Category: Skateboarding Product Reviews

People, you know it’s freezing out there right now so let’s start the first of this year’s winter product reviews.

I have just received this bad boy from one of the leading clothing manufacturers out there at the moment, Element. I’m not gonna lie to you, this is one warm hoody, but damn, you wont need anything else all winter if own one of these, seriously. I’m thinking of training up a couple of huskies and heading North for the winter, it’s the warmest piece of clothing I’ve ever owned and I’m really stoked on it. It’s stretchy and comfortable, thick and snug, but the thing I like best is the simpleness of its flawless design and the welt snap pockets on the front is a super nice touch.

This will get me through another British winter in style and I can’t imagine it will set you back heaps of British quids. They’ve got lines in their ranges, don’t be fooled by brands with hype, these guys do a great job with skate fashion and you don’t have to break the bank to own a nice piece of clothing, so why not check out their Winter collection as you might just like it. look out for more Element gear here over the next week.

2P
Skate…Crawl…Walk

If there’s one thing I begrudge the elderly it’s their vice like grip on certain items of clothing. Admittedly I do have the upper hand when it comes to “not letting a bit of wee out” when I hear loud noises and with the possible exception of Christmas Day I manage to stay awake all day without a nap but that’s not the point; old people have been monopolizing certain styles of clothes and I’m not going to stand for it.

Take Cardigans for example. Someone, somewhere wondered what would happen if you created something that was halfway between wearing a jumper and NOT wearing a jumper at the same time and there you have it, a button up jumper was renamed and the rest is history. The only problem is those sneaky old bastards laid claim to it and the whole thing was relegated to pensioner-land faster than you can eat a Werthers Original or ask what’s going on in Murder, She Wrote…

But what would a world where cardigans aren’t the sole preserve of the elderly actually be like? Well wonder no more Crossfire fans… The endlessly rad folks over at Fourstar have obviously been asking the same question and have come up with the Ramsey.

A heavyweight knit, the Ramsey ticks all the right boxes; its comfortable, stylish, practical and in the face of the impending British Winter, that beautiful time of year characterized by the drop in rain temperature, its warm enough for those long walks back from the pub or waiting in the car with the dodgy heater praying for that wet car-park will dry up.

With a team that includes Mike Carroll, Rick Howard, Guy Mariano, Max Schaaf, The Gonz and Eric Koston plus having spent the past 13 years churning out consistently top notch gear, you know it’s going to be a legit affair, with some nice subtle Fourstar logos, high quality construction and a good fit, you won’t be disappointed. It even passes the girlfriend test which means that inevitably, sooner or later I’m going to lose it when she gets cold…

I’ve been on the lookout for a decent cardigan that fulfils all my fussy criteria for ages: Pockets, buttons, no zips, no hoods, no fake fur lining (seriously) and the Ramsey comes through on all counts. Admittedly it’s probably not for skating time but it has a classy looking understated vibe which would be perfect for après-skate beers or just loafing about.

Talk to your local skate shop to ask about ordering them in.

Dickfingers

Some things you just shouldn’t mess with. Things that have stood the test of time have usually done so for good reason and tinkering around with them rarely works out the way it should. Basically, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Half Cabs, for me, fall into this category as something so fundamentally ‘unfuckwithable’ that only idiots would argue otherwise. Thankfully, as Mrs Dickfingers is all too eager to point out, I am occasionally wrong and very often an idiot. This is one of those cases: Crossfire Fans, I present: the Half Cab Pro.

The boffins at Vans HQ deciding that an idiot wasn’t really worth listening to, decided to ignore my earlier statement and update the classic Half Cab, a shoe beloved by almost every skater out there, for a new generation. Bringing new colour ways, better quality materials and improved construction to the table, which can only be a good thing, they took something that was great to start with and improved it.

Having had a fair few pairs of Half Cabs in the past I knew roughly what to expect and was hoping for big things. I can happily report that I was definitely not disappointed. My only real gripe with the original was the foot bed, which I’m pleased to report has been changed from the unsupported insole to a reasonably thick, removable foam affair which provides a lot more support if you are a fan of hurling yourselves down and over things. (Or walking about comfortably in my case.) The shoe itself is very similar to the original although at a push you could say it is slightly thinner, more similar to the Syndicate Half Cabs than the originals themselves.

The waffle sole is as grippy and hardwearing as you would expect and overall the shoes “feel” like more attention has been put into the assembly process and gives the impression that they will last a bit longer than the originals which might go someway to justify the slightly elevated price tag. Over the last 6 months I have been happily rocking a pair of the Ray Barbee Colour ways, the black Urban Camo’s and am currently chuffed to be kicking about in the Tri Tone Grey (pictured).

These are definitely worth checking out if you are already a fan of the Cabs or if you are looking for something with a little bit more support than a low top.

If you like these, click here for a recent 20 yr shoe review.

Dickfingers

You’ve got to love the ever changing faces of skate fashion. If you said 10 years ago that you could go down the local spot and see skaters wearing skin tight bird jeans and shin high Velcro patent leather shoes people would have laughed until their flexfit cap fell off… But lo and behold here we are.

