The Ride Concepts brand has been around for a few years now, and over that time it has built up a solid following. It started with a small but well-chosen range of MTB shoes, which has grown steadily over the years.
Whether flat pedal or clipless pedal shoes, Ride Concepts has plenty of MTB shoes in its portfolio and focuses on working with well-known riders when developing them. But what can the shoes really do? And — even more important — do they feel good? Good question, and a good reason to put a shoe through its paces.
Voilá – our test of the Ride Concepts Hellion flat pedal MTB shoe:
👟 General information about the Hellion flat pedal shoe
- Look: The laid-back test Hellion shoe impresses with a simple look in black and grey. The neon-yellow logo and a few coloured details ensure the shoe doesn’t look boring.
- Closure: Our flat pedal shoe is classically laced up.
- Lace tuck: The worst-case scenario — the laces come loose and get tangled in the crank 😱. For that, there’s a small rubber tab between the lacing. Tuck the ends in — sorted!
- Outsole: The shoe features a proprietary outsole compound and construction called Rubber Kinetics with. It’s moulded in a waffle pattern from the heel to the toe tips and gives the pedal pins plenty of ways to grip.
With the Hellion, Ride Concepts brings a comfortable MTB shoe that isn’t too precious for a bit of fun in the dirt.
- Insole: Inside the shoe, a breathable insole made of shock-absorbing D30 material provides comfort. There’s also padding in the toe and heel areas.
- Material: The outer material of the Hellion consists of a two-part robust and water-repellent synthetic material.
- Ventilation: There are plenty of perforated ventilation openings in the front and side areas of the shoe.
- Toe protection: The toe area is additionally reinforced with a abrasion-resistant material — so the shoe stays in good shape for longer and also offers more safety when you hit a root or rock.
Sizes & price
- The Hellion is available in women’s sizes from 35 to 41.5.
- For men, the shoe is available from 39.5 to 47.
- Depending on the model and equipment, the MTB shoes cost between 180 and 250 euros (RRP).
📊 The Ride Concepts MTB shoe in the quick check
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Ride comfort |
👍👍 |
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Features |
👍 |
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Water resistance |
👍👎 |
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Grip |
👍👍 |
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Durability |
👍👍 |
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Value for money |
👍 |
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Intended use |
Flat pedals; Enduro, trail |
The fit of the Ride Concepts Hellion MTB shoe
The so-called “Modern Lifestyle Performance Fit” is supposed to ensure that the shoe delivers the best possible performance on the trail, while also working as a casual shoe.
Note: Our test model is no longer available. But you can buy various current models with cool updates (new colours, BOA closure and so on).
🔎 Ride Concepts Hellion: our test
We headed out to test the Hellion to make the Winterberg and Willingen bike parks in Sauerland unsafe.
Where did we test?
We put the shoe through its paces under all conditions (from singletrack to downhill). We were out and about with the E-Bike in the neighbouring trail park, so we could also try uphill performance.
The Hellion cap protects your toes and helps the MTB shoe last much longer.
Our first test impression
Even before the first time we put them on, we noticed the fairly stiff sole. That first impression, however, quickly disappeared after the first trail sections. Once you’re standing in them, the shoe feels very solid. It offers good support, but is still extremely comfortable. The inner material is very soft and the fit is good. The size fits the way we know from other shoes. So you don’t need to add or subtract half a size. When riding, your foot sits firmly and securely in the shoe thanks to the shape, which stabilises it nicely. The heel and Achilles area is sufficiently cut out, so even when climbing uphill in the weight shift position, your foot doesn’t try to slide out of the shoe.
The initial stiffness of the shoe and sole didn’t last long. After a few descents, you’ve “broken in” the Hellion and can fully enjoy the advantages of this shoe.
What about the grip?
The waffle-patterned sole actually provides incredible grip. When you place your foot on the pedal, you’re there — rock solid and won’t slip. If you want to change the position of your foot, you actually have to lift it a little. With DH, freeride, or on the E-Bike, the sole always did an excellent job in terms of grip. But does it survive the pedal pins? No cause for concern: the long-term result is still pending, but after two full days of use, we found no signs of abrasion on the sole.
Padding for flat pedals: in the grippy sole of the MTB shoe, your pins can really bite.
Does the Ride Concepts Hellion protect your toes enough?
We had to test the robustness of the toe area unintentionally. In the stony field, the stones ended up on the toe a few times. However, the combination of the reinforced front and the shock-absorbing D30 insoles prevented worse.
Especially for a sport shoe that can be used universally, two points are absolutely crucial:
- water resistance
- and breathability
Fresh air in an MTB shoe
Of course, after a full day in the bike park, we had sweaty feet in the afternoon. But at no point did it feel uncomfortably hot. You wear the shoe and pretty much forget about it quickly — and that’s exactly how it should be.
Wet feet in the Hellion? Is the MTB shoe waterproof?
On our test days it was warm like summer. So we went looking for water to find out whether Ride Concepts managed to make the shoes waterproof. A trail with a stream crossing was just right for the water test, and to be sure, we rode it several times (okay, it’s also really fun 🙂). The outer material makes water bead off nicely, but of course, with lots of water, moisture gets through the perforated ventilation openings and the laced area. But that stays within reasonable limits, and that’s why we’d recommend the Hellion for the off-season without hesitation. Maybe not in a cloudburst, but in normal bad weather it works brilliantly.
Inside, the Hellion stays fairly dry.
👉 Our verdict on the Ride Concepts Hellion MTB shoe
Our impression of the Hellion is consistently positive. It offers a range of technical highlights that don’t just look good on paper, but also work on the trail. It combines high comfort with faultless performance on the pedal, so it can easily go head-to-head with the competition. The Ride Concepts Hellion is a great flat pedal shoe, and the RRP of 180 to 250 euros (depending on the equipment) is absolutely justified.
We’re happy to test!
We’ll take any excuse to get on the bike! That’s why you’ll find lots more tests in the Bike Blog covering everything around cycling! Here’s a selection:
MTB shoes from BMO online
MTB shoes | Flat pedal shoes | Clip shoes | Ride Concepts brand shop
