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Skateboarding => Shoes & Gear => Topic started by: yourbreakfsat on February 01, 2021, 01:38:31 PM
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Information provided by tiktok/reddit, and confirmed by some other Vans employees in their Vans discord server. Apparently the line of black/white Vans (with the little checkermark tags) that just released is the first step into doing this.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Vans/comments/la6mol/the_vans_pros_will_soon_be_gone_we_have_gotten/
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how much will the new pros be?
(Leaked?)Photos of a couple of the Skate Classic pairs.
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/660667408071262221/805807650943533076/image1.png)
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/660667408071262221/805807650557788180/image0.png)
The pair in the first image is already released:
https://www.vans.com/shop/mens-shoes-skate/skate-sport-director-blue
Completely redesigned with skaters in mind, the all-new Skate Classics line delivers more of what skaters need to enable maximum progression. Made with a fully revised upper, molded heel counter, locked-in tongue straps, and a recut of the DURACAP™ underlay, the Skate Classics Sport offers an essential fit that is more breathable and durable where skaters need it most. The two-part foxing, featuring a tougher toe knurl, ensures heightened board contact, and the redesigned gum rubber sole that made Vans famous has been further elevated with the SICKSTICK™ rubber compound plus an internal heel shank to deliver more grip, more boardfeel, more support, and more durability. Along with a new sidewall finish, POPCUSH™ sockliners for superior cushioning and impact protection, and old school V sidestripes, the new Skate Classics Sport gives you the iconic look you want—with all the performance benefits that real skaters demand. It is made with sturdy suede and leather uppers. •
NEW SKATE CLASSICS - An iconic style engineered specifically for skateboarding. •
FULLY REVISED UPPERS - Made with sturdy suede and leather, and featuring locked-in tongue straps and two-part foxing for heightened board contact. •
LEGENDARY GRIP - Our new, proprietary SICKSTICK™ gum rubber compound has been elevated to the next level of grip and durability. •
POPCUSH™ CUSHIONING - Our standard best-in-class upgrade, the new POPCUSH™ insoles snap back and won’t pack, providing impact protection and custom energy return for any type of skating. •
UNRIVALED DURABILITY - Reinforced DURACAP™ underlays and are built to withstand the daily abuse of skateboarding.
Sucks that they're raising the price since the low price is one of their strong points, but at least Vans go on sale all the time. I don't really see what problems they're solving as I thought the tongue straps were already standard. IMO it seems they're looking for nonexistent problems?
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Doesn't look like the increases are happening? That "Skate Sport" ($70 on vans.com) looks like the update to the former "Epoch Sport Pro" (Was $75 on vans.com)
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The price raises appear to be happening and CCS is one place where it is live already. As we see them trickle into shops, I'm sure we can compare what shops will stick to this supposed NEW suggested MSRP $ jump. Maybe CCS is one of the only places to put that price tag on it?
CCS: https://shop.ccs.com/shoes/vans?order=newest
EDIT: These shops also have the new price on the 'Skate' models they did order so I think it's likely to be confirmed
Skate Warehouse, Uprise, Bluetile SC
Seems like:
Old Skool is a $10 increase
Sk8-Hi is a $15 (yikes) increase
Authentic, Era, Slip-On are a $5 increase
The Sk8-Hi should not be more than $80, in my opinion. The others... I'm on the fence with their new price tags.
Maybe, since the "Skate Sport" is a newer model/addition/re-addition, it didn't get the price bump? Not sure, but it hasn't been in the Pro Classics line as long as the others, that's why I think it didn't go up. Maybe they dropped the price on that one because it's "less shoe" than Old Skool but more than the Slipon, Era, Authentic?
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don't know about anyone else but i really don't like the elastic that is being added to a lot of shoes for the tongue. i've never really had an issue with the tongue not staying centered (i thought that's what tongue straps were for anyway), and the way they sit against my feet in shoes just feels super odd. wonder how it would affect overall construction if i cut the bands out.
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The price raises appear to be happening and CCS is one place where it is live already. As we see them trickle into shops, I'm sure we can compare what shops will stick to this supposed NEW suggested MSRP $ jump. Maybe CCS is one of the only places to put that price tag on it?
CCS: https://shop.ccs.com/shoes/vans?order=newest
EDIT: These shops also have the new price on the 'Skate' models they did order so I think it's likely to be confirmed
Skate Warehouse, Uprise, Bluetile SC
Seems like:
Old Skool is a $10 increase
Sk8-Hi is a $15 (yikes) increase
Authentic, Era, Slip-On are a $5 increase
The Sk8-Hi should not be more than $80, in my opinion. The others... I'm on the fence with their new price tags.
Maybe, since the "Skate Sport" is a newer model/addition/re-addition, it didn't get the price bump? Not sure, but it hasn't been in the Pro Classics line as long as the others, that's why I think it didn't go up. Maybe they dropped the price on that one because it's "less shoe" than Old Skool but more than the Slipon, Era, Authentic?
I think those all black with white stitching ones were some sort of upgraded material though right, like a more heavy duty canvas alternative? So that was an upcharge in price? We'll see what the true price comparison is whenever we see the classic black/white and navy colorways in suede/canvas I bet.
Side note, people are complaining about an $85 Sk8-Hi, but are fine with the SB Blazer Mids that are always $85 or more, despite being a simpler shoe than the Sk8-Hi? Blazers have a simple sheet insole, hollowed out rubber ribs under the heel for that heel-raise, and simpler paneling... while the Sk8-Hi has a thicker molded foam insole instead of the rubber ribs, and more going on with the panels and duracap and such. Just something I found interesting, how Nike fans are cool with that price for less of a shoe.
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don't know about anyone else but i really don't like the elastic that is being added to a lot of shoes for the tongue. i've never really had an issue with the tongue not staying centered (i thought that's what tongue straps were for anyway), and the way they sit against my feet in shoes just feels super odd. wonder how it would affect overall construction if i cut the bands out.
Ive cut the bands out on a couple pairs of pro models in the past, for me its more comfortable
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don't know about anyone else but i really don't like the elastic that is being added to a lot of shoes for the tongue. i've never really had an issue with the tongue not staying centered (i thought that's what tongue straps were for anyway), and the way they sit against my feet in shoes just feels super odd. wonder how it would affect overall construction if i cut the bands out.
Yes quite a few people just straight up cut out the elastic completely, but I have not had an issue with it in some shoes I had, going back a while the AV skate low being the main ones.
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the tongue on the half cab moves around a lot, doesnt bother me that much to justify a $10+ increase
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The price raises appear to be happening and CCS is one place where it is live already. As we see them trickle into shops, I'm sure we can compare what shops will stick to this supposed NEW suggested MSRP $ jump. Maybe CCS is one of the only places to put that price tag on it?
CCS: https://shop.ccs.com/shoes/vans?order=newest
EDIT: These shops also have the new price on the 'Skate' models they did order so I think it's likely to be confirmed
Skate Warehouse, Uprise, Bluetile SC
Seems like:
Old Skool is a $10 increase
Sk8-Hi is a $15 (yikes) increase
Authentic, Era, Slip-On are a $5 increase
The Sk8-Hi should not be more than $80, in my opinion. The others... I'm on the fence with their new price tags.
Maybe, since the "Skate Sport" is a newer model/addition/re-addition, it didn't get the price bump? Not sure, but it hasn't been in the Pro Classics line as long as the others, that's why I think it didn't go up. Maybe they dropped the price on that one because it's "less shoe" than Old Skool but more than the Slipon, Era, Authentic?
I think those all black with white stitching ones were some sort of upgraded material though right, like a more heavy duty canvas alternative? So that was an upcharge in price? We'll see what the true price comparison is whenever we see the classic black/white and navy colorways in suede/canvas I bet.
