by Jacob Randolph
"What shoes should I get for skateboarding?" This is probably one of the more frequently asked questions in the skateboarding world, but before we answer this lets talk about some skateboard shoe history.
Skateboarders used to limp a lot more. If we go back a few decades before anyone had skate gear, before anyone looked so called skaterish, unless they were a skateboarder and you gazed downward at the telltale sign, his shoes looked as if they been received from a trash disposal. Duck tape flapped from toecaps, broken laces were tied together, Shoe goo was globbed onto the torn material, and depending whether they were goofy or regular footed, an Ollie hole was burnt into one side of the shoe, exposing sock or even bloody skin. Trashed shoes were like a war wound, evidence on how hard you skated, not something to be embarrassed about. And most skaters limped at least part of the time from heel bruises, an unavoidable injury that occurred when running tricks with shoes lacking proper shock absorption.
In the world of shoes designed for skateboarding there was basically only one serious contender. With their off the wall model, Vans concentrated on the grippyness of the sole. The company's vulcanized rubber waffle soles were like "melted gummy bears on the bottom of your feet."* Converse`s chuck Taylors were also popular due to their thin soles, but everything about them was thin and they could be ruined in a day of skateboarding.
 |
Vans were some of the first shoes specifically with skating in mind. |
In the late '80`s it didn't merely attract millions of alternative kids, it evolved from soulful, stylish cruising to a punker trick orientated activity that gave birth to modern street skating (although some still stuck to what became modern longboarding.) And the limping began. Skaters were jumping off ledges, blasting airs in pools, popping boneless over stairs and naturally...bailing. Heel bruises, jacked shins, twisted ankles, and smashed toes forced skaters to cross over and seek out footwear that offered the needed protection.
Some skaters were advancing so quickly into unpredictable territory that their equipment couldn't keep up with the new demands. The pioneers of shoe development often carried bulk packages of shoe laces because they shredded so quickly and were artists who could bring a shoe back from the dead with Shoe goo and a few feet of duck tape. By 1986 Nike air Jordan's, a basketball shoe, arguably became the most popular skate shoe. Not because they were getting padded (they weren't) but because the shoes were designed to absorb shock, provide lateral support, and withstand the stress of the cutting and slashing of pro basketball players. And even then the shoes blew out quickly from Ollie's and knee sliding. They were far from the perfect skate shoe but the design was a step in the right direction.
Airwalk challenged Vans in the late 80s by advertising skate specific problems with their footwear designs. They had Velcro lace protectors and developed a multi colored high top sneaker built off the Jordan's that had a rubber pattern around the Ollie area. This was the first bulky leather shoe that could withstand the wear and tear of skating without needing globs of Shoe goo. Unfortunately, most skaters were forced to dissect them and do everything from microwaving them to cutting slats through the soles to improve flexibility. They were prefect for about one week before they were completely worn out. Regardless, they were a vast improvement over basketball shoes, and suddenly everyone wore them. Vison also released padded shoes designed for skating. These popular designs were the first few pebbles that started the great shoe avalanche that would rumble into malls and skate shops around the world.
 |
| Adding rubber like this to your soles can increase the life of your shoes. |
Shoe soles will eventually wear out, a few company's have attempted to make money on this problem, like the Phat Deanz BrakeSoulz and the Roger Bros. Brake soles. You can also get free rubber samples online. All you need to do it cut out the shape of your shoes and glue them on with Shoe goo or something similar to the sole of your shoes.
 |
| These days there are many styles of shoes that people use to skate in. |
These days there are so many choices for footwear that people don't know what to pick. The short answer is whatever feels good on your feet. Some popular brands are: Vans, Etnies, Converse, and cheep Walmart shoes. The main factors people usually look for are toe protection, a thick sole, and padding around the ankle, but the most important is that it feels comfortable to you on your feet. I can not stress this enough, if you are riding in something uncomfortable you are likely to kill your self...
So grab your kicks, your helmet, your board and go skate!
* just_bring_it_uk on skate-city.com
References:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Post a comment.