Category: Skateboarding Product Reviews

With Spring giving us all it has to bring us sunshine and dry pavements maybe it’s time to refresh those kicks and treat your feet to a new pair of shoes. HUF have a great selection up for grabs right now but their simple pro shoe for Brad Cromer have not gone unnoticed.

These come packed with a re-enforced rubber toe cap and heel for ollie abuse and general impact. You know the ones – the ones that HUF put on a skate shoe only to be copied by Converse. The ones that forced this letter/advert back in 2014 when Hufnagel’s crew called them out hard.

These simple summer kicks come in either leather or canvas and need a little bit of time to break in but when they go, it’s cushioned feet time for you as a bonus for supporting a skater owned company which is your only job as a skateboarder. Find them in your local skater owned shop.

Commonwealth join REAL in their quest to embarrass the most embarrassing president of the United States of America of all time. These Darth Idious decks and stickers are coming soon. The first of a series.

It depends on what floats your boat of course as we are all different and appreciate different styles of skate shoe, but if you are looking to upgrade from a flimsy vulc into a shoe with protection, style and solid support straight out of the box then the etnies Jameson XT should be paid a visit.

After wearing a bunch of Lakai MJ’s for what seems like forever, the XT’s were a big change in how my feet were supported. Not to say the MJ’s were outclassed, it’s just a different experience that my plates met with joy. Total comfort with solid support.

These come with a hidden toe cap and when etnies say it’s hidden, they mean it. You can’t even identify it on first look but as a feeling when on, you can tell the entire shoe has a structure that holds everything in place – an extra layer of protection that you can’t ignore, but it doesn’t weigh the shoes down whatsoever. They are super light, snug and allow your feet to mold into the foam midsole like a dream. The best part of this after wearing them for a while now is that they have not lost their shape yet either, which most shoes sadly sign up for after frequent use. Essentially, these are built to spill.

Supporting a skater owned shoe company as a skateboarder should be your primary task when kitting yourself out, especially when the likes of Soletech who boast 30 years of in house technology research for skateboarding are making shoes this advanced for us. Scout them out and treat your feet to the XT this Spring, you will not regret it.

Following the classic re-issue of Sal Barbier’s SAL 23 last year, éS are back with another re-make of his 1996 signature shoe, the SLB.

Coming in shapes as a standard and a mid, these leather and suede mixed gems are made for skateboarding with Soletech classic STI Open Cell Foam insole for your hard working feet to appreciate on impact and of course, the neoprene sock to absorb any slip. Nerds will know that éS were the first to roll out this concept in skateboarding shoes, made by skateboarders, for skateboarders.

Check your local skateshop this week for a delivery.

Have a minute of new Ben Raemer’s footage and his new Maaaaate Wheel for OJ that was inked by London illustrator Rob Matheison.

His new PROJ’s are 54mm and come with a coozie to secure your beverage of choice. Ask your local skateshop for a set.

Lakai’s latest Riley Hawk shoe is well worth considering for the months ahead. As with most of Lakai’s signature range kicks, these were comfy straight out of the box and feel like they are there to support you 100%, not surprising though considering when Hawk was designing these as they are based on both a mix of the old Marc Johnson shoe that is now called the Daly, mixed with their rad Camby shoe and the Owen. If you know all three kicks, then you should be aware of how comfortable and durable these are when on your feet.

I much prefer a slim skate shoe with a vulc so this ticks all the boxes and also come with what Lakai call ‘luxe-lite insoles’. As soon as your feet hit them they carve out their own shape. The fact they are made by skateboarders, for skateboarders is also a bonus in this day and age of sheep wearing sports shoes. Plenty of different colorways on offer too. What more do you need?

Not a bad haul for a days work. Danny Brady‘s new Lakai shoe drops this week in those special Anchor Skateshops only, and they look like a huge upgrade on his last Belmont shoe in terms of design. Search them out.

Magenta Fall 2016 decks are heading to your local skate shop soon with graphics by Soy Panday including a Matt Field guest board, and an Antoine Riviere guest artist deck – all available in multiple sizes.

There is also a new selection of Magenta clothing and accessories in limited numbers also available.