Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
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Ride Concepts Tallac and Flume Shoes Review
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The Ride Concepts Tallac and Flume Shoes are men’s and women’s-specific flat trail shoes designed for big days and epic terrain. Miles and Emily have been testing them out for the last few months to see what they’re all about. Find our review here…
Launched in 2018, Nevada-based Ride Concepts was founded by a group of riders with years of experience working in the cycling industry. Collectively, their team left careers with larger companies to design mountain bike footwear they wanted to use. They kicked things off with a lineup of flat pedal shoes, started to offer clipless options shortly after, and currently offer 15 models in men’s sizing and 12 models in women’s sizing. The majority of their shoes are designed for all-mountain/trail riding, including the men’s Tallac and women’s Flume flat shoes, which were released this spring. Emily and I have been testing them out for several months now, as our go-to trail shoes and on some early-season overnighters as well.
Unlike Emily, I’m not totally converted to riding on flats. Most of the time, I prefer the control and feel of riding clipless but have slowly started riding in flats more often while bikepacking for the off-the-bike comfort and versatility around camp they provide. Most recently, I’ve been spending most of my time riding in the recently reviewed Bontrager Foray shoes and Specialized Rime Flat shoes. Emily, on the other hand, has almost exclusively been riding in Bontrager Flatline shoes, and is coming up on three years of regular use. Her main complaint with the Flatlines was their lack of grip while off the bike, but they’ve held up well otherwise.
Ride Concepts Tallac Shoes Review
Ride Concepts describes the Tallac shoes as “a trail flat shoe that’s designed to outlast the biggest epics.” It’s built around a stitch-free Cordura mesh upper, a hexagonal tread pattern that’s reversed on the toe and heel for hike-a-bike climbs and descents, and a D3O High Impact Zone Technology (the same tech used in knee and elbow pads) insole that absorbs impacts and reduces fatigue. The Tallac has TPU toe and heel protection, an anti-bacterial mesh lining, and they are offered in three colors in sizes 7 to 13, including half sizes.
Considering the Tallac’s burly all-mountain aesthetics, I was surprised to discover that they’re only a tad (27g to be exact) heavier than the Specialized Rime shoes I’ve been using. The wrapped chunky hexagonal sole, reinforcements, and general look had me expecting a much heavier shoe. They are light in hand and on foot, which is important when riding for multiple hours, day after day.
Ride Concepts describes the fit as “low volume,” which seems fitting. The Tallac is a slim-fitting shoe, and even though the length and overall fit feel good, I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone with wide or high-volume feet. Even as someone with pretty average-sized feet, I purposefully wore thin socks and likely won’t be stuffing my thicker wool socks inside this winter. With that in mind, I think the Tallac makes the most sense as a three-season trail riding shoe.
While out riding, the stiffness hit a sweet spot for me. They provide a familiar level of stiffness that feels responsive on technical, high-speed descents without feeling like overkill on long rides and bikepacking on more mellow terrain. The toe box has a good amount of flex while walking, and due to the wrapped tread on the sole, there’s a consistent amount of traction on pretty much any slope. The sole grips well on pedals, but I wouldn’t describe it as particularly sticky. During and after long descents, I had no problem unweighting and shifting the position of my foot around, which could be pro or a con, depending on your preferences.
- Size Tested: 44.5 (11 US)
- Size Range: 7-13 including half sizes
- Colors: Charcoal/Oxblood, Black/Charcoal, Olive/Lime
- Weight: 447 grams/shoe
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Price: $160 USD
- Manufacturer’s Details: RideConcepts.com
Ride Concepts Flume Shoes Review
Also new for 2022 are the women’s Flume shoes. They share nearly all the same specs as the Tallacs but are offered in a women’s performance fit and size range. The have the same hexagonal tread, burly exterior, and all-mountain aesthetics. Emily was most interested in the more aggressive tread pattern, which proved to be grippier than her Bontrager Flatlines. Like the Tallacs, the Flume shoes have a narrow, low-volume fit that offers lots of control but is best suited to thin socks.
After a few months of regular use, both the Flume and Tallac shoes aren’t showing any signs of early wear and have packed out slightly since our first few rides. Emily and I both agree that the fit isn’t as narrow as it originally felt, and they’ve only gotten more comfortable over time because of this. We had a particularly moist winter and spring here in the Pacific Northwest, and we both quickly discovered that our Ride Concepts shoes took on water quickly and were slow to dry out in our humid climate. Because of this and their narrow fit, I’d probably only recommend them for drier climates and not as an ideal shoe for multi-day rides in changing weather.
- Size Tested: 36 (6 US)
- Size Range: 5-10 including half sizes
- Colors: Black/Tahoe Blue, Rose
- Weight: 312 grams/shoe
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Price: $160 USD
- Manufacturer’s Details: RideConcepts.com
Pros
- Reasonably lightweight for an all-mountain shoe
- Good forefoot flex for hike-a-bikes
- Hexagonal tread pattern grips well on and off the bike
- Narrow fit feels responsive and sporty while riding
Cons
- Narrow fit won’t work for some riders
- Rubber isn’t as sticky as other flat trail shoes
- Not the most breathable or quick to dry compared to other shoes
- Pricey but on par with the competition
Wrap Up
While Ride Concepts might not be catering directly to bikepackers with their line of mountain bike shoes, the Tallac and Flume have proven to be solid contenders. I found that the Tallac hit a sweet when it came to stiffness, weight, and traction. They aren’t overly tacky feeling while riding, which seems practical for bikepacking, but might fall a little short for more aggressive enduro-style riding. The slim fit worked for Emily and me, providing solid contact between our feet, shoes, and pedals and making it easy to make micro-adjustments on the fly. However, I expect that anyone with larger-volume feet might need to look elsewhere, or at least try them on in person before purchasing. The folks at Ride Concepts clearly have an attention to detail and solid understanding of what makes a good riding shoe, and it will be interesting to see how their shoe lineup evolves over the next few years.
I’ve also been testing out their clipless Tallac shoes (pictured above), but haven’t worn them enough to report back just yet. However, it’s safe to see that have many similarities with the flat version tested here. Head over to RideConcepts.com to see their full footwear collection.
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