Category: Skateboarding Product Reviews

In all honesty my feet had not graced a pair of I-Path‘s for more than 10 years. When the Cats came out in 1998 they changed the way skate shoes could feel, they were actually really comfortable instead of flat and unprotected, in fact so comfortable that skating in them was a dream but buying a spare pair for chilling in was also a must thanks to Matt Field’s vision.

A decade later the Langston turn up in a box shipped from up North and my feet are feeling exactly the same way as my debut. There’s no breaking-in to be done here, they slip straight on with no fuss and are ready to go straight out of the box bringing what can only be described as instant comfort, a happiness that can only come from an I-Path shoe.

These latest kicks backed by Timberland are made of suede but do come in a coffee hemp finish and look dope. They come with a volcanised sole, organic cotton stitching and of course the trademark stash pocket under the tongue so you can hide your personals.

The suede versions feel and look like moon boots due to their soft feel and bold gray and white colourways, so expect your first mission in these to be out of this world! Go hunt these down as they are the perfect skate shoe for when the sun is shining.

Emilio Gonzales

Our good friend French has been busy as ever. This month his latest art for Independent Trucks makes it onto cotton and can be found in stores right now.

Mischief has the latest Indy tee designs online so go there and pick one up.

The last pair of éS I skated in were the Square One’s, a great shoe based on the classic Accel, but since then the penchant has been for slimmer, more basic designed shoes. Here’s where the Edward comes in. Designed by Danny Garcia, you know this means the Edward is made purely for skateboarding. Like his skating style, Danny’s shoe is no frills, very much a ‘do the job and do it well’ shoe. The simple construction and one-piece toe will always get my seal of approval as there’s just nothing to go wrong, and the super smooth suede leather definitely stands up to the wear and tear that any griptape can throw at it.

The toe on these feel a lot more pointy than shoes of a similar design, which will appeal to the masses into their flip-trickery, but for those cursed with feet as massive as mine you may find the ends squeezing your toes until they wear in. They didn’t take long to get really comfy though, and they still look smart enough that you could get away with wearing them to your Nan’s house when your Mum drags you there on a Sunday.

Probably the only thing that lets the Edward down is the tiny thin leather laces they come with. I don’t mind a skate shoe looking a bit more smart than the rest, but the laces are very thin and feel like they might snap at any second, even just tying them up. So far they’re holding out well, but a little wear and they look like they’ll disintegrate. Thankfully most shoes thesedays come with 2 pairs in the box anyway so you should be fine. Other than that though, the Edward is exactly what you’re after if you need a slim, strong, basic shoe that will last you a good long while.

éS have been making shoes longer than you’ve been alive (probably) and Danny Garcia knows exactly what should go into a great pair of skate shoes, and the Edward’s prove just that. Go get some.

Moose

Every year Spring turns up and instantly I always feel as though I need a whole bunch of new clothes. Last year’s hoodies are currently awash with cherry holes and are scarred with the stretch marks and rips from sliding out of tricks weekly with general wear and tear so when this Haven hood has brought some sunshine to my wardrobe which was much needed.

Firstly, this light blue number is lightweight and perfect for Spring sessions and not a fleece as us Brits know them, it’s just warm enough to keep the cold out and not too heavy to make you sweat your arse off. I guess that has something to do with the 60% cotton and 40% polyester blend but whatever the stats are it works well. The two tone zip is the highlight as you don’t see many zips with colour splits, it’s a feature that also gets recognised every time I wear this so props to the éS designers as it works a treat.

They are also available in Grey, Blue and Red colours and retail about £54 in stores, overall this is recommended, go find one.

Emilio Gonzales

There are some people out there that think headphones aren’t all that important. There are some people who think that the headphones you get with your iPod are cool and there’s no point buying any others. These people, clearly, do not listen to good music.

I love bassy music. If the joint doesn’t have a booming bassline, then I ain’t really interested. So when I got these Coloud headphones I knew immediately that the only way to test them out was to blast out some heavier-than-heavy tunes and see how they held up. Thankfully, within 10 seconds of the drop, my eardrums were being pounded and the head was nodding. So tick that off on the list.

Next up, if you’re going to wear big over-the-ear headphones, you don’t want to end up looking like a Cyberman from Dr Who. Nuh-uh, no Sir. So, as a comic book geek, having the choice of Hulk, Wolverine, X-Men and Iron Man was like being offered all the sweets in the world. I opted for Hulk as I liked the idea of having the big Green machine pounding on my ears whilst I listened to the music.