Side note, people are complaining about an $85 Sk8-Hi, but are fine with the SB Blazer Mids that are always $85 or more, despite being a simpler shoe than the Sk8-Hi? Blazers have a simple sheet insole, hollowed out rubber ribs under the heel for that heel-raise, and simpler paneling... while the Sk8-Hi has a thicker molded foam insole instead of the rubber ribs, and more going on with the panels and duracap and such. Just something I found interesting, how Nike fans are cool with that price for less of a shoe.
I've skated both Blazer Mid and Sk8 Hi Pro and I've only bought one or two pairs each at full price (certain colorways). I got lucky and found them both on sale for about $50-60 so I tried them both out a few times each. The Blazer was far more durable and comfortable in my opinion than Sk8Hi Pro. I did need to swap insoles in the Nike but otherwise, a near perfect vulc shoe. Wish it were slightly cheaper though.
Sk8Hi Pro was good but I burned through the rubber outsole and they got soggy pretty quick. That did not happen to on Blazers. Just the heel cup collapsing a little bit.
To me, the price difference made sense, since I got ~2 months out of Blazers, where I was lucky to get a little over 1 month in Vans. Arguably, fewer panels and tech compared to Vans but the quality is better for what you get. That said, I skate neither now and only run cupsoles. This info and pricing is for those actually gonna rock em! Haha
Edit: I'm actually a huge fan of shoes adding elastic tongue bands, since the shoe fits more snug on your foot and the tongue stays more in place. That said, not every brand does the material or placement right. SoleTech and Nike Seem to do it really well. KWalks 1s were comfortable, but beyond that, not sure how good the Vans ones are.
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Vans is continuing their long standing tradition of no two pairs of Half Cabs fitting/feeling the same, I see.
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Has anyone tried these new Vans yet? Curious if the toebox has been widened at all. I had to stop skating their Pro Classics because they changed the last to a skinnier mold and every model destroys my pinky toes.
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Has anyone tried these new Vans yet? Curious if the toebox has been widened at all. I had to stop skating their Pro Classics because they changed the last to a skinnier mold and every model destroys my pinky toes.
I picked up a pair of the new checkered tag slip-ons and no. My wide-ass feet couldn't fit in them before, and they can't now. They don't even seem to have any stretch because the Duracap is so rigid. Still, see if you can try them yourself; I might just have monster feet.
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I'm going to take your word for it and still avoid Vans. Thanks!
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpfKWBLX9V/?igshid=176j5v3ls4ed3
They also have more models/colors on their story
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Vans is continuing their long standing tradition of no two pairs of Half Cabs fitting/feeling the same, I see.
Post made me laugh and cry simultaneously
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As was posted in the Shoe thread:
https://ninetimesskateshop.com/collections/vans/products/vans-skate-half-cab-black-white
The canvas parts might help but might not compared to the all suede versions I prefer too.
In the bigger pic, the ankle collar and side panel are canvas.
These pics when opened in their own window are huge, so have a lot of detail too.
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
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xpost upcoming shoe thread
I'm surprised it took this long for anyone to post pictures.
I got the Skate Classic Authentics today. Here are the changes aside from the checkerboard tag everyone wants to bitch about.
Here is the box.
(https://i.ibb.co/3BnHvjS/PXL-20210305-001204719.jpg)
Here are the shoes. It came with a set of cream laces as well.
(https://i.ibb.co/mt47mdc/PXL-20210305-001231401.jpg)
Here's the close up of the foxing tape. It's glossy, but not too noticeable from a distance. If you ever had a pair of the Converse 70s, it's the same thing.
(https://i.ibb.co/YWyV30N/PXL-20210305-001245816.jpg)
Here is the heel tab.
(https://i.ibb.co/bFg0CXc/PXL-20210305-001259852.jpg)
The heelcup is super sturdy. It feels like a sturdy piece of plastic instead of cardboard. Takes a bit of effort to push down and compress it. When I put the shoes on, the heeltab didn't dig into my heel and didn't cause discomfort or bleeding.
(https://i.ibb.co/MN79XSD/PXL-20210305-001329703.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/bWB01fV/PXL-20210305-001334786.jpg)
The tongue has two elastic straps.
(https://i.ibb.co/sv0ThTf/PXL-20210305-001349963.jpg)
Here's the underside of the tongue.
(https://i.ibb.co/k369QYR/PXL-20210305-001419865.jpg)
Here's the view of the toebox. It seems slimmer than usual, but I can't confirm this as I don't have another pair of Authentics. The toebox has about 1/2" of room before the suede starts.
(https://i.ibb.co/X3gBHkZ/PXL-20210305-001428208.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/h9qL8jW/PXL-20210305-001511239.jpg)
Let's look at the insole. It's a different version of the Popcush that released in 2020. Comparing it to insoles from my Rowans. These insoles have only been walked around in.
(https://i.ibb.co/hR1D0n8/PXL-20210305-001607612.jpg)
Turning over the insoles, they have different designs. The Skate Classic insole (bottom) feels more sturdy than hard than the Rowan Popcush (top). The Skate Classic insole also feels smooth, almost like a soft plastic.
(https://i.ibb.co/VvmKsDC/PXL-20210305-001641881.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/3WsYsC6/PXL-20210305-001654101.jpg)
The Skate Classic insole is lower than the Rowan Popcush.
(https://i.ibb.co/W2tptsC/PXL-20210305-001630681.jpg)
Bending these insoles together shows that the Skate Classic insole is much firm, while the Rowan Popcush is much easier to bend.
(https://i.ibb.co/Bqzsqwy/PXL-20210305-001734189.jpg)
The fit is TTS. The shoe also feels more secure to my feet, compared to my crappy Ultracush-era Eras. I don't know how these skate (yet) as I mainly got these for a daily shoe.
tldr there's way more changes aside from the checkerboard tag you baby
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All the new ones don't seem to be anywhere near as expensive as the first ones released, so they might have had second thoughts on trying to hike them up that much, or someone realised they would sell many more at more reasonable prices.
Any of you happy campers seen this too?
Newly added stronger piece of something from the heel to the arch looks good for stopping primo pain or other injuries.
It is in all the new line of shoes, the added stonger heel piece under the footbed in the sole of the shoe.
Apparently you can just see it in the right light.
(https://www.vans.com.au/media/wysiwyg/Vans/2021/CMS-Pages/Skate-Classics/Vans_Skate_Classics_LP_15.jpg)
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axel and gio are so buck.
Will hopefully see another axel part this year
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
They were heavily marked down on the Vans site for the past few weeks. A lot of them were like $20-30. Whatever was left is probably now at the outlets.
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I've snagged a couple of pairs so far. the black ones that were skate shop only, and yesterday I went to buy a pair of the classic blue/grey and they were swapped out for the new pros on the vans site, so I picked em up.
Interesting to hear people say that the old toe box wouldnt work for them. I've always thought of myself as having a wide foot (and a 13!) and Ive never really had that problem with vans. What I hate that is that I cant wear slipons as the tongue is way too clamped down. I have to cut the little white side things and that's probably not really great for support for skating.
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Are Vans not on parade? They only came up in the UK store.
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
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SICKSTICK™
POPCUSH™
Oh, man.
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I've snagged a couple of pairs so far. the black ones that were skate shop only, and yesterday I went to buy a pair of the classic blue/grey and they were swapped out for the new pros on the vans site, so I picked em up.
Interesting to hear people say that the old toe box wouldnt work for them. I've always thought of myself as having a wide foot (and a 13!) and Ive never really had that problem with vans. What I hate that is that I cant wear slipons as the tongue is way too clamped down. I have to cut the little white side things and that's probably not really great for support for skating.
So the new skate classics fit like the og classics and not the pros in terms of toebox??? Ill be stoked if thats the case. Guess ill need to hunt some down to try
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
I saw something on reddit that they upped the employee discount on the Pro's. Nordstrom also had a bunch. I imagine the leftovers will end up at ross etc
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I've snagged a couple of pairs so far. the black ones that were skate shop only, and yesterday I went to buy a pair of the classic blue/grey and they were swapped out for the new pros on the vans site, so I picked em up.
