Product review

ION Scrub AMP MTB-Shoes

We tested the ION Scrub AMP MTB-Shoes for you!

About me

Hi, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris and I have been an enthusiastic bike rider since I was two years old. I’ve been riding BMX for ten years now, and have also been riding mountain bike on and off for some time, in the last couple of months more regularly and better equipped. Here, I want to talk to you about one piece of equipment in particular, the ION Scrub AMP MTB shoes.

I would describe my style of riding as fun- and jump/trick-oriented, and not so much focused on speed. However, I think speed-oriented riders would prefer clipless pedals and shoes anyway, so I think I can give some valuable insight to all other types of riders.

Material & Features

PIN TONIC 2.0 Sole: Pedal area of the sole has a special tread providing extra grip.

EVA Midsole: Soft sole insert that dampens vibrations and impacts.

Ankle protection: Inside of the shoe goes higher up to provide your ankles with added protection from crank arm scrapes.

ToeTal-Protection: Toe caps to guard you from roots and rocks.

Pre-Shaped Heel: Provides stability and support.

Mesh material: Breathable material in non-critical areas

Lace Ports: Elastic loops to store tied shoelaces to prevent them from opening or getting caught in your drivetrain.

My experience

I can’t say anything bad about the grip of these shoes. Once you have found your footing on the pedals, it stays that way. Even in wet conditions, I did not slip once with the Scrub AMP. One thing that bothers me about the sole is that it is too rigid for my taste. It has its benefits not to feel each pin of the pedals poking your feet, but with the ION shoes, I can’t feel if I’m standing too far to the right/left/inside/outside of the pedal, which I normally can. From time to time I’ll look down at my pedals worriedly, but my position has not shifted the slightest. The upside to that is that the midsole absorbs all kinds of hits and vibrations. Not once did I land foot down and feel the impact all over my body, like it sometimes happens with thinner soles.

One feature I wouldn’t want to miss is the ankle protection. Because I like doing tricks where I take off one or both feet from the pedals, it sometimes happens that I scrape my ankle with the crank arm when landing such a maneuver. Needless to say, this hurts like hell without any kind of protection. Even when not doing tricks, I sometimes happen to stand too far on the inside of the pedals, and the protected ankle area dependably wards off bruises and scrapes.

I can’t provide a stress test for the toe caps, as I luckily managed to avoid dropping rocks or tools on my feet while building trails. I would be willing to bet that they have protected me from a number of smaller, loose rocks that I scared out of their natural habitat on the trail, however.

I also could avoid rolling my ankle during the test phase of one month, and the Traze AMP inspire a lot of confidence in that matter. But, when walking and rolling over, I sometimes felt the rigid material on the front press down on my toes uncomfortably. That should not be a problem though, unless you plan on taking long hikes with these shoes.

I did not notice any unpleasant effects such as cold feet or creation of a swamp biome in temperatures between 7 and 27 degrees Celsius. In my opinion, ION struck a good balance of protection and ventilation here.

Perhaps the simplest, but nonetheless my favorite feature are the lace ports. Once you make the very unpleasant experience of tangling your shoelaces in the drivetrain and crashing because of that entanglement, you always try to tuck your laces someplace safe. You either put them inside the shoe (which is uncomfortable) or fumble with them to get them out of the way every time, which is irritating and time-consuming. These shoes eliminate that problem by featuring an elastic loop to tuck away your laces. Genius.

Summary

PRO

Shoes seem to be pretty sturdy
Good ventilation
Ankle Protection on the inside
Pedal grip

CONTRA

Clunky looks (in my opinion, of course)
Soles are so rigid that you don’t feel where you’re standing on the pedals
Hard outer material can sometimes pinch your toes when walking