Thankfully, there are still some options out there for us regular normal folk, verging on the wrong side of chubby that don’t want fertility threatening legwear and shirts that wouldn’t look out of place in a German rave…

Fourstar Clothing have been steadily holding it down since 1996, clothing a team made up of a healthy selection of regular looking dudes with stylish, instantly wearable kit. The skaters on the team aren’t exactly known for their jazzy ensembles so you know you’re off to a good start with their signature line of denim, knits & shirts.

I was recently sent a pair of Rick Howard Signature Cords in Khaki, and have been rocking them more or less ever since. One of the highest regarded skaters Canada has produced, Howard is more likely to be remembered for nearly 20 years of solid video parts on Industry leading companies as opposed to “what the fuck is he wearing” calamities that haven’t escaped the likes of the Muska & Greco…

The cords themselves are like all the other Fourstar gear I’ve had, well made with some nice attention to detail with minimal Fourstar branding throughout. The embroidered signature logos and custom printed pocket liners are thoughtful touches and the black studs and buttons contrast nicely with the khaki which gives the feeling that a bit more thought has gone into them instead of just slinging Howard’s name on a rebranded pair of Walmart cords. It’s all about the details.

The only thing I would point out is that they are 100% cotton, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I would probably not skate in them as I have found that cords without that special 2% Lycra have a tendency to rip in the most unfortunate places at the most inopportune times. Like 5 minutes into a 4 hour session which presents the less than thrilling option of “skate with my arsehole hanging out” or “sit down.” What a lovely image to leave you with…

Check out the Fourstar site and talk to you local about ordering them in.

Dickfingers

When I saw these beauties on the web sitting there all alone last month I had to squint to see if they were either the ugliest shoes ever made, or indeed the answer to all of my recent questions. You see, I needed a shoe that I could wear out and not skate in, as i’m not that sort of bloke who wears high street shoes or sports shoes on the dance floor so these seemed like a possible solution. I felt guilty as I closed the browser to view something else on the web but as time went on that guilt became a problem so I had to pick up the phone and see if I could rescue them and find them a warm home.

The Raglan is listed as a Surf Shoe, an eco warrior that can stand the test of time even when built on water based inks and glues. You can’t obviously surf in them but what these do provide is a comfort zone after a shred as these bad boys are like pillows once you have them on your feet. They are the most comfortable shoes in my collection right now and are also light as a feather. I guess they are Vans’ take on the I-Path Cat’s but I always found the Cats to be heavy and also too wide once on your feet, but i guess you have to take into consideration that the Cats were built for skateboarding whereas these Raglan’s would disintegrate on day one if taken to grip tape.

These are totally built for the after party and have natural hemp and suede blend uppers and waste-free outsoles, making them the most comfortable party shoe we have been sent to date. Do your feet a favour and pick them up some of these this winter and remember; Vans were the original skateboard shoe, not just for Christmas.

Emilio Gonzales

20 years is a long time in skateboarding. To be honest, it’s a long time in our general existence. The fickle winds of fashions change, trends evolve and years later we’re all baffled how we made it out the house looking like we’d gotten dressed in the dark in Oxfam. However, some things don’t change. Some things hardly change at all and as the years go by, eventually everything else fades away and you’re left with an institution.

This year Steve Caballero celebrates the 20 year anniversary of the release of his debut pro shoe on Vans, the second signature shoe in skateboard history (the first being the Natas shoes by Etnies) and to celebrate this monumental achievement, the fine folks over at Vans have re released the two original colour ways in limited runs to mark the occasion. As I am pretty much down for all things Caballero related, I was stoked out of my simple little mind to get a fresh pair of the black suede/gray leather colour ways in the post and this is why.

Getting them out of the Croc skin effect box, there are some nice touches on the shoes; a cutting guide printed on the inside to convert them to Half Cabs, the “20” tab at the back, the dragon on the insole, the original toecap with the seam (dropped from the half cab in recent years) is included, which means that although you know these beauties would be amazing to skate in, they are more a nostalgic keepsake. Which is fine by me as I’m definitely not skating them, for a start I wouldn’t want to think about ruining them as they aren’t exactly abundant; as far as I know, they are a limited edition for this year which makes them even more special and means that you should definitely snap them up before it is too late.

I honestly can’t find anything wrong with them, but as previously stated I’d be at the front of the queue if Cab were selling farts in jam jars. The guy can do no wrong in my eyes, he has pushed skating for the last 33 years and is still actively involved in the industry, you can’t get more legit than that. Here’s to the next 20.

Dickfingers

The new Rowley 139

The man from Liverpool destroys everything in his way and has arguably the one most fearless approach to skateboarding that’s ever existed! Rowley is on his second pro truck for Independent and as one would expect, it’s another beautifully crafted set of hangers!

The stage 10 trucks are perfectly balanced between Indy’s famous fast action geometry, their classic look with lightweight hollow bodied hangers that have no hang up yoke and pivot cavity, as well as their well known rugged base plate.

