Ride Concepts Transition clip-in shoe, we’ve yet to experience a shoe that gives more of a sense of protection this side of a steel toe-cap boot.

Read more: Best mountain bike shoes – flat and clipless

The design and construction has more of a DH/enduro slant, pitching it against the Bontrager Rally and Giro Chamber II. This burly build is immediately noticeable when you put it on. It doesn’t so much wrap the foot as encase it in concrete.

It sits high around the ankle with an asymmetric cut that brings even more protection from smashing your ankle into the crank arm, while the reinforced toe box feels like you could kick a rock face without any nasty repercussions. This heavy-duty build also protects you from the elements, but I found them to be pretty hot on warm summer days.

Ride Concepts carries over the simple lacing style of its other shoes to the Transition, but adds a broad Velcro strap to provide additional support. I certainly had no issue in getting the shoe fitting snugly, but the stiff construction and gusseted tongue made it harder to wriggle my feet in and out.

The Transition has a stiffer rubber outsole than its flat-pedal counterparts, combined with a perfectly positioned cleat box. It also features a full-length nylon shank to increase sole stiffness. There’s no escaping the fact that the Transition is a real heavyweight among shoes, to the point where you can actually notice the added heft when riding. However, most of the riders these shoes will appeal to will be more than happy to sacrifice weight for the impressive protection against impacts and year-round weather the Transition affords.