One of the cheapest flat pedal specific shoes available, the O’ Neal Pinned Pro is completely new for 2018.

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Looking like a skateboard shoe with a waffle style sole, the Pinned has a low, 5mm, heel height, that places your foot really close to the pedal for maximum feel; something that’ll be welcome for riders frequenting jumps and pump tracks who want to sense every nuance of what the bikes doing.

For those venturing further into the mountains, the Pinned uses a curvy shape with a raised inside edge to protect ankles against flying stones, crank strikes and knocks. The sole pattern aims for extra pedal grip by using a soft rubber compound called ‘Honey Rubber’, presumably a nod to the honeycomb-shaped blocks underneath that mesh nicely with pedal pins. In dry conditions grip is really good, but the thin sole comes a bit more unstuck in muddy, dirty conditions, especially in terms of shuffling around when seated climbing and rider weight isn’t driving traction studs into the tread recesses.

For seventy quid the Pinned quality is decent and the interior is very comfy, but the Polyamide outer feels a little flimsy and twisty, so you need to cinch the laces in tight to get the upper locked down on the foot when pushing hard. The laces aren’t the best quality either with a rather thin weave.

Kicking about at the trails in good weather, or once weight and pressure into the sole increases hold and grip, the ‘honeycomb’ tread pattern is really good, but O’ Neal’s protection levels aren’t huge and its rubber compound could do with being softer and better damped for proper DH riding.