Interesting to hear people say that the old toe box wouldnt work for them. I've always thought of myself as having a wide foot (and a 13!) and Ive never really had that problem with vans. What I hate that is that I cant wear slipons as the tongue is way too clamped down. I have to cut the little white side things and that's probably not really great for support for skating.
So the new skate classics fit like the og classics and not the pros in terms of toebox??? Ill be stoked if thats the case. Guess ill need to hunt some down to try
Yeah I'd say so, at least for the slip-ons. I have wide-ass hobbit feet and my toes would be swimming in the Pro Skate slip-ons, but the new guys fit more like the classics. Sk8-His have always felt a half size too big for me regardless of the model and the Skate Sk8-His are no different.
For me the true fit test will be with the Skate Authentics. The classics were the only shoes I wore for a good decade and the Pro Skates felt awful compared to them--somehow too long but also an ingrown toenail factory with the way the insole would press your toes up against the upper. Would love to hear about how the new ones fit if anyone has tried them.
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Vans outlets have a buy one get one free deal going on now. They're also a corporation, they're going to try to get as much $$$ as they can.
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I’ve got a pair of the Pros and a pair of the Skate Classics on deck.
The original Half-Cab is one of my favourite shoes, so I’m really interested to see how these variations will compare to it, and also to each other (if there’s really any change).
I’m actually fascinated by the mixed reviews. I’ve tried both on and they feel great - the tongue on both were pinching the top of my feet but that’s a minor gripe.
Of course I need to skate in them to make a final judgment. Would suck if the Pros are the best shoes I’ve ever had since they’ve been discontinued.
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
Interesting. Haven't seen them on sale here personally (in Canada) and my area's been locked down for a good minute. When I got back into my store it was all new Skate Classics on the wall. Maybe we just got the short end again.
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Is the black white half cab canvas and suede or all canvas?
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Is the black white half cab canvas and suede or all canvas?
they are a mix. seems to be majority suede, and in the areas where needed. but this version does include canvas
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Is the black white half cab canvas and suede or all canvas?
All suede except two panels of canvas, the side middle panel and the top round the back part.
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interested in trying these out. vans is really the only shoe i can skate in comfortably for someone with a wide foot other than reebok and last resorts. i am little concerned about the comment earlier about them being tighter? but the duracap shoe i've skated in the past worked well with me.
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
Interesting. Haven't seen them on sale here personally (in Canada) and my area's been locked down for a good minute. When I got back into my store it was all new Skate Classics on the wall. Maybe we just got the short end again.
if you live where i think you live, BTL had them on sale 50% off for a quick minute.
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https://youtu.be/f6PJoe00Hsg
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Why should I trust a guy that does varial flip 5050s?!?
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
Interesting. Haven't seen them on sale here personally (in Canada) and my area's been locked down for a good minute. When I got back into my store it was all new Skate Classics on the wall. Maybe we just got the short end again.
Vans Canada site had Pro Skate marked down heavily, but I think they're all gone from there now. A lot of Canadian skate shops now have the Skate Classics in at full price, and most of their remaining Pro Skate stock on sale. Try a few shops if there's a specific shoe you're looking for.
https://bluetilelounge.ca/collections/vans (https://bluetilelounge.ca/collections/vans)
https://thinkempire.com/collections/men-shoes/vans (https://thinkempire.com/collections/men-shoes/vans)
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Exactly, I wouldn't skate in the low top Authentics unless someone paid me to. The AA authentic high were pretty dope though imo.
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My coworker raised a point to me earlier today about how Vans didn't discount the already existing Pro Classics line and seem to have just swept them off the shelves and website. Fingers crossed they're not landfill bound.
I've seen them in abundance on the outlet walls.
Interesting. Haven't seen them on sale here personally (in Canada) and my area's been locked down for a good minute. When I got back into my store it was all new Skate Classics on the wall. Maybe we just got the short end again.
Vans Canada site had Pro Skate marked down heavily, but I think they're all gone from there now. A lot of Canadian skate shops now have the Skate Classics in at full price, and most of their remaining Pro Skate stock on sale. Try a few shops if there's a specific shoe you're looking for.
https://bluetilelounge.ca/collections/vans (https://bluetilelounge.ca/collections/vans)
https://thinkempire.com/collections/men-shoes/vans (https://thinkempire.com/collections/men-shoes/vans)
I know they've been on sale through skate shops, but they took down all remaining (full priced) stock of pro classics literally overnight on the Canadian Vans website. I know this because I got some pro slip-ons at the very last moment online cuz the new ones are way too tight. Maybe they'll be dropping pro-skates in the Vaughn outlet or at Winners.
who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
I'll add that I'm a big fan of authentic pros. The new canvas on the blackout skate authentic seems promising for a vegan skate shoe.
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Exactly, I wouldn't skate in the low top Authentics unless someone paid me to. The AA authentic high were pretty dope though imo.
Those are so sick but most likely won't release again.
My main complaint with the authentic is the heel slip and how hard it is to put on. The Era is literally a direct upgrade.
Also, There is no Skate Chukka apparently. I check vans' website and haven't found anything about a 'skate chukka' lots of 'pro' chukkas on their shop though...
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My main complaint with the authentic is the heel slip and how hard it is to put on.
I recall talking to someone at Vans about this and they were saying they were on to it - making the authentic actually grip your heel to stop them slipping out.
From their recent info, I think people are happy with the new Authentic shoe.
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Dill, apparently. https://liveskateboardmedia.com/en/article/50-years-vans-according-jason-dill
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Exactly, I wouldn't skate in the low top Authentics unless someone paid me to. The AA authentic high were pretty dope though imo.
My main complaint with the authentic is the heel slip and how hard it is to put on. The Era is literally a direct upgrade.
Also, There is no Skate Chukka apparently. I check vans' website and haven't found anything about a 'skate chukka' lots of 'pro' chukkas on their shop though...
There was a link posted in the UPCOMING thread a few weeks back that had an interview with one of the vans commercial dudes and he said the Authentic High is indeed returning as part of the Skate line. I'm stoked on that. Loved my AA highs
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Exactly, I wouldn't skate in the low top Authentics unless someone paid me to. The AA authentic high were pretty dope though imo.
My main complaint with the authentic is the heel slip and how hard it is to put on. The Era is literally a direct upgrade.
Also, There is no Skate Chukka apparently. I check vans' website and haven't found anything about a 'skate chukka' lots of 'pro' chukkas on their shop though...
That is awesome news. I love these shoes, I'm currently skating a pair of the all black and still have a navy pair on ice, I bought a pair of each colorways when they came out. I'm really stoked to have more in the future.
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
Exactly, I wouldn't skate in the low top Authentics unless someone paid me to. The AA authentic high were pretty dope though imo.
My main complaint with the authentic is the heel slip and how hard it is to put on. The Era is literally a direct upgrade.
Also, There is no Skate Chukka apparently. I check vans' website and haven't found anything about a 'skate chukka' lots of 'pro' chukkas on their shop though...
Amazing news!
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Not sure why they'd put the checkerboard pattern everywhere. Not a huge fan.
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Not sure why they'd put the checkerboard pattern everywhere. Not a huge fan.
Extremely annoying
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As was posted in the Shoe thread:
https://ninetimesskateshop.com/collections/vans/products/vans-skate-half-cab-black-white
The canvas parts might help but might not compared to the all suede versions I prefer too.
In the bigger pic, the ankle collar and side panel are canvas.
These pics when opened in their own window are huge, so have a lot of detail too.
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/0789/9190/products/[email protected])
Skating these now and i really like them, the collar is stiffer than the normal or pro half cab. In a good way tho. Super hyped on these, excited to buy a ton of them in the future. Hopefully some cool colorways comin
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Interesting to hear people say that the old toe box wouldnt work for them. I've always thought of myself as having a wide foot (and a 13!) and Ive never really had that problem with vans. What I hate that is that I cant wear slipons as the tongue is way too clamped down. I have to cut the little white side things and that's probably not really great for support for skating.
I know, whats the deal... I bought a pair of the slip-on PROs and the toe box was fine but I couldn't fit in the damn shoe unless I removed the insole. The elastic bit in the corners wasn't very stretchy. I think I have shin splints from skating without the insoles.
Was hoping that this has changed in the skate classic line but it looks like it hasn't. Not a fan of the checkered tag either for some reason.
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who on earth likes to skate in authentics?
me. the classic ones though.
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I've been skating in Sk8-HIs for years. Kind of panicked when I heard they were getting a redesign. I *just* got a pair of the new Skate versions a few hours ago. Vans employee stated that there "are still a lot of Pros around, but they are not in production anymore, and are now mostly being sent outlets." As I type this I am wearing my new pair of skate SK8-HIs. They feel...stiffer...than the Pros, and not really in a good way. Toe box on the left shoe is borderline uncomfortable right now. That has never happened with my Pros before. My standard operation procedure is wear a pair of new shoes around (not-skating) for like two weeks before I skate in them. Based on an out-of-the-box experience, so far I like the Pros better. I'll update as the situation unfolds...
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Interesting to hear people say that the old toe box wouldnt work for them. I've always thought of myself as having a wide foot (and a 13!) and Ive never really had that problem with vans. What I hate that is that I cant wear slipons as the tongue is way too clamped down. I have to cut the little white side things and that's probably not really great for support for skating.
I know, whats the deal... I bought a pair of the slip-on PROs and the toe box was fine but I couldn't fit in the damn shoe unless I removed the insole. The elastic bit in the corners wasn't very stretchy. I think I have shin splints from skating without the insoles.
Was hoping that this has changed in the skate classic line but it looks like it hasn't. Not a fan of the checkered tag either for some reason.
Others I know were in the same situation.
Use old insoles in new slip ons and the fit is much better. Then when they stretch out a fair bit and the sole gets softer, put the new ones back in and they feel like newer shoes again for the second half of their life.
This works with a lot of other shoes too, not just Vans and not just with the slip ons.
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I bought some Skate Lampin and had 2 sessions on them so far. Only skated flatground and a manny pad since there's still a lot of snow and everything that comes with it, but so far I like them a lot. The sole feels a little stiffer than the previous vans I had, which is nice since they might last a little longer before they become rags for your feet. I did get a little bit of a blister on the back of my ankle though, but that's what I get for skating brand new shoes without breaking them in. I'm satisfied with the changes so far, they still feel like Vans.
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The checkerboard pattern really isn’t a big deal at all and I’m more than willing to try some of these, imo. I don’t work for Vans.
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Might have to start skating vans again if the new pro classics are stiffer like you guys say it is. I always preferred normal vans over pro's because they get too soft/flexible after a month skating them.
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The checkerboard pattern really isn’t a big deal at all and I’m more than willing to try some of these, imo. I don’t work for Vans.
I actually like the checkerboard tag on the side instead of it saying "VANS", but that's just me. Other than that it's really just inside the shoe (heel panel and shit) that have checkerboard, and I really couldn't care less what the INSIDE of my shoes look like tbh.
Might have to start skating vans again if the new pro classics are stiffer like you guys say it is. I always preferred normal vans over pro's because they get too soft/flexible after a month skating them.
I wouldn't say they are stiff shoes either, but it does feel like it'll hold up a little more than the older version. The rubber around the toe does look like it will hold up longer too, but I could tell you more about that in about 2-3 weeks.
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Was literally looking at an instagram ad for Vans Skate and wondering if that replaced the pro lineup less than a minute ago. Always weird coincidences on here. Spooky
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I just got a pair of the new skate old skools and they feel pretty good. I didn't like the the old skool pros at all really. Always preferred the the classics. These new ones definitely feel more like the regular classics with just more cushion.
I did a few kickflips and they felt pretty good right off the bat but then I banged up my already fucked ankle and instantly regretted not getting the new half cabs lol.
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Anyone got a pair of the new Eras? Wondering how they go.
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So now I am into a pair of the new slip ons and two new pairs of the his...
The slipons, oddly, felt WAY better to me initially than the previous model (where I would have to cut the fucking tongue straps to fit my foot), but the left one was incredibly hard to get on. I didnt skate in them - I just wore them around for the day and, predictably, I got a massive heel blister on my left foot, which meant I skated all day yesterday in my old style half-cabs, in pain.
I've got one pair of black/white new half cabs as well, and I am thinking about ordering the NJ SS brick ones. All hail Gall.
Overall, for me, jury is still out. the stiffness is not great, but I will say that that does break in and get better. They just have a...flatness, at least in the Hi's, that is still weird to me.
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The new half cabs are the truth. Weirdly shiny sole but god damn are the tongue straps and slightly deeper tread a god send. The heel cradle is very stable (my foot feels supported and protected). My 14 yr old self would be happy to see his old bald counterpart.
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did they make the heel higher on the eras/slipons?
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So now I am into a pair of the new slip ons and two new pairs of the his...
The slipons, oddly, felt WAY better to me initially than the previous model (where I would have to cut the fucking tongue straps to fit my foot), but the left one was incredibly hard to get on. I didnt skate in them - I just wore them around for the day and, predictably, I got a massive heel blister on my left foot, which meant I skated all day yesterday in my old style half-cabs, in pain.
I've got one pair of black/white new half cabs as well, and I am thinking about ordering the NJ SS brick ones. All hail Gall.
Overall, for me, jury is still out. the stiffness is not great, but I will say that that does break in and get better. They just have a...flatness, at least in the Hi's, that is still weird to me.
I always found putting old insoles in new shoes almost stops blisters and issues, then put the new insoles into older shoes to give them that little bit more "new cushion feel" as they get thinner underneath.
Those Vans insoles always took a bit to squash down and had significant rubbing until they did wear in a bit more.
That is just me though, and I know everyone is different.
did they make the heel higher on the eras/slipons?
I don't think it is so much higher, more so the insole heel is not as tall, so your foot sits better in the shoe and the back part around the ankle is more firm to hold it in there.
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degros alert degros alert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_jRJHc1NIw
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did they make the heel higher on the eras/slipons?
I can only speak on the slips but yeah they are slightly higher. I would imagine it's due to the more substantial heel construction. It's not softish floppy rubber anymore. It feels more like a heel cup that your ankle sits in. They didn't wear hard on my achilles like old pro slips did but they still require a couple day walk around break in I think because they are tighter across the forefoot. I think the changes are fine and for the better but the fit is a little different.
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I got the off white slip ons.super nice looking color way but they’ve been a little off for me so far. Never skated any of the slip ons pro before. I was always into more of an Eras or Rowley solos shape. The first few days just walking around in them the top of my foot was getting super sore from how incredibly tight it was. They were literally strangling my feet. Swapped out for some thinner Dr Scholls and they’ve been a lot better now after 2 weeks in them. Might try to swap back to the regular insoles now that they’re stretched out some.
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This would be a good conversation in this thread too.
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Has anyone tried the new reinforced halfcabs? Halfcabs are basically the only shoe I skate, but I heard the sizing is slimmer than the pro.
Are they any less bulky in the upper either?
Wear a 9.5 in the pro because I like a snug fit.
There have been some mixed reactions to them, it would seem, but if you cannot try them on in person, get the same size you normally wear.
Agreed. All my old halfcabs are super flaccid. I have one pair of Rowan pros just as old and they still feel nice and firm so I’m hoping the new halfcabs last longer in the toe area and don’t get floppy after a month like the rowans.
It is funny that the shoes nowdays feel like they are so much softer and thinner than older shoes of the same style, mainly the Classic Sk8 Hi, Half Cab and some other shoes now last half as long as my older ones which just feel so much stronger and stiffer, even when they are almost dead. I do recall people complaining about them being too stiff at one point so everything was made thinner or softer, but then they flop out or don't last as long, so then they go back to stronger / stiffer, etc.
The new Skate range have definitely upped the game all round, but I am still yet to even see any in person. From the one pair of Rowans I have I can definitely feel the difference in the rubber gum sole right away, which feel a lot closer to my Classic Half Cabs from about ten years ago.
I would say that is a win, but everyone has their own opinions.
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I fucking hate these pieces of shit.
Been skating Old Skool Pros almost exclusively for a while. The toe box on these updates are way too slim and stiff. My right foot is slightly wider than my left and I rely on Vans to accommodate to a wider foot. Not anymore. My big toe is folded over the other.
Ain't broke, don't fix it. Vans blew it BAD on these.
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I fucking hate these pieces of shit.
Been skating Old Skool Pros almost exclusively for a while. The toe box on these updates are way too slim and stiff. My right foot is slightly wider than my left and I rely on Vans to accommodate to a wider foot. Not anymore. My big toe is folded over the other.
Ain't broke, don't fix it. Vans blew it BAD on these.
Yep, pure fuckin garbage.
I sold 2x hi-tops, 1x slip-on, and 1x half-cabs of the new shit today. All of it worn 2-3 times. Obviously I lost a lot of money on it but just wanted them out.
Box of LRAB just arrived...let's hope for the best, but I'm fuckin done with vans.
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I mentioned earlier that I tried out a pair of the Skate Half-Cabs and wasn't too enthused. I'll give them another try, though.
I just skated both my pair of the Half-Cab Pro, and the regular, standard Half-Cabs in a session today. The Pro wasn't actually that bad, decent flick and comfort, but the heel does feel pretty high in comparison to the midsole and toebox. Also, the grip feels a bit slippery. I'll definitely skate them again, though. I got the military-coloured jawns.
And no surprise, the standard Half-Cab is one of my favourite shoes and this new pair kept that tradition going. As soon as I put them on I was hyped. Great boardfeel, flick, grip. Same as it ever was.
So for me personally, standard > Pro > Skate for now.
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Loving my skate cabs and old skools and I have super wide feet? Idk. Classics are nice but I can't do the stock insoles in them.
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
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I fucking hate these pieces of shit.
Been skating Old Skool Pros almost exclusively for a while. The toe box on these updates are way too slim and stiff. My right foot is slightly wider than my left and I rely on Vans to accommodate to a wider foot. Not anymore. My big toe is folded over the other.
Ain't broke, don't fix it. Vans blew it BAD on these.
Yep, pure fuckin garbage.
I sold 2x hi-tops, 1x slip-on, and 1x half-cabs of the new shit today. All of it worn 2-3 times. Obviously I lost a lot of money on it but just wanted them out.
Box of LRAB just arrived...let's hope for the best, but I'm fuckin done with vans.
All of this, can't wait to sell my old skools. Hate them. On the other hand I'm skating some slip on pros and I love them. Too bad I'll have to stop skating on them because of cold
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
Some come out really easily, but others are a struggle to get out. so it really varies from shoe to shoe, even some of the same pair - had a left that was hardly even glued down and a right that was glued more than almost any other inner I have had to remove.
I might have done 100+ pairs or more like this, but I will send you the post via Instagram I did, as I think people would be sick of seeing it here.
The thing though is see how the shoe fits first, and you might just get a thin insole in there and it will work, but for me, I wanted that gone so I could put a decently thick insole in and really get the full padding under foot as well as the normal feeling classic shoe.
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
Some come out really easily, but others are a struggle to get out. so it really varies from shoe to shoe, even some of the same pair - had a left that was hardly even glued down and a right that was glued more than almost any other inner I have had to remove.
I might have done 100+ pairs or more like this, but I will send you the post via Instagram I did, as I think people would be sick of seeing it here.
The thing though is see how the shoe fits first, and you might just get a thin insole in there and it will work, but for me, I wanted that gone so I could put a decently thick insole in and really get the full padding under foot as well as the normal feeling classic shoe.
If you're struggling to take it out use a hair dryer.
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
Some come out really easily, but others are a struggle to get out. so it really varies from shoe to shoe, even some of the same pair - had a left that was hardly even glued down and a right that was glued more than almost any other inner I have had to remove.
I might have done 100+ pairs or more like this, but I will send you the post via Instagram I did, as I think people would be sick of seeing it here.
The thing though is see how the shoe fits first, and you might just get a thin insole in there and it will work, but for me, I wanted that gone so I could put a decently thick insole in and really get the full padding under foot as well as the normal feeling classic shoe.
This ship may have sailed already but my understanding is the less you've worn the shoes, the easier the insole comes out. If you've walked around in them, the glue used to keep them in reheats and sets in even more. They can still come out, it will just be more difficult.
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
Some come out really easily, but others are a struggle to get out. so it really varies from shoe to shoe, even some of the same pair - had a left that was hardly even glued down and a right that was glued more than almost any other inner I have had to remove.
I might have done 100+ pairs or more like this, but I will send you the post via Instagram I did, as I think people would be sick of seeing it here.
The thing though is see how the shoe fits first, and you might just get a thin insole in there and it will work, but for me, I wanted that gone so I could put a decently thick insole in and really get the full padding under foot as well as the normal feeling classic shoe.
All you guys are legends, thank you. Got a pair of worn in old skools for 16 bucks after taxes. Really appreciate all the advice. Huge thank you to @Mbrimson88
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This is the wrong thread to post this likely but how hard is it to cut the insoles out of the OG version? I found some old skools for hella cheap and want to skate them. Or can I just put another insole on top?
Some come out really easily, but others are a struggle to get out. so it really varies from shoe to shoe, even some of the same pair - had a left that was hardly even glued down and a right that was glued more than almost any other inner I have had to remove.
I might have done 100+ pairs or more like this, but I will send you the post via Instagram I did, as I think people would be sick of seeing it here.
The thing though is see how the shoe fits first, and you might just get a thin insole in there and it will work, but for me, I wanted that gone so I could put a decently thick insole in and really get the full padding under foot as well as the normal feeling classic shoe.
Definitely makes sense.
Like removing grip, I would often leave them out in the sun for half a day and it was a lot easier too.
More than anything I think it really shows the difference in production - one person puts only a drop or two of glue in and another person covers the whole insole.
I also wonder for those people not finding the love for the new Skate range, if putting a worn in / thinner / other insole in makes a difference for them. It made a huge difference for me, as I cannot use any of the existing insoles in the Vans shoes since they went from a flat shape to the current shape.
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I fucking hate these pieces of shit.
Been skating Old Skool Pros almost exclusively for a while. The toe box on these updates are way too slim and stiff. My right foot is slightly wider than my left and I rely on Vans to accommodate to a wider foot. Not anymore. My big toe is folded over the other.
Ain't broke, don't fix it. Vans blew it BAD on these.
as a dedicated old skool pro man this post scared me quite a bit, will be stocking up on old skool pros while they are still available
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Does anyone know if the Grosso Sk8 Mids or the new Grosso shoes have that new elastic bit on the tongue to keep it in place?
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
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Does anyone know if the Grosso Sk8 Mids or the new Grosso shoes have that new elastic bit on the tongue to keep it in place?
Yes they do
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Does anyone know if the Grosso Sk8 Mids or the new Grosso shoes have that new elastic bit on the tongue to keep it in place?
Great thanks.
