As of yesterday, there is a new mountain bike footwear brand in town. Based out of Truckee, California, Ride Concepts launched with a full line of freeride, enduro, and gravity shoes with specific lasts and models for men, women, and kids.
The initial three series of shoes from Ride Concepts — Session, Flow, and Launch — feature impact protection from materials engineering firm D30. The shock absorbing material is molded throughout the insoles on all the shoes to reduce impacts taken from hard landings and extended riding on rugged terrain, and is employed strategically to the uppers of some models to add extra protection where needed.
The new brand also teamed up with Rubber Kinetics to create three proprietary rubber compounds to form the foundation of each shoe. The different rubbers range in grip and flexibility depending on the intended use of the shoe, from downhill and all-terrain to enduro or all-mountain.
The Session series features three flat pedal shoes for riding park laps or crushing backcountry trails. The two shoes (one flat pedal and one clipless) in the Flow series are meant for all-condition, all-mountain riding, while the flat pedal shoe in the Launch series is for bombing downhill in big terrain.
The company also plans to sell a line of merino and synthetic, moisture-wicking socks to compliment the new shoes. The Ride Concepts mountain bike shoes range in price from $100 to $160 depending on style. The Session series shoes will start shipping in late October, with the Flow and Launch series to follow later in the year.
I am interested to see how these guys do as they appear to be a mashup of Teva’s initial foray into mountain bike shoes and the dominant player for this category — Five Ten.