Not going to lie, my Mercers looked so much like Halfcabs everybody I know spontaneously started calling them the State Halfcabs. I kind of like being able to skate in similar shoes all the while supporting something closer to the culture than fucking Vans though.
To me States are your basic skater's skate shoe with all the practical fundamentals totally covered, and I find that they have the accompanying look; they look like something their target demographic would want to skate in, often reminding me of I-Path, all the while giving me flashbacks of some of the best Sole Tech models in terms of comfort and the Vans pro series in terms of durability.