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Ride Concepts Wildcat - Women's Review

This beefy shoe has a great grip, absorbs the trail, is highly durable, and has tons of protection, making it a great choice for the gravity crowd
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Ride Concepts Wildcat - Women's Review
Credit: Ride Concepts
Price:  $140 List
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Manufacturer:   Ride Concepts
By Tara Reddinger-Adams ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 24, 2023
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 11
  • Grip - 30% 8.0
  • Comfort and Protection - 25% 6.0
  • Rigidity and Power Transfer - 20% 9.0
  • Breathability - 10% 4.0
  • Durability - 10% 9.0
  • Weight - 5% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Wildcat is built for gravity riding. It features a mid-top design and provides tons of protection but at the sacrifice of breathability, which is to be somewhat expected. The MAX GRIP outsole with hexagonal dots matches up well with various pedals, providing a confidence-inspiring grip. The midsole strikes a great balance between being too soft and too rigid, flexing just behind the small toe and stiffening as it reaches the midfoot. This design is comfortable on the bike and when walking. It also has good power transfer on the pedals. The Wildcat is our favorite for the bike park, enduro, and other gravity-oriented rides. Get the skinny on how it stacks up against other top products in our article on the best women's mountain bike flat pedal shoes.
REASONS TO BUY
Protective
Excellent grip
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Warm on the feet
Velcro strap is cumbersome
Editor's Note: We revised this article on November 24, 2023, to update our recommendations on what alternative shoes we recommend to the Wildcat.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best for Gravity Riding
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Women's Mountain Bike Flat Shoes
Top Pick Award
Top Pick Trail Shoe with Protection
Best Buy Award
Best Bang For Your Buck
 
Price $140 List
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Bottom Line A grippy, durable shoe that provides lots of protection for your feet and is well suited for the gravity crowdThis shoe quickly rises to the top thanks to its grip, trail absorption, comfort, and weightA great choice for beginner through advanced riders looking for a protective shoe that balances grip, power transfer, flex, comfort, and durabilityAn affordable do-it-all shoe that balances grip, power transfer, comfort, and durabilityA high-quality, versatile flat pedal shoe at a reasonable price
Rating Categories Ride Concepts Wildc... Giro Latch - Women's Five Ten Freerider... Specialized 2FO Roo... Ride Concepts Livew...
Grip (30%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Comfort and Protection (25%)
6.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Rigidity and Power Transfer (20%)
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Breathability (10%)
4.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
Durability (10%)
9.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
8.0
Weight (5%)
6.0
10.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
Specs Ride Concepts Wildc... Giro Latch - Women's Five Ten Freerider... Specialized 2FO Roo... Ride Concepts Livew...
Outsole Max Grip Tack Rubber Stealth S1 SlipNot™ ST Rubber Kinetics DST6.0 High Grip
Tread Pattern Full Hexagon Dot Gamma tread design Full Hexagon Dot Full Hexagon Dot Full Hexagon Dot
Measured Weight (per pair) 715 g 593 g 616 g 669 g 754 g
Upper Material Microfiber synthetic Microfiber synthetic Synthetic Leather, Suede Synthetic, mesh
Footbed Dual-density EVA 3D molded Ortholite Body Geometry D30 High Impact Zone
Midsole EVA Mute Foam 3D EVA EVA EVA
Sizes Offered US 5-10 EU 36-43 US 5-11 EU 36-49 US 5-1 0

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Ride Concepts Wildcat is a mid-height, trail, and freeride shoe. It features excellent grip, protection, and stability. If you're looking for a shoe to take you from the bike park to high country hike-a-bikes and enduro laps we highly recommend looking at this favorite.

Performance Comparison


ride concepts wildcat for women - the max grip sole provides a great connection to the pedals, but the...
The MAX GRIP sole provides a great connection to the pedals, but the shoe's bulk and lack of breathability make it best suited for enduro and park riding.
Credit: Byron Adams

Grip


Ride Concepts uses MAX GRIP rubber with a uniform hexagonal dot pattern on the sole of the Wildcat that extends from the toe to the heel. MAX GRIP is Ride Concepts' softest and most sticky rubber. The hexagonal dot pattern works well in tandem with the MAX GRIP rubber. Throughout testing, our shoes stayed confidently connected to the pedals.


The dot pattern has an eighth of an inch of space between the hexagons and is somewhat shallow but provides enough space for pedal pins to sink in. We used four different flat pedals while testing the Wildcat and the shoes remained well connected to them all.

Repositioning the foot is easy with the Wildcat with a slight unweighting of the foot. However, if you like to slide your foot around on the pedals, the MAX GRIP rubber might be a little too grippy for you.

This shoe strikes a great balance between grip and stiffness. The EVA Midsole has enough give to it to allow your feet to conform slightly to the pedal, helping the sole connect and not get bounced around.

ride concepts wildcat for women - the max grip sole grips a variety of pedals well creating confidence.
The MAX GRIP sole grips a variety of pedals well creating confidence.
Credit: Byron Adams

Comfort and Protection


The Wildcat has a low-volume fit. Its toe box is not overly generous, and those with a wide forefoot may feel cramped. Throughout our testing, we noticed the shoe stretches out and breaks in, but not so much to change the overall fit of the forefoot. Through the midfoot, the fit is wider, and there is a nicely padded heel cup that helps keep your heel in place, especially while standing up and climbing.


It offers great protection thanks to its mid-top design with padded ankle and internal toe protection. The ankle is thickly padded, which is great for protection. However, over extended periods of riding, it feels a bit bulky for general trail riding and creates odd pressure points around the ankle. We're fans of protective shoes, especially for park riding and enduro, and feel this shoe is best suited for these two areas versus general trail riding.

