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Ride Concepts Livewire - Women's Review

This is an exceptional flat pedal shoe for someone just starting their mountain bike adventures, especially for the price
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Ride Concepts Livewire - Women's Review
Credit: Ride Concepts
Price:  $110 List
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Manufacturer:   Ride Concepts
By Bo Outland ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 23, 2023
65
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 11
  • Grip - 30% 7.0
  • Comfort and Protection - 25% 6.0
  • Rigidity and Power Transfer - 20% 6.0
  • Breathability - 10% 6.0
  • Durability - 10% 8.0
  • Weight - 5% 5.0

Our Verdict

Ride Concepts (RC) is a young company that exclusively makes mountain biking shoes, and we love what they have created. RC's Livewire has a great price point and extremely high quality. This shoe features RC's DST 6.0 High Grip rubber, a mid-grip rubber perfect for someone breaking into more technical downhill or all-mountain riding. The Hexagonal lugs are deep enough to glue your foot to the pedal, but the pattern allows you to make small adjustments if needed. The toe and heel feature anti-abrasion material, making this shoe the only one offering this kind of protection at this price point. This shoe is practical enough to keep you safe on the mountain and stylishly sufficient to go to the pub after.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Offers a lot of protection
Balanced grip
REASONS TO AVOID
Not the grippiest
Moderate weight
Editor's Note: This review was updated on May 10, 2023, as our newest review has been released. This review includes new comparable data and subject matter.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Women's Mountain Bike Flat Shoes
Top Pick Award
Best for Gravity Riding
Best Buy Award
Best Bang For Your Buck
 
Price $110 List
$99.95 at Backcountry
$149.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$140 List
$119.95 at Backcountry
$120 List
Check Price at Backcountry
$150 List
$149.95 at Amazon
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Bottom Line A high-quality, versatile flat pedal shoe at a reasonable priceThis shoe quickly rises to the top thanks to its grip, trail absorption, comfort, and weightA grippy, durable shoe that provides lots of protection for your feet and is well suited for the gravity crowdAn affordable do-it-all shoe that balances grip, power transfer, comfort, and durabilityThe Ultratac™ rubber outsole provides a good grip on various pedals, and the EVA midsole dampens moderate trail vibrations, but the fit may not be to everyone's liking
Rating Categories Ride Concepts Livew... Giro Latch - Women's Ride Concepts Wildc... Specialized 2FO Roo... Fox Union Flat - Un...
Grip (30%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Comfort and Protection (25%)
6.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
7.0
Rigidity and Power Transfer (20%)
6.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Breathability (10%)
6.0
7.0
4.0
8.0
6.0
Durability (10%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
Weight (5%)
5.0
10.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
Specs Ride Concepts Livew... Giro Latch - Women's Ride Concepts Wildc... Specialized 2FO Roo... Fox Union Flat - Un...
Outsole Rubber Kinetics DST6.0 High Grip Tack Rubber Max Grip SlipNot™ ST Ultratac™ rubber
Tread Pattern Full Hexagon Dot Gamma tread design Full Hexagon Dot Full Hexagon Dot Hex pattern
Measured Weight (per pair) 754 g 593 g 715 g 669 g 665 g
Upper Material Synthetic, mesh Microfiber synthetic Microfiber synthetic Leather, Suede Mesh with TPU skin
Footbed D30 High Impact Zone 3D molded Dual-density EVA Body Geometry Foam
Midsole EVA Mute Foam 3D EVA EVA EVA
Sizes Offered US 5-1 0 EU 36-43 US 5-10 EU 36-49 EU 37-47

Our Analysis and Test Results

Product Update Note — May 2023
Ride Concepts updated the Livewire shoe with a Max Grip rubber outsole, designed to be softer and grippier than the previous outsole. There are some new color options, too. Compare the two models above; the Livewire we tested is on the left, followed by the new model on the right.

The Ride Concepts Livewire is a tremendous all-around flat pedal shoe and it's inexpensive. After miles of riding, there were only a few moments when we wanted more grip. We concluded that this is a great shoe for someone looking to start their flat-pedal mountain bike shoe journey or the rider on a budget looking for a well-rounded and versatile option.

Performance Comparison


ride concepts livewire for women - ride concepts has made stylish, practical, and inexpensive shoes the...
Ride Concepts has made stylish, practical, and inexpensive shoes the best of all worlds.