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
i got half cabs because the checkered flag ruins the the clean classic aesthetic on all of the others for me, and the cabs look great.
they're not really much stiffer. maybe when you just put them on, but i do the twist, fold and roll for a minute thing on the forefoot of all my shoes so they already feel broken in right off.
in one of these threads i mentioned that popcush seems like an upgrade, but i wrote that about some shoes in the wear around the house phase. it's the same shit just purple.
after a short roll around i immediately switched the popcush for some thinner stiffer NB# insoles (the orange ones) and attribute any increased stability more to that than any of vans' "innovations".
but they do have tongue straps now so that's something. hopefully they flip that unsightly flag over at some point, although i'll prob just stick to crocketts over any of the classics because it took years for my menisci to get back to good.
*knocks on wood and 440s
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With this new skinny toe box, would it help to size up?
Also, anyone cop the Eras? I’m keen.
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
i got half cabs because the checkered flag ruins the the clean classic aesthetic on all of the others for me, and the cabs look great.
they're not really much stiffer. maybe when you just put them on, but i do the twist, fold and roll for a minute thing on the forefoot of all my shoes so they already feel broken in right off.
in one of these threads i mentioned that popcush seems like an upgrade, but i wrote that about some shoes in the wear around the house phase. it's the same shit just purple.
after a short roll around i immediately switched the popcush for some thinner stiffer NB# insoles (the orange ones) and attribute any increased stability more to that than any of vans' "innovations".
but they do have tongue straps now so that's something. hopefully they flip that unsightly flag over at some point, although i'll prob just stick to crocketts over any of the classics because it took years for my menisci to get back to good.
*knocks on wood and 440s
I cut the checkerboard flag thing off the heel of my pair. I don't know why they added that to a shoe that never had anything back there?? Luckily it's easy enough to snip with scissors.
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
i got half cabs because the checkered flag ruins the the clean classic aesthetic on all of the others for me, and the cabs look great.
they're not really much stiffer. maybe when you just put them on, but i do the twist, fold and roll for a minute thing on the forefoot of all my shoes so they already feel broken in right off.
in one of these threads i mentioned that popcush seems like an upgrade, but i wrote that about some shoes in the wear around the house phase. it's the same shit just purple.
after a short roll around i immediately switched the popcush for some thinner stiffer NB# insoles (the orange ones) and attribute any increased stability more to that than any of vans' "innovations".
but they do have tongue straps now so that's something. hopefully they flip that unsightly flag over at some point, although i'll prob just stick to crocketts over any of the classics because it took years for my menisci to get back to good.
*knocks on wood and 440s
I cut the checkerboard flag thing off the heel of my pair. I don't know why they added that to a shoe that never had anything back there?? Luckily it's easy enough to snip with scissors.
It is much easier to complain about the tag instead of using a complex tool like scissors to cut the tag off. That's a project that could easily eat up an entire weekend. You gotta source the right kind of scissors, make sure they are properly sharpened, come up with a plan as to what side of the tag you will cut first, and the intense process of cleaning up all of the debris.
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I have the skate half cabs and they've been skating pretty good. They took a long time to break in for me but after all the stiffness went away I was able to skate good.
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
i got half cabs because the checkered flag ruins the the clean classic aesthetic on all of the others for me, and the cabs look great.
they're not really much stiffer. maybe when you just put them on, but i do the twist, fold and roll for a minute thing on the forefoot of all my shoes so they already feel broken in right off.
in one of these threads i mentioned that popcush seems like an upgrade, but i wrote that about some shoes in the wear around the house phase. it's the same shit just purple.
after a short roll around i immediately switched the popcush for some thinner stiffer NB# insoles (the orange ones) and attribute any increased stability more to that than any of vans' "innovations".
but they do have tongue straps now so that's something. hopefully they flip that unsightly flag over at some point, although i'll prob just stick to crocketts over any of the classics because it took years for my menisci to get back to good.
*knocks on wood and 440s
I cut the checkerboard flag thing off the heel of my pair. I don't know why they added that to a shoe that never had anything back there?? Luckily it's easy enough to snip with scissors.
It is much easier to complain about the tag instead of using a complex tool like scissors to cut the tag off. That's a project that could easily eat up an entire weekend. You gotta source the right kind of scissors, make sure they are properly sharpened, come up with a plan as to what side of the tag you will cut first, and the intense process of cleaning up all of the debris.
But then how would vans marketing know to fix it and that sales are dipping?
Have you ever looked at an era with no tag?! 'tis a ghastly sight.
Also I typically prefer an exacto blade when performing any type of shoe surgery. But your wit is appreciated.
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With this new skinny toe box, would it help to size up?
Also, anyone cop the Eras? I’m keen.
Best to try in person, but if that is not an option, find somewhere that has an easy returns policy.
Most places have them now, from what I have seen and I follow / watch most shops in AU.
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With this new skinny toe box, would it help to size up?
Also, anyone cop the Eras? I’m keen.
Best to try in person, but if that is not an option, find somewhere that has an easy returns policy.
Most places have them now, from what I have seen and I follow / watch most shops in AU.
Will do, things take a bit longer to get down to Tassie retail
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gonna grab a pair of the new half cabs this weekend. i like a stiffer shoe and love that they put in tongue straps.
i got half cabs because the checkered flag ruins the the clean classic aesthetic on all of the others for me, and the cabs look great.
they're not really much stiffer. maybe when you just put them on, but i do the twist, fold and roll for a minute thing on the forefoot of all my shoes so they already feel broken in right off.
in one of these threads i mentioned that popcush seems like an upgrade, but i wrote that about some shoes in the wear around the house phase. it's the same shit just purple.
after a short roll around i immediately switched the popcush for some thinner stiffer NB# insoles (the orange ones) and attribute any increased stability more to that than any of vans' "innovations".
but they do have tongue straps now so that's something. hopefully they flip that unsightly flag over at some point, although i'll prob just stick to crocketts over any of the classics because it took years for my menisci to get back to good.
*knocks on wood and 440s
I cut the checkerboard flag thing off the heel of my pair. I don't know why they added that to a shoe that never had anything back there?? Luckily it's easy enough to snip with scissors.
It is much easier to complain about the tag instead of using a complex tool like scissors to cut the tag off. That's a project that could easily eat up an entire weekend. You gotta source the right kind of scissors, make sure they are properly sharpened, come up with a plan as to what side of the tag you will cut first, and the intense process of cleaning up all of the debris.
Or even just black it out with a sharpie, I mean, that would require a lot of effort too considering the size of the tag...
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I have skated Vans Authentic and Era Pros for a while now. The secure and snug feeling has helped me learn transition and commit more. I do notice some back pain after skating ledges or doing other skating with impacts involved, but I don't want to give it up. Before I order a pair of Skate Eras, has the design been improved in some other Vans model? Great and secure feeling for transition remains the key, but I would be happy with some extra support. The Era after all is an ancient design. Surely they have created a better model that gets overshadowed by the classics because of aesthetic and habit?
I've been eyeing some DC Infinite S's or Kalis Vulc S's as well, but from what I'm seeing they should perform pretty similar to Vans?
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First impression of the new half cabs is that they aren't as comfy to wear around as the previous iteration, mostly due to the stiffer collar. But they do feel like a better performing skate shoe. I was never a huge fan of the ultracush insole, but the popcush insole feels like an improvement to me, nothing too crazy though.
Wish they would slim down the tongue a little bit. Like the addition of the tongue straps, but the red dye on the straps rubs off on your socks.
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Has the old skools and hated them, just came back from skating the slip ons and i hate them even more.
My feet are killing me.
Fuck you Vans, never again.
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Picked up a pair of the new Grosso Sk8-Mids in red and black for wearing around town. Can confirm that they fit better (to me) than the new Skate Sk8-His and just look sick.
Interestingly, they do come with the (older?) 3D Ultracush insoles instead of the recut Skate Popcush insoles. They’re a lot harder and plasticky, but with a nice gooey layer on top. I’m curious if anyone has swapped them into any older Pros or new Skate Classics? I don’t really want to go down an insole rabbit hole, but wondering if they’ll feel more supportive and make my feet less sore than the regular or recut Popcush insoles. Basically...anyone notice any significant difference with these?
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I feel like the new release shoe thread is a good place to find things like that:
The instagram post has the 3D insole pic and people said it was Jeff's preference to have that insole.
I would be keen to try them just to see how different they are to the regular ones, especially with the harder protection around the heel area.
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Anyone else notice it has the Ultracush 3D insole, rather than Popcush or other variant?
That is the one with the hard plastic heel to mid part isn't it?
These were in the TNT Advanced Prototype and the Chima shoes that I saw, but could also be in others.
Had a bit of a look and found this:
https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=98643.0
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is that darker piece of the 3d insole plastic or gel? from the review it seems like it's plastic but is it really that stiff?
it is HARD PLASTIC. there's the light blue which is flexible, the darker blue which is firmer, but can move, and then there is the clear plastic which is extremely stiff. I couldnt get it to bend with regular effort and I was sorta scared to crack em.
yea, the insole is essentially a removable mid-sole and it supplies ALL of the support for the shoe. without it, the shoe is a sock.
EDIT: Zumiez has it as having popcush
https://www.zumiez.com/vans-skate-grosso-sk8-mid-black-white-skate-shoes.html
Fourth slide here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMuppnIsJ8-/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Zumiez also says it has a Wafflecup sole, which is clearly not true either.
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The 3D insoles are EVA so they will form to your feet a little since this is a kinda heat-moldable form of foam... but this means they will eventually pack out and get harder, have less cushion. As opposed to the Pop Cush insoles which all are a resilient PU foam that doesn't really pack out much at all, retains its cushion even being used in multiple pairs of shoes.
I have swapped 3D insoles, original Pop Cush insoles, and the new lower Pop Cush insoles across a few Vans shoes I own, Rowans, Skate Grosso Mids, Old Skool Pros, and Skate Sk8-Hi's, and all seem interchangeable. The top profile may be different, but the bottom of all those insoles is exactly the same shape.
Picked up a pair of the new Grosso Sk8-Mids in red and black for wearing around town. Can confirm that they fit better (to me) than the new Skate Sk8-His and just look sick.
Interestingly, they do come with the (older?) 3D Ultracush insoles instead of the recut Skate Popcush insoles. They’re a lot harder and plasticky, but with a nice gooey layer on top. I’m curious if anyone has swapped them into any older Pros or new Skate Classics? I don’t really want to go down an insole rabbit hole, but wondering if they’ll feel more supportive and make my feet less sore than the regular or recut Popcush insoles. Basically...anyone notice any significant difference with these?
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Picked up a pair of the new Grosso Sk8-Mids in red and black for wearing around town. Can confirm that they fit better (to me) than the new Skate Sk8-His and just look sick.
Interestingly, they do come with the (older?) 3D Ultracush insoles instead of the recut Skate Popcush insoles. They’re a lot harder and plasticky, but with a nice gooey layer on top. I’m curious if anyone has swapped them into any older Pros or new Skate Classics? I don’t really want to go down an insole rabbit hole, but wondering if they’ll feel more supportive and make my feet less sore than the regular or recut Popcush insoles. Basically...anyone notice any significant difference with these?
I've been rotating between the same sets of UltraCush HD insoles in my Vans for quite a while (years).... those don't pack out n just require some cleaning / freshening up.
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Thanks for the info—much appreciated. Looks like I’ll be swapping them into my Old Skools and skating them then.
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Most of the people I know who have the new Vans Skate shoes love them, the upgrade being a welcome change with the shoe being stronger and lasting longer than other versions.
Interesting to hear / see thoughts, but I guess coming from how soft and thin the average Vans Pro shoe was, it is definitely a significant change.
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Most of the people I know who have the new Vans Skate shoes love them, the upgrade being a welcome change with the shoe being stronger and lasting longer than other versions.
Interesting to hear / see thoughts, but I guess coming from how soft and thin the average Vans Pro shoe was, it is definitely a significant change.
Yup, I've been skating the new skate Lampin for a while now and they still feel really good. The sole didn't sag out as much as the pros did. Still have a pair of AA authentic high on ice and wish they were made with the new improvements. I've seen on AA's last instagram post that new colors are on the way, gonna buy a couple pairs when they come out for sure.
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I have had very good experiences with the Authentic and Era Pros so I figured I'd go with what works and ordered Skate Eras in the same size as always. Wore them outside just to break them in, they murdered my both heels very quickly. Tried again in a day - even worse. Now I have big blisters on both of my heels. I'll see what I can do about them, but I'm actually afraid of the things now :-[
And yeah these actually look a lot bulkier than my Era Pros now that I checked. If it's a sizing issue I'll be mad as hell because I have always bought all of my Vans in the same size for years. They didn't seem off walking around in the house. If I had known what I know now I probably would have chosen a non-Skate pair of Vans.
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Are they fucking with the insoles again? I don’t hate my Ultracush HDs. Had to take em out of the Authentic Pros they came in though. They’re so thick my heel was halfway out of the damn shoe. I actually think I like the insole more than the Auths tbh. Too narrow and stiff.
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Not that my two cents matter but today I tried on the new sk8 hi, slip on and half cabs and gotta say those were the biggest pieces of shit I've ever put on my feet along with the berle pro. Super stiff and cramped feeling both my true size and half sized up. Ended up buying a pair of Crockett lows and the bmx slip ons with the wafflecup for summer. I'm sorry to the girl at vans who was helping me cause I was coming off as a picky fuck. But I'm glad I tried them all for myself in person, instead of online and being dissatisfied with my purchase.
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What didn’t you like about them? I really want some AVEs or Chukkas, but the former is pricey and the latter I want a mid and can’t find any. I’m just a little wary because Vans keeps changing shit. Christ, they’ve probably changed the toe box and/or insole every year.
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What didn’t you like about them? I really want some AVEs or Chukkas, but the former is pricey and the latter I want a mid and can’t find any. I’m just a little wary because Vans keeps changing shit. Christ, they’ve probably changed the toe box and/or insole every year.
AVEs are the same since they came out in 2019. I can't speak on that shoe since I've never tried it on but as far as i know the fits the same.
Chukka boots don't come out in the main line right now. I wish they did but I have no idea how a skate version would feel. They are only used for special drops or from the Anaheim made line. There was a Simpsons Chukka boot that was I think basically a Pro version and had some kinda removable insole and then more recently there was an Anaheim made shoe but I don't know anything about the construction of that one. Both colorways were pretty wild.
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What didn’t you like about them? I really want some AVEs or Chukkas, but the former is pricey and the latter I want a mid and can’t find any. I’m just a little wary because Vans keeps changing shit. Christ, they’ve probably changed the toe box and/or insole every year.
Honestly I thought they all felt heavy in hand and while trying on both my true size and half size up they just felt very tight and cramped. They were all stiff as well but I prefer that in a shoe so that wasn't a minus in my mind, but the former really irked me as I've never felt that way in any other of the classic vans models I've worn ever. It seems they did try to put a lot of new tech into the classic models but in my opinion was a waste of time, as this tech just doesn't mesh with these vulc vans models.
It has me now looking at the vans bmx line as they still are under the "pro" line of classic shoes and all also have the wafflecup sole, which I think is the best new piece of tech that vans has come out with.
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I bought the new Sk8 Low and skated them today for 7 hours. I have a wide foot and these shoes felt great. They broke in within 15 minutes of cruising around the park skating transition, manny pads, ledges, and flat. It took a little while longer to get consistent kick flips. Grip was definitely better than any Vans I have had in the last 10 years. I have custom orthotics from my doctor that I use in my shoes so I have no feedback on the PopCush insoles.
I usually skate Lakai or New Balance vulc shoes and it took almost no time to adjust. My only complaint is that they still have single stitching on most of the shoe. Super gluing the stitching in the ollie area was necessary.
