ABOUT THE RIDE CONCEPTS ACCOMPLICE BOA
Adding the Accomplice to the Ride Concepts lineup provides another arrow in the company’s quiver of trail-shoe options. As is typical with most of the Ride Concepts lineup, the Accomplice has several options in both men’s and women’s categories. The shoes have the option of flats or clips, and the choice between traditional laces or the BOA fit system. These options create a $20 price range between the lace-up flats and the BOA clips.
The flat pedal version of the Ride Concepts Accomplice BOA uses its Max Grip rubber outsole, RC’s softest and grippiest rubber. Above the Max Grip outsole, an EVA midsole provides comfort and support, paired with a dual-density EVA insole for added cushion. As the name suggests, the Accomplice BOA uses the BOA L6 fit system with durable yet low-friction TX4 laces.
The shoe is fully enclosed and wraps around the foot with a four-way slip tongue design. The Accomplice’s upper is constructed from breathable nylon, with suede stitched around the laces to reinforce the TX4 BOA laces. A TPU toe cap gives the shoe added protection when you catch your foot on rocks or roots.
Ride Concepts offers the Accomplice BOA in a massive 7–15 size range. Half-size increments start at size 7 through 12.5, with only full sizes for 13, 14, and 15. Unlike the lace-up version, the Accomplice BOA comes in one colorway: black. The size 10 they sent for testing weighed 372g per shoe.
THE DIRT
I’ve been fortunate to be in Ride Concepts shoes for most of 2024. Of the handful of shoes I’ve worn, tested, and reviewed this year, the Accomplice BOA is at the top of the “comfortability” list. The nylon uppers are soft, and the four-way slip tongue creates a shoe sleeve that encases the foot while allowing it to breathe. In addition to comfort, the 4-way slip tongue keeps dirt and other trail debris out of the shoes — potentially the best of any low-top shoe I’ve tried.
I was initially concerned that the BOA laces might dig through the top of the soft uppers of the Accomplices, creating pressure on the top of my foot. However, pressure from the laces was well-distributed, and my initial concerns were never an issue. I’m a big fan of BOA-equipped shoes and am happy to see more flat pedal options available—something RC has led the charge on. I prefer the BOA fit system’s ease and ability to adjust on the fly. Any shoes I use often need tightening after a mile or so of pedaling, which I can do without stopping with BOA-equipped footwear.
The inside of the nylon uppers has a good amount of cushioning. While this significantly improved the overall comfort of the Accomplice BOAs, it also prevented them from drying quickly. After one particularly wet ride, it took three days for the shoes to dry enough for me to wear them again. The nylon uppers also allowed my foot to move side to side inside the shoe more than I liked.
The EVA midsole Ride Concepts uses also impressed me. It is firm and supportive, while not feeling overly heavy. At 372 g, the Accomplice BOAs felt like the casual shoes I wear daily. Aside from the lack of laces, they have a casual, skater-shoe vibe.
But it was the outsole that I struggled with the most on the Accomplice BOAs. While Max Grip is RC’s grippiest rubber compound, the Accomplice BOAs lacked the grip I wanted, especially in wet conditions or when the trail got rowdy. Despite switching my pedals three times, my foot simply moved around too much.
Before riding and testing the Accomplice BOAs, I used the Tallac Mids, which boasted the same Max Grip soles and provided plenty of grip. When comparing the two, the Accomplice BOAs have a slightly smaller and shallower hexagonal tread pattern than the Tallac Mids. My guess is that the pedal pins just don’t connect as well with the bottom of the Accomplice BOAs as the Tallac Mids.
That said, pedal movement occurred more on descents where the trail was chunky and fast. On more intermediate flow or pedal-focused trails, I had little to no issues with the grip of the Accomplice BOAs.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Ride Concepts did an excellent job creating a comfortable shoe that keeps trail debris out. While I will likely stick to shoes like the Tallac Mid for gnarlier, more technical terrain, the Accomplice BOAs are an easy choice for all the other fair-weather trail riding adventures.
Price: $140
Website: Rideconcepts.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
The local boy — Travis was born and raised in Bend, OR. Skateboarding consumed his life until his high school years (yes, he can still kickflip), but was replaced by mountain biking…then rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and finally back to mountain biking. After a stint in the big city, Travis returned home, trading a teaching career to be an okay mountain biker and above-average journalist. He is an outspoken 90s grunge fan, cornering poor souls in conversations about the meaning behind the lyrics of Alice In Chains’ “Would.” Most days, Travis hopes to be outside, whether that is on an early morning ride or a hike with his family (the best days include both).
Rank: Contributing Writer
Size: 5’8” / 172cm | 195lbs / 88kg
Social: @travis_reill_writes
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