First Ride: Ride Concepts Vice Flat Pedal Shoe 3

Ride Concepts launched in 2018, driven by a desire to provide durable, high-performance footwear for the mountain bike market. The company came to the market with a broad range of shoes available already at launch, and they have continued to grow ever since. They’ve also managed to assemble an impressive team of athletes in just a couple of years, recently adding Andreu Lacondeguy and Caroline Buchanan to a roster that already included Kyle Strait and the Athertons, among others. With a wide selection of trail and DH oriented shoes already in the catalog, one model was still missing however – say hello to Vice, the first dedicated dirt jump and slopestyle shoe from Ride Concepts.

Ride Concepts Vice Highlights

• 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
• Internal TPU toe protection
• Fully gusseted tongue prohibits intake of dirt and debris
• D3O High Impact Zone Technology insole absorbs impact and reduces fatigue
• MSRP: $100 USD / EUR 100

Video Review

With the Vice taking aim at the dirt and skate park market, it came as no surprise that it would turn out to be a skate-style shoe. But Ride Concepts didn’t just make a skate shoe and call it a day, they loaded it up with pretty much the same amount of tech as their other shoes. Starting with the outsole, Ride Concepts chose their mid-level grip compound, called “DST 6.0” which was molded into an all-new inverted hexagon shape. The hexagons are bigger at the toe and heel ends to give a little extra grip when hiking around, while the pattern is tighter in the pedal contact area to give a more functional interface with the pins.

Looking deeper into the sole, we notice the absence of a shank, but there is an extra layer of EVA foam for extra comfort. Many dirt and street riders like to be able to feel what the pedal is doing under the foot, so this makes perfect sense for such a shoe. Ride Concepts also included D3O padding in the insole, just like on all their other shoes. The upper part of the shoe is made from suede for a little extra protection and durability. There is a TPU reinforced toe box hidden up front, and the tongue is gusseted to help keep debris out of the shoe. The tongue itself is fairly thick, and there is quite a lot of cushioning around the back of the heel as well.

On The Trail

Slipping into the Vices for the first time is a bit like sinking into your favorite lounge chair – soft, plush and cushy as you like. Whether it’s walking around or on the pedals, the thick soft sole and the D3O padded insole provide a ton of cushioning under your feet. The absence of a shank means that the sole can bend and flex a little bit more than the enduro and DH-oriented models in the catalog, but there is still enough support under foot to allow for long days out on the pedals. The uppers are similarly soft and flexible, and the whole thing translates to a shoe that has a bit more “give” in it compared to more performance-oriented models. 

In prior testing, Ride Concepts’ DST rubber has proven itself both grippy and confidence-inspiring, and that is the case with this new sole pattern as well. The inverted hexagons let your pins sink into the sole, where they provide plenty of grip but also a few degrees of freedom of movement – just what many dirt jump and street riders are looking for in their riding shoes. The sole feels “locked-in” with the pins, but is still able to move a tiny bit more than the dotty sole pattern of the trail and DH models. The soft uppers also contribute to this feeling of flexibility, which again we think will please many a dirt jumper and street rat. Definitely not as flimsy as a regular skate shoe, but more tactile than a DH shoe. Compared to a Five Ten Sleuth DLX, the Vice offers more cushioning under the feet and thicker uppers, while the Stealth rubber on the Sleuth is slightly more grippy – at $100 vs $120 USD, the price advantage goes to the Vice.

Out in the woods, the Vice puts in a good showing as well. There is more than enough grip for just about any kind of riding, and the protection on offer is adequate. Of course, if all your riding is in chunky and aggressive terrain you’ll want to reach for something like the Powerline model, but the point here is that the Vice can certainly be put to good use out on the trail as well if need be. The suede uppers run a bit warm and they will of course get soggy when wet, but that is really just pointing out the obvious here – once again, this is not the primary use case for this shoe.

What’s The Bottom Line?

To sum up, Ride Concepts designed the Vice to answer the needs of dirt jumpers, slopestyle and BMX riders, and in our opinion they’ve done a great job of it. The Vice is super comfortable and provides just the right mix of grip, compliance and protection. If you’re after a stiff performance shoe, Ride Concepts makes plenty of those as well, but the Vice is for riders who like to know what their pedals are doing under their feet. With a price tag of $100 USD and a full set of features like D3O padding in the insoles and a TPU reinforced toe box, it’s great value too.

More information at: www.rideconcepts.com.

Read the full press release with more details HERE.

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.

Nils Hjord - Age: 16 // Years Riding MTB: 8 // Weight: 165-pounds (75-kg) // Height: 5'10'' (1.78m)

Nils has been riding bikes since he could walk, and after a few years of following in his dad's footsteps he has now left him to eat his dust. Always stoked to shred on two wheels (although he especially #lovesbackwheel), Nils is happiest on rad trails that feature good flow and fun jumps - he'd probably pitch a tent and camp out next to A-Line all summer if he could! 

Video by Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord

View key specs, compare products, and rate the Ride Concepts Vice in the Vital MTB Product Guide.