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3.29.99 If the Shoe Fits Shoes, shoes, shoes. I don't understand what all the commotion is about. The photo issue of Transworld contains 21 individual ads for shoes. Pros have signature models, and the industry peddles them like they're the answer to your problems. So what do I have on my feet you ask? Yes, I do have shoes on but more about that in a minute. Long ago when I started skating, you basically had three choices. First, and probably the most popular were Vans. Yeah, we're talking old school, paper thin canvas, and very little cushion between your feet and the board. You could also buy Airwalks, very similar to Vans, but with a little more sole. The only other option was to go to the local market, and pick up a pair of Converse. Now most skaters would cringe at the prospect of lacing any of these to their feet, but back in the day these were the butta's. These shoes were far from perfect however, and a couple hard sessions left them worn and scarred. Ollie holes were usually patched up with duct tape, laces broke, and heels were bruised. Also the soles in these things wore down super fast, leaving even less cushion between your feet and the hard concrete. As skating progressed, so did skate shoes. Airwalk began to beef up their models with rubber ollie areas, thicker soles, and long-wearing leather. Vans were making shoes out of leather, but their shoes still had the same old school setup. Converse faded away, and Adidas were seen on the feet of a few pros. Also, high top shoes came into vogue, with ankle support as its selling point. Soon a new company emerged, and offered a durable model that sold well. Yes, I'm talking about Etnies. It's first model was beefy, with a huge rubber ollie area, thick leather, and padded high top uppers. These shoes were tanks, and took anything a rider could dish out. Yet, the winds of change are always raging, and the shoe wars continued. About the time of the first Plan B video, riders threw away their ankle support and embraced shoes which gave them more freedom of movement. Low tops were back, and the shoe companies followed suit. Airwalks returned to their old school traditions, Vans cranked out half cabs, and Adidas remained popular. Here again, a new company popped up with a low top model. This company kept it Simple, and made a basic, nothing special shoe. Between then and now, shoe companies have continued to spring up, split up, or refocus their attention elsewhere. It doesn't seem all that easy to make a pair of shoes, but the market is booming, shoe prices are high, and risk is low. This translates into a huge number of people trying to cash in on this accessory. The focus for shoes today is flashy. Style is probably the main reason people buy a particular model today. Most models share a low top design, some sort of heel cushion, and a rubber ollie area. Some models trick their shoes out with clear windows, reflective bumps, lace savers, and stylish trim. The cost for all these extras, is surprising, most shoes like this average $75. So what am I wearing, well, I just can't get away from my old school ways. For years I've tried to hold on, and buy $30 low top Airwalks, now available at local chain stores. Airwalk's sellout ways made me upset, because they no longer focused on skate shoes. One day my friend bought a pair of Nice Skate Shoes(NSS). They were too small for him, so he sold them to me for $40. At first they were too bulky for me, but soon the abuse wore them down, and now they're like my old Airwalks, floppy, responsive, and grippy. No, this is not a plug for Nice, but I have to thank them for giving me a shoe where performance comes first. Where will the next five years take us? Will we see a reemergence of high tops? Will floppy soles come back? Who knows, but for now, disregard style, and buy the shoe designed for how you skate. Well, that's all I gotta say about that. All this shoe talk is making my feet itch. I'm goin riding. See Ya! |