ION are a relatively new brand on the scene and in this, their fifth season, they’ve brought out some mountain biking footwear.

The Rascal is their clipless shoe. The unnecessarily underlined Raid_Amp is their flat pedal shoe.

>>> The best mountain bike shoes

Video: Flat pedals buyers guide

New shoes are always of interest to mountain bikers it seems. Especially flat pedal specific shoes. We’re always on the lookout for someone trying to de-throne Five Ten as the flattie shoe of choice champ.

The uppers of both shoe designs are fairly standard stuff. Asymmetrical cuffs with a higher cut ‘Ankle Pad’ area on the er, ankle side. There’s some laser cut venting on the uppers as well. There’s an injected toe cap bumper on there.

The ION Rascal

Lace ’em up

On the Raid_Amp there’s just laces holding it all together. On the Rascal the laces are augmented by a Velcro strap.

ION make great claim to have spent a long time trying to come up with the ideal balance of power transmission, pedal traction, off-bike traction and walking comfort.

Soles by Suplest

The soles of both shoes have been developed in partnership with Swiss sole boffins Suplest. Both shoes have pre-shaped heel cups, two layer footbeds and cushioned EVA midsole.

The Rascal has a sole designed with specific forces and torsional reinforcement in mind. Basically, the Rascal’s sole is designed to counter any foot tilt going on at the pedal.

The Raid_Amp on the other hand(!) is designed to allow for a bit of give in a lateral sense as tester’s found this allowed for better flat pedal feel and handling.

You can clearly see from the pictures that the sole has clearly defined areas doing different things. The front and rear are designed for gripping the ground when you’re off the bike. The main middle of the sole is for pedal traction.

Yes yes, but what durometer rubber is the Raid_Amp?

We don’t know. Yet.

This is the key question all us flat-heads will be needing an answer for.

>>> Best mountain bike pedals: flats

Will the ION Vane_Amp have as sticky a sole as a Five Ten. Or will it be a much firmer rubber as found on Shimano’s shoes? Or will it somewhere in between like Giro or O’Neal?

We’ll have to wait and see when we get hold of some.