The trucks features 356 T6 aluminium hangers and base plates with 4140 chromoly steel axles that come with reduced length rolled threads. Stage 10 also offers grade 8 kingpins which come with high-rebound cushions for a rapid response, something you know Independent does best and they never fail!

I’ve only had these for a couple of months, but they are really good and they certainly work well for my style of skateboarding. My last set of Indy’s were probably close to a year old before I swapped them for these and they had life in them yet! I skate on average 3-5 times a week, be it street, bowls, hips, ledges or rails and they’ve never failed me. I need full confidence in my trucks when I roll up to anything and Independent has always offered me that, so I’m down for life.

Guaranteed for life motherfucker!

2P
Crawl…Walk…Skate

Some people like to chill in skate shoes and others like to skate in chill shoes, these kicks are kind of in the middle of both categories. I totally believe equilibrium is the term that suits most.

Style wise, they are rather thin and being a classic old school shape, they certainly have more board feel than the average skate shoe.

On a technical note though, they have Element’s SPM (soft ply midsole) and C3 (cold connect construction) amongst the materials used to put together this shoe, thus meaning, you end up with simple footwear that has a strong sense of durability, support and cushioning without losing the aesthetics of it’s low profile design. If you add other features such as the reinforced layer under the vamp cam, a blind ollie fore panel and Element’s very own Grippy Tree S.A.P. thread pattern, then you might agree with me that this shoe offers a lot more than your average canvas and waffle mix.

I like these a lot, they do the job and I have no fear of heel bruising or toe bleeds, we all know the canvas looks good, but they don’t last long enough – these have both attributes. Go find your own way with them but note that Element’s latest offerings piss on the dire shoes they first came out with which can only be a good thing.

2P

Crawl…Walk…Skate

“I don’t know how many of you wannabe’s out there know of, or have seen the 1986 skate feature called Thrashin, if you haven’t, then technically you’re not really a skateboarder, you are merely the spawn of a trend that flushed over you whilst you had your dick in your hand and felt compelled to be part of something better than the masturbating club you loved so much!

Now, for the fucks out there who does know this masterpiece where Corey Webster leaves his hometown in preparation for the ultimate downhill in Los Angelas, ‘The L.A. Massacre’, you might remember a lot of things like skate jousting, ramp burning, Bozo’s cabriolet, Venice Beach trickery etc, but the one thing I always remember is when the owner of Smash Skates tempts Corey with a sponsorship deal by bouncing a Kryptonite 78A wheel in front of him like a tennis ball and then saying ‘Son, in the event of a nuclear bomb, this will be the only thing that survives!’.

It gets me every time and in many ways, I feel that Spitfire is that wheel, they’ve been around forever and I know they’ll be around for as long as we need wheels to ride skateboards!”

It’s not the first time I’ve rolled up a set of Spitfires and it wont be the last either, I’ve always backed the best in skateboarding for my own reasons, they fucking rule and they are responsible for this industry constantly moving forward.

Like most skate products over the years, every now and then a company send some of their goods to a surgeon of sorts and they come up with new ways to better the current lines, in this case, spitfire separated park wheels from street wheels and the results are phenomenal. Basically, these wheels are 100D and really tough. They slide nicely on any surface but I wouldn’t recommend riding them a too smooth surfaces as they wont grip and you’ll be the one sliding! I thought they would flat spot easily, but to my surprise, they haven’t yet and I’m about a month in already! They are a bit loud, but amongst traffic you’re merely a spec in the noise that pollutes our cities.

If you hit the streets often enough and feel that softer wheels hold you back, I would highly recommend these, they’re sick and you can be too!

2P

Skate…Crawl…Walk

Baker – Shake Junt 8”

The Baker Boys are never far off the scene with other projects in camel, there’s always something brewing and it’s normally a funny spin off or something non serious. I’ve never heard about this shake junting myself, but I’m older than you and skate 8” boards because I like them, not because everyone else does!

This board is pretty much as street as you get and I love the graphic, the green and gold reminds me of my local 7-11 corner shop where I spent most of my misled youth wasting my money on Street Fighter and Contra…money that tended to come from my moms wallet without her full consent. She knew what I was up too, but I guess she also knew I wasn’t spending it on heroin, this was a fix, but one with much less harmful consequences.

The overall shape is slightly sharpish, the nose and tail is not quite as round as I generally like my boards, but I don’t punch a gift horse, ever! I’m about 4-5 weeks in now and to be honest, I don’t even remember why I love a rounded nose and tail so much, it’s pure aesthetics and means less than you think! I’ve enjoyed this board just as much as any other board before it and I do think this deck has a good flip on it, it really scoops well, a quick flick and before you know it, it’s back under your waffle. Concave is slightly flattish, but I put that down to being more of a street nature.

Holla ya mums and beg your fathers, a Baker board is never a bad purchase, they’re good boards, an independent force and I also heard that 10% of all final purchases go to a rehabilitation centre somewhere in the Nevada Dessert which helps to bring skateboarders in despair get straightened out and back on their feet.

www.bakerskateboards.com for more.

Johnny Thunders