The contribution of the directly transmitted ions to ion heating in the low-Mach number oblique shock is determined analytically. We derive approximate expressions for the pressure tensor inside the ramp of a low-Mach number low-&bgr; shock. In the thin shock limit the ion state equation p∝n3 is recovered within the ramp, which corresponds to the complete demagnetization of ions and effective one-dimensional behavior. We derive the estimate for the maximum downstream temperature of the heated ion distribution, which depends only on the magnetic compression ratio and cross-shock potential, and may be verified observationally.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union