OK, let’s get straight to the point. These shoes are probably the best that Globe have brought out in years. When Appleyard decided to swich to them he obviously had more in mind than the monthly cheque because these shoes are ideal for skateboarding. How do we know that? Because we have skated in them and they rock.
They are fairly small on the foot which is great of control and the sole is built so you can feel every bit of grip on your tape with the combination of suede/nubuck upper. They have optional bottom and top lace protectors, they are triple stitched, have a double layered toe box and ollie patch, a breathable air mesh tongue, internal tongue stabilizers. It’s a winner, so go try them out on your feet. Oh and if you wanted to design your own pair of these, go here
Finnan Crispy
Depending on what floats your boat when it comes to the design of skate shoes, you must remember that they were originally built for skateboarding but when i opened the box and these lay there, i must admit i thought, dammit, it’s a fashion shoe and not really my thing personally….until i got them on! Firstly, being a person that usually skates in a flat sole, they were high but they also make you walk like you are on the moon….bit by bit with a walk to the shops i realised that they were seriously comfortable. But when put to the test, they are the best street skating shoes i have worn to date. These were surely built to spill heel bruises as there is so much protection there at the back end that it’s surely gonna be on your side when it comes down to running out of stuff.
Seeing as Savier pulled the plug on their shoe manifesto a while ago, you probably won’t be able find these shoes anywhere. That’s a shame because I think they are one of the best pairs I’ve ever owned. When I first slipped my size 10.5s into these they were tight. Not ‘tight’ in the slang way, ‘tight’ in the Cinderella silver slipper style. However, this loosened up and soon the Freemont was moulded to my foot shape. I took advantage of the hidden lace hoops, but applied a bit of Shoe-Goo to the side seams because new griptape and cotton don’t mix. Now, the best bit about these Savier kicks is the fact that I’ve been skating with them all through Summer, so that means a lot of skating has gone down, and all they have to show for wear is an insignificant hole on the side and a little bit of the underfoot that has worn away! In my books that is pretty amazing when you know that some shoe models on the market are dead in less than 3 weeks. Too bad Savier pulled the plug because they were definitely using some good materials…
We were there – where the fuck were you? You missed some of the best bowl skating that there’s been in this country. The weather was off the hook, the beer was flowing and fun was had by all who were there. Saturday morning was the turn of the unsponsored crew and it certainly wasn’t boring. Complete gnarl with James emerging winner after a serious assault on the bowl. Their followed a best trick comp in the afternoon with Nicky Cornell Frontside blunting the vert wall and F-S 5-0 to fakie round the bowl corner as well as Ben Raemers, Carl Wilson and Mattias Nylen all going ballistic. Saturday nights partying was predictably riotous and a Skinny man gig provided the venue for our misbehavior. Woody was probably the worst for wear but that’s a big claim considering the state of the whole crew! The next morning it was the turn of the old boys aka ‘masters’ and they rose to the occasion entertaining the crowds with some ‘back to the old school’ routines. Names such as Dave Davies, Gary Lee, Trawler and Barry Abrook were all in attendance and were encouraged by their mate MC Sean Goff on the mic (often whilst skating too.) Not that it matters but Pete Dosset was a clear winner making almost everything he tried first go including a stupidly good invert to fakie on the vert. Sunday afternoon was hotting up, both in terms of weather and skating as the event neared its grand finale. It was pure carnage but if you weren’t there you’ll never know, neither pictures nor video could show the pure mentalness and frenzy that went down in the final jam of the day. Trick lists just aren’t appropriate here, needless to say Mattias did a ridiculous transfer, Raemers learnt about 3 new tricks in his runs and Cornell skated faster than anyone else. After this Goffy pulled together one of the most ridiculous best trick comps I’ve ever seen while the judges totalled scores. When the dust settled it looked like this:
1: Mattias Nylen
Since when did the whole Abec numbering matter? I thought it had been proven that the Abec rating was irrelevant to everyday skating. Oh well, for your information, Consolidated have re-released the Filter bearings in Abec 5 mode and regular bearings in Abec 7. Perhaps the 7’s are better for contests because you won’t have to push so much. I don’t think Alan Petersen pushes at all, he just charges! Anyway, a nice thing (if you can call it that) is that the Filter models release all their crappy oil after a few rolls around, so you can clean them easier and let the bearing breathe. Do bearings have to breathe? Apparently so, but with absent oil, a rattling noise can soon be heard…
Antiz are smart fellas because they know skaters are skint. So, in order to supply goods to the masses prices need to be cut. Antiz have just released 3 team model decks (7.5, 7.75, 8) that will retail at around £30. My favourite graphic has to be either the black panther or the ‘Manara’ comic inspired graphic. However, the best shape probably belongs to the larger boards. In any case, if you are broke and tempted to buy a dodgy second hand deck, save yourself and support a real skate company by fishing out one of these offerings.
If anyone is all about skateboarding then it’s Anti-Hero, and if anyone has supporters that like to carve and slash around it’s Anti-Hero. This is a big axe for those who reminisce about boards from the past. Apart from being nice and wide, this deck also comes with a long square nose for you to get your grip to as you throw down a dog pisser.
The second I received this deck, I knew I would like it. It might seem superficial, but those graphics make me smile- A tree made of ants. (Eothen have also got a dope logo of some dudes sleeping upright which can be found on other products c.f. Wheels).
The ‘Sky High’ is a dope mid-top shoe that is ready to skate from the get go. It’s my second attempt at riding Lakai skate shoes and so far I’m pretty pleased. No funky bubbles, lace savers or bottle openers- Just comfortable and functional skate shoes. Ok, the laces snapped and the sole wore through a bit quicker than usual, but the ollie areas are solid and the shoe doesn’t go all soft on you after a couple of hours. I liked them and I think you will too!