Ok so I've been skating my 808s exclusively for few weeks and it seems the collar/lining (?) part of the shoe has loosened quite a bit and while the rest of the shoe feels really firm and fitting, the collar/rear area feels like theres plenty of side movement for my foot that I dont really like. I really hope it is just the materials used in this colorway (blk/wht/red) because I have two pairs in different cw to be skated and really like the shoe. Anyone else experienced this? My last pair was 440 and it has less padding around heel and ankle and possibly has better/closer fit on that area because of that?
I hope you can use some of this to get more utility out of your shoes. Pardon the rambling post.
I’ve skated quite a few pairs of different colors and materials. I’d like to share my experience as it relates to the heel area loosening.
For me, the first several sessions I rock them almost untied and it’s quite comfy and snug-fitting. As they break in, that area you described definitely loosens up, and the overall fit is affected. I actually like it when it loosens up, as I have an easier time popping my heel flips, for some reason.
Once it’s noticeably loosened, I incrementally tighten my laces from session to session. This seems to work out really well for me. By the end of their life, I’m using the top eyelet and doing the runner’s heel-lock lacing pattern that was posted on here awhile back. This does completely kill the aesthetics of the puffy-tongue thing because the tongues won’t poke out in front of your jeans. Its a shame: I like that look.
So far it seems to happen at different stages for different colors and materials, more quickly in the softer suede variants.
For me the 808s are great. However they do break-in over time, and their fit and performance does change. I skate daily, and it’s mostly curbs, ledges and flat. After 6 weeks they often feel blown-out or the soles are worn through. That’s when I heap praise upon the Almighty SLAP and its Sale Gear thread.