The quality is excellent and we have not had any shoes delaminate on us or show any other signs of premature weakness. The 4.0 rubber does wear out fairly quickly if you ride a lot, but it does so in a uniform matter without developing particularly big holes or otherwise fall apart.

What’s The Bottom Line?

We’ve been fans of what Ride Concepts is doing since they first got started in 2018. The shoes are really well made, very comfortable and very protective. The new Hellion Elite steps things up another notch, with a rubber compound that is now really delivering when it comes to grip. If the top of the grip podium is currently being hotly contested by Five Ten and Specialized, the Hellion Elite comes very close and certainly looks like it has third place solidly on lock. As for the fit, features and quality of the shoe, the Hellion Elite can take the fight to anyone.

More information at: www.rideconcepts.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 47 // Years Riding MTB: 15 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord