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