Grip


The Livewire has a patented hexagon pattern on the bottom of the shoe, similar to other models we tested. We were excited to see how this sole would affect the performance of the shoe, and were not disappointed. The hexagon pattern allows you to move your foot easily, but the angles in the pattern catch on the pedal pegs. This means you won't accidentally move your foot too much and slip. RC features a 12mm deep hexagon lug making the contact between the pedal and your foot like velcro.

ride concepts livewire for women - even on a wet day, ride concepts stuck to our pedal with ease.
Even on a wet day, Ride Concepts stuck to our pedal with ease.

What makes the RC Livewire stand out is the high-quality, unique ultra-grippy rubber on the bottom. Ride Concepts has developed rubber compounds with Rubber Kinetics (bike rubber experts). The Livewire features their DST (Dynamic Surface Technology) 6.0 rubber. RC developed a brand-specific scale to rate the grippiness of their rubber, and this 6.0 rubber falls directly in the middle of that scale. We found that water or heavy dirt did not compromise the grip, making us feel safe on varied terrain.

We think this is the perfect shoe if you are starting to dip your toes into more technical downhill riding. Once we started getting into difficult technical riding, we found that a shoe with a little more grip was preferable. If you are an experienced downhill rider and want something with an unmatched grip for sending to your fullest; we recommend checking out some of the other models we tested.

Comfort and Protection


RC recognizes that men and women differ in how their feet are shaped and have developed their women's line to cater to those differences. We love the feel of this shoe and found it comfortable for riding and wearing out all day. Only one other model we tested had a comparable amount of padding. Both provide an ample amount of stability when riding.

ride concepts livewire for women - the ride concepts livewire are very comfy flat pedal mountain bike...
The Ride Concepts Livewire are very comfy flat pedal mountain bike shoes.

The footbed features RC's custom D30 technology with a layer made explicitly for absorbing shock when you land on your feet. Not only is this technology safer for your foot if you are trying new risky things in biking. We also found it very comfortable.

On the toe and heel, there is a molded anti-abrasion material that works well. Compared to the other shoes we tested, the Livewire had the most protection on the heel, which we found necessary if your foot slips off and hits the pedal. The Livewire runs a little smaller compared to other brands, so if you order this shoe online, we suggest ordering a half size up.

Rigidity and Power Transfer


The Livewire is much less rigid than most other models we tested. We like feeling our feet on the pedal, especially when making micro-adjustments and found that it did a great job balancing rigidity and sensitivity.

Breathability


The uppers of the Livewire are made of synthetic material (like most flat pedal shoes), which is great for protection, but sometimes not the best for breathability. Above the synthetic material is mesh with plenty of holes to provide more air to your feet. However, because this shoe is on the heavier side, which comes with sacrificing some breathability if it is a hot day (above 75 degrees), we recommend wearing a light sock with this shoe.

Durability


After miles and miles of riding through all kinds of terrain in the Sierra and grabbing the occasional beer afterward, these shoes passed our durability test with flying colors.

ride concepts livewire for women - post northstar ride with durable ride concepts.
Post Northstar Ride with durable Ride Concepts.

Ride Concepts makes a high-quality, durable shoe. Most of the material is welded together (except for some of the material on the side). This method held up through our testing. The soles and side of the shoe suffered some marks from the pins, but not as much as other models tested. The Livewire also features an elastic strap across the tongue to easily store your shoelaces.

Weight


This shoe weighed in at 754 grams. Weight is an important factor for all-mountain-type riding. You want your shoe to be light enough that you don't notice it while climbing but beefy enough for stability. Ride Concepts does a great job of finding a happy medium.

ride concepts livewire for women - we are able to get tons of power out of livewire shoes.
We are able to get tons of power out of Livewire shoes.

Value


We feel the Ride Concepts stand out with various shoes offered at this price point. There is a possibility that your ability may outgrow this shoe if you start to send it down some technical rock waterfalls, but if you are the type that likes taking it easy, they will last you a lifetime.

Conclusion


Are you looking to buy your first pair of flat pedal shoes but unsure of what you'll be riding next year? These are the shoe for you. This is a great all-mountain shoe for anyone looking to step into technical riding and is a great price. We love this shoe and think you will too.

ride concepts livewire for women - the deep hexagon pattern that lines the bottom of the livewires...
The deep hexagon pattern that lines the bottom of the Livewires sticks to our pedals like glue.

Bo Outland