In the time I’ve been skating, I’ve gone had a complete revolution in the shoe and deck departments. From skating super skinny decks and moonboot style shoes when I started, it’s taken me until now to get comfortable with as wide a deck as possible and the slimmest shoes I can find.
I always think shoes are the critical choice. If you can’t feel your board through those soles then you have no idea what is going on. Having sung the praises of the Emerica Laced not so long ago, I was really keen to get my flippers into a pair of the Reynolds Cruisers as they looked to follow the same simple construction and design.
The first thing that really surprised me with them was how heavy the sole was. Seriously, the weight on these things shocked me as they look very light, but the vulc sole is a really solid bit of rubber. Quickly though, I realised this was a good thing. What let the Laced down was the sole being almost too thin and the inevitable heel bruises that come with it. The Cruisers have beefed up the sole to give you that confidence that no matter how hard you skate that day, you’ll still be able to walk home. The general construction is solid on these too. One-piece toes on skate shoes get rid of the problem of ripped stitching, there’s nothing to snag or wear away and they’re always more comfortable to wear. The same goes for thin laces too, keep them small and out the way and they will never snap.
Despite the thicker sole, the Cruisers still have great board feel and the small amount of cushioning around the ankle is just enough to fill you with confidence that you’re not going to tweak yourself easily. The suede has been taking a serious punishing from recent skates and there still isn’t a mark on it.
Although it might just be me and my freakish feet, but I found that wearing these a half or even whole size smaller than you would normally wear definitely helps. They have a tendency to flop around your foot if you don’t get a snug fit, and the suede will always stretch out to fit better anyway. Other than that, Reynolds has done it again with a simple, strong shoe that will last for ages.
Moose