A velcro closure over the laces helps keep the foot in place while riding. However, this is perhaps our least favorite feature of this shoe since it gets in the way when lacing the shoe. The velcro is fairly rigid and holds its shape, meaning we have to hold it out of the way while tying the laces, which can be annoying. The velcro does cinch up the ankle area and keeps our feet snugly in place, but we would prefer a more user-friendly design.

The dual-density EVA insole is comfortable and has High Impact Insole Technology designed to disperse impact and cushion the foot while coming off of drops, jumps, and riding chattery trails. The Wildcat has a gusseted tongue that helps to keep dirt and small rocks out of the shoe. We like the ankle protection for lift-accessed trails or country enduro runs, but its overall comfort is decreased by thick padding around the ankle. As a result, it scores high for protection but below average for comfort.

ride concepts wildcat for women - the padded ankle provides support and protection. however, the...
The padded ankle provides support and protection. However, the velcro strap is somewhat rigid, making lacing and tying the shoe rather cumbersome.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Rigidity and Power Transfer


We love the power transfer of this shoe. The EVA midsole flexes in the toebox right where your small toe is and then stiffens back to the midfoot. This rigidity, in combination with the MAX GRIP sole, is a great combination to transfer power easily to the pedals.


The shoe flexes slightly on the pedals without feeling soft underfoot and without losing the sense of where the pedal is. While standing up and climbing, there is never any slipping on the pedals, and our energy goes straight into the cranks. Our feet remain planted on the pedals, and the shoe absorbs the trail forces well on descents. On hike-a-bikes, the Wildcat remained comfortable, even while hiking up steep slabs, thanks to the flex in the forefoot.

ride concepts wildcat for women - this shoe has great traction both on and off the bike and flexes...
This shoe has great traction both on and off the bike and flexes comfortably when you need to do a little hiking for the fun lines.
Credit: Byron Adams

Breathability


The Wildcat is constructed from a highly perforated microfiber upper. During our testing, we noted on every ride that the shoe was warm and lacked breathability. Our test rides ranged from the low 60s to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The shoes were hot when the temps reached the upper 70s, and we were riding in full Sun at 5,300 feet.


The mid-top design of the Wildcat does not circulate air well. The padding around the ankle and the tongue trap the heat, while the toebox offers some relief from the heat. The sides of the shoe also do not breathe well.

Ride Concepts says the Wildcat is designed for all types of trail riding and freeriding and offers substantial protection. For those using the Wildcat for park, enduro, or cold or wet weather riding, the lack of breathability may not be of concern. However, if everyday trail riding is your jam, this shoe will likely feel too warm.

ride concepts wildcat for women - small perforations extend from the toebox through the midfoot to aid...
Small perforations extend from the toebox through the midfoot to aid in breathability.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Durability


Reinforced eyelets, TPU reinforcement for abrasion resistance, and microfiber upper contribute to Wildcat's durability. The TPU reinforcement at the toe and heel keep the shoes scuff-free, and aside from some wrinkles in the microfiber at flex points, the uppers look nearly new after months of testing.


The microfiber uppers are sewn, show no signs of coming unstitched, and are very abrasion-resistant. The Wildcat's gusseted tongue helps keep dirt and debris out of the shoe, something we appreciate living in a rocky and sandy environment.

Sadly, the rounded laces used in this shoe do not stay tied as tightly as flat laces. Additionally, the laces on the US 8.5 women's shoes were fairly long and required double knotting. If the laces were 4 inches to 6 inches, they would be easier to manage.

The sole of the Wildcat is made of Ride Concepts MAX GRIP rubber. The sole shows no wear and tear but has become discolored where our pedal pins contact the sole. This has not affected the shoe's performance and is only cosmetic.

ride concepts wildcat for women - we wish the laces were shorter so that we did not have to...
We wish the laces were shorter so that we did not have to double-knot them to tuck everything into the lace retainer.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Weight


The Wildcat weighs 715 grams for a US 8.5 women's, which makes it a midweight shoe.


The Wildcat's weight will certainly be appreciated by those who wear the shoe for enduro or park riding or those who spend time on long hike-a-bikes where foot fatigue is a factor. The Wildcat provides significantly more protection than shoes of similar weight, making it a great choice for those looking for a highly protective shoe.

ride concepts wildcat for women - these shoes are very light given the amount of protection they...
These shoes are very light given the amount of protection they provide.
Credit: Tara Reddinger-Adams

Should You Buy the Ride Concepts Wildcat Women's?


If you want added protection for enduro or gravity riding or additional ankle support, the Ride Concepts Wildcat Women's should be on your shortlist. The Wildcat boasts Ride Concepts Max Grip outsole for outstanding grip and provides impact protection in the EVA foam insole and footbed. The highly padded ankle collar helps protect the ankle and provides additional support and stability. The Wildcat fills a unique niche and weighs significantly less than other gravity-orientated shoes in our review, making it a smart choice for those looking for more support than a low-top shoe provides.

What Other Women's Flat Pedal Mountain Bike Shoes Should You Consider?


If you'd rather have a low-top model, we highly recommend the Giro Latch. The Latch is a lightweight shoe with great grip, and its lower cut coupled with ventilation holes makes for a less sweaty experience when the temps are up.

ride concepts wildcat for women - we rode the ride concepts wildcats in a variety of terrain...
We rode the Ride Concepts Wildcats in a variety of terrain, including cross-country trails on warm days, and found them to be quite warm on the foot.
Credit: Byron Adams

Tara Reddinger-Adams