Coloud are also available in Star Wars, Fame and, if you’re like, 12 years old and a girl, Hello Kitty. At £34.99 they’re not too expensive and they most certainly do their job. If you can look cool and enjoy your music instead of the banal chatting on the train home and not have to pay a shedload of money for it, you’re on the right track.

Double thumbs up.

Abjekt.

Having only really skated in very slim fitting shoes recently, it felt very odd putting these Etnies Thunder Barge’s on at first. After a few strolls down the shops in them though, I was glad of the extra padding in these Arctic conditions we’ve been having recently.

Feet nicely warm and snug inside, I set about trying to skate in them. Not an easy feat when it’s -3degrees outside, icy as a cold day in Hell, and a layer of snow just thick enough to make national news as a ‘disaster’. The only disaster here is that there’s not a dry patch of concrete for miles so skating is a no go. That is until I get desperate enough for a shred to annoy the neighbours and utilise the massive expanse of concrete warehouse that is my flat. Game of Skate to keep warm then!

With just enough room to stab a very pushes in, I can tell you the soft orange rubber sole gives excellent grip, even on painted concrete. Whilst not to everyone’s taste, the bright colour on the bottom will certainly get you noticed should you fall over feet-up in a snowdrift.

Even though these shoes aren’t advertised as mids, the ankle does feel slightly higher than normal. Not a bad thing as the extra support is always welcome, and it’s not so padded that you feel trapped inside them. The general styling does look very similar to Chukka Lows; it seems a lot of shoe companies are going with the old time-tested designs because they just work much better than anything else. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it as the say.

How Thunder contributed to the collaboration process on these is anyone’s guess. Other than their logo printed on the heel, which has gained more than one “Why are you wearing Greenday shoes?” comment, I can’t see anything. Not that it matter, Etnies know what’s up in the shoe department and this is the first pair of them that I’ve truly liked. Solid toe construction, always a thumbs-up from me.

I’d suggest swapping out the hiking boot style laces for thick whites straight away though to get these looking super-fresh. Etnies have won me over slightly to the thicker, more padded skate shoe, definitely until I stop seeing white rooftops and the lovely grey dry concrete colour comes back to us in the Spring.

Moose

Admittedly Winter probably isn’t the best time to try and review a skateboard however this new team board from Heathen rocked up just after Christmas and after a few weeks of incessant snow and realising that it probably wasn’t going to bugger off any time soon, I made the unavoidable decision to set it up and skate it anyway.

Like it or not, this time of year invariably means that you’re going to be skating indoors so accepting the inevitable, I hit up Pioneer in St Albans, safe in the knowledge that I should make the most of it as I would probably only be skating once a week for the foreseeable future.

This is the first Heathen board I’ve ridden and comes with an Easter Island Head graphic. A few people I skate with have shredded them in the past and fortunately there’s only been good reports. It’s on the bigger side of the scale clocking in at 8.25 but weight and size seems sturdy and the beast flies when you put your foot down. The concave is surprisingly mellow for a bigger deck which personally I prefer as it lends itself to my preferred terrain: mini ramp skating and a flip trick every other week.

Heathen don’t particularly market themselves to ballet dancing ledge worriers so I can’t say if there are too many boards under the 8″ mark although this model comes in a 7.75″ but if you’re into bigger boards on English companies you should check out your local or hit up Rollersnakes to get one online.

Click here for the Heathen catalogue and enjoy their favorite street rat Lewis Threadgold, footage by Phil Harvey:

Dickfingers

Lewis Threadgold Heathen Edit from PhilH on Vimeo.

(Bobby Worrest)

A body warmer with arms equals a good idea, especially in the winter we’ve been having. This little puffer produced by éS through the vision of one Bobby Worrest, is a perfect little number for a midwinter’s game of H.O.R.S.E!

I’m not gonna lie here, I’ve not actually taken mine out for a shred, because to tell you the truth, it’s been too cold and I don’t want to skate in this shit weather; however, I have been putting it to good use on my bicycle and it’s really been a life saver in that field! Its lightweight construction and nylon shell keeps the cold wind from piercing through, whilst the fleece lining inside traps and stores body heat to keep you nice and warm throughout your arctic challenge.

If you then factor in the lightweight construction, added hood and front welt pockets to keep your mitts from freezing, then you will have to agree with me that this has to be a very strong contender for skateboarding (or other outdoor activities) in these treacherous conditions we’re currently experiencing!

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