Pete had high hopes for the Ride Concepts Tallac Mid Clip BOA after a flawless outing for their lower cut, non-BOA brethren. Would they cut the mustard though?
Already a big fan of the Ride Concepts Tallac Clips, Pete takes their newest stablemates, the Tallac Mid Clip Boa out for a lap of the usual Scottish fare to see how they compare.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- PerformFit™ Wrap from the BOA® Fit System
- Li2 and low friction TX4 Lace
- Integrated D3O® pads
- 3D-molded D3O® collar
- ClipGrip rubber outsole
- Hexagon outsole
- EVA midsole
- Fully gusseted tongue
- D3O® High Impact Zone Technology insole
- Lightweight bonded upper featuring Cordura® mesh
- Anti-bacterial mesh lining
- TPU mud guard
- TPU toe and heel protection with reinforced anti-abrasion film
- Heel pull tab
- Sizes 6-12 in half sizes
- 530g per shoe (size M10)
- £199.95 RRP
- RideConcepts.co.uk
The Ride Concepts Tallac Mid Clip Boa shoes sit at the top of the Ride Concepts range, with a key features list that is quite hefty. For your 5p shy of two hundred pounds, you get a lightweight bonded upper with Cordura® mesh, EVA midsole and ClipGrip hexagon outsole. A double Boa Li2 closure and TX4 lace handle the shoe security duties. D30 handle the insole, collar and padding around the ankle. You also get TPU guards at the toe and heel.
Once on the foot, they do feel a little longer than the Tallac Clip, but nothing that can’t be solved with a slightly thicker sock or going down half a size. I opted for the former to help keep the feet snug in the shoe. Getting the tightness right across the bridge of the foot was a delight with the double Boa closure , and the shoes always felt tight without being restrictive.
On Ride Concepts’ terrain chart on their website, you see a distinct shift towards downhill and enduro with the Tallac Mid Clip compared to the Tallac Clip. This is only really noticeable off the bike. Whilst the latter is a delight even for all day hike-a-bike missions, the Tallac Mid Clip Boa is far happier on an all-day pedal or bashing out downhill laps. Most of this is evident in heel lift when pushing or carrying the bike, but then that’s not really what its aimed at.
Countless laps of the World Cup track at Nevis Range saw these shoes shine. Even Aonach Mor’s notorious granite couldn’t fluster these shoes and they always came out asking for more. The long cleat slot meant that clipping back in was a breeze and I could fine tune my cleat position to suit. Despite the heavy use, they’ve shown few signs of it.
What do we think?
I might be slightly guilty of assuming these were high top versions of my favourite clip shoes to date, but that was an error. If you do love the Tallac Clip and want something racier, then this is exactly what you need.
We love:
- Tougher than woodpecker lips
- All day hard charging comfort
Could do better:
- Get your size right