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Picked up a pair of the new Grosso Sk8-Mids in red and black for wearing around town. Can confirm that they fit better (to me) than the new Skate Sk8-His and just look sick.
Interestingly, they do come with the (older?) 3D Ultracush insoles instead of the recut Skate Popcush insoles. They’re a lot harder and plasticky, but with a nice gooey layer on top. I’m curious if anyone has swapped them into any older Pros or new Skate Classics? I don’t really want to go down an insole rabbit hole, but wondering if they’ll feel more supportive and make my feet less sore than the regular or recut Popcush insoles. Basically...anyone notice any significant difference with these?
I thought the 3D Ultracush with the plastic molding would give my foot more support, but instead it feels hard as a rock. Switched it out with Footprint insoles because it left my feet hurting. And that's just from house break-in wear.
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Gotcha. I've been skating in those Ultracush 3D insoles swapped into the new Skate Old-Skools and have actually had a good time on them. There are so many variables when it comes to judging insoles, but I've been skating a moderate amount lately and my feet aren't as sore as they were with the Popcush. The Ultracush 3D have more of a work boot feeling--not "comfy" off the bat, but my feet hurt less at the end of the day.
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I was skating mainly Vans the last couple of years, never again.
Tried the old skools and slip ons and it was the worst experience ever.
They felt like shit. Stiff, not responsive, imposible to wear (specially the slip ons).
Fu Vans
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
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Long time wearer of Vans here, I wanted to share my thoughts on the changes.
-Vans don't work for me with the thick cushioned skate socks, they're just too narrow even though my foot isn't overly wide. I wear plain/non-skate socks from Uniqlo instead.
-The Slip-ons work better as a half-size up on the skate classics compared to the non-skate versions. The insole make the shoes feel too small/tight otherwise.
-The Sk8-hi changes are really nice and I'm enjoying them as my primary skate shoe. I tied the each end separately and use them as slip-ons, they've never fallen off during skating.
-The Zumiez glow Sk8-his are sick but paying $95 was lame.
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I fucking hate the new Half Cabs.
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I fucking hate the new Half Cabs.
Weird I really love the new HCs but think they pretty much destroyed the whole point of the slip on, which was my favorite shoe. I kinda wonder what sales and general feedback on the update is. I would say it's trending towards negative here on Slap.
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Cons:
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
I’d actually say all this about my Authentic Pros from last season as well. If I take out the Ultracush the get a little better across the top of my foot, and my heel sits much lower. Still slips out though. Despite having them for almost a year I have worn them about 20 times and they still pinch my toes. I think the duracap will always keep them from fitting correctly.
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The fit on the new 'skate' slip ons vs the old slip on 'pros' are way too narrow and tight. The previous pros required zero break in where as the new ones can't be skated straight out of the box which sucks.
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
Chiming in to also say that this review was spot on for me.
Went to pick up a pair of slip ons for the summer, saw the shop had the updated pros & almost bought without trying on. Thankfully I thought maybe I should since they were new, and wow so glad I did. I ended up leaving with a pair of classic slips instead.
Vans have always been such a consistent go to, it’s a bit of a bummer to have such a drastic change to the pro line.
Also, really not feeling the shiny rubber on the duracap.
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
Chiming in to also say that this review was spot on for me.
Went to pick up a pair of slip ons for the summer, saw the shop had the updated pros & almost bought without trying on. Thankfully I thought maybe I should since they were new, and wow so glad I did. I ended up leaving with a pair of classic slips instead.
Vans have always been such a consistent go to, it’s a bit of a bummer to have such a drastic change to the pro line.
Also, really not feeling the shiny rubber on the duracap.
Realistically what's the chance of any outcome at all if contacting Vans about it? I know they have plants reading this. Don't really feel like bothering the skate shop people right now about some shoes that have already seen (very light) wear. I can wear my dad's hiking boots that are 1,5 sizes too big no problem, I can wear snowboard boots that are half a size too small. No shoe should make a foot bleed.
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I just ordered a couple pairs of Half Cab Pros off eBay to keep me going until they either fix the “skate” line or I
switch back to Adidas. The Half Cab “skate” is killing my toes
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I just ordered a couple pairs of Half Cab Pros off eBay to keep me going until they either fix the “skate” line or I
switch back to Adidas. The Half Cab “skate” is killing my toes
Went down a similar road. Currently skating slip on pros that I bought just before the skate crap and didn't use them until now and stocking up on Adidas. From what I can find on my current location Adidas are the best shoes for me
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Apologies if somebody else has asked this, but are these new Skate Classics at all comparable to the Rowan Pros? The Rowans seem a lot stiffer than the old Pro Classics, but I actually like that about them.
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Apologies if somebody else has asked this, but are these new Skate Classics at all comparable to the Rowan Pros? The Rowans seem a lot stiffer than the old Pro Classics, but I actually like that about them.
Yes, they were the first to have the new sole (thicker and harder gum that lasts so much longer) but there are also a lot more new features in the rest of the shoe as well.
Overall they are a stiffer longer lasting shoe, which is good for some people (if it fits their foot comfortably) otherwise the break in time and overall thicker stiffer feeling is one that people have not been ready for, so at least on here there are a lot more negative comments.
People I skate with for the most part really like them and I haven't heard many or any really bad comments but I think they are a big change to the usual soft moccasin like shoes that they used to be in the pro line.
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Apologies if somebody else has asked this, but are these new Skate Classics at all comparable to the Rowan Pros? The Rowans seem a lot stiffer than the old Pro Classics, but I actually like that about them.
Yes, they were the first to have the new sole (thicker and harder gum that lasts so much longer) but there are also a lot more new features in the rest of the shoe as well.
Overall they are a stiffer longer lasting shoe, which is good for some people (if it fits their foot comfortably) otherwise the break in time and overall thicker stiffer feeling is one that people have not been ready for, so at least on here there are a lot more negative comments.
People I skate with for the most part really like them and I haven't heard many or any really bad comments but I think they are a big change to the usual soft moccasin like shoes that they used to be in the pro line.
Okay cool. I thought I heard something akin to this so that makes sense. If/when I get the new Skate Classics I'm definitely gonna try them on in person first but most of the experiences I'm reading sound similar to how I felt about the Rowans at first but they've grown to become one of my favorite shoes.
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I can only vouch for the new slip ons but seems like they've made all of the new skate shoes too narrow.
The new slips ons are so tight across the middle and top of the foot now it cuts off blood circulation. The old pros were way better!
You would've thought after speaking to all their skaters and apparently having done tons of market research they would've known to leave them as they were.
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Apologies if somebody else has asked this, but are these new Skate Classics at all comparable to the Rowan Pros? The Rowans seem a lot stiffer than the old Pro Classics, but I actually like that about them.
Yes, they were the first to have the new sole (thicker and harder gum that lasts so much longer) but there are also a lot more new features in the rest of the shoe as well.
Overall they are a stiffer longer lasting shoe, which is good for some people (if it fits their foot comfortably) otherwise the break in time and overall thicker stiffer feeling is one that people have not been ready for, so at least on here there are a lot more negative comments.
People I skate with for the most part really like them and I haven't heard many or any really bad comments but I think they are a big change to the usual soft moccasin like shoes that they used to be in the pro line.
Okay cool. I thought I heard something akin to this so that makes sense. If/when I get the new Skate Classics I'm definitely gonna try them on in person first but most of the experiences I'm reading sound similar to how I felt about the Rowans at first but they've grown to become one of my favorite shoes.
Please, don't loose time and money with vans skate crap. Rowans are ok tho.
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The new Skate Old Skools are a winner for me. I loved the old skool pros and I like the update even more. On the other hand, the slip ons and half cabs are too tight across the top of my feet too. It's like they press the ball of my foot flat against the insole and more of the ball of my foot smacks the ground when I bail or run out on transition. Had to pass them on after a couple weeks of them not getting any comfier.
I wish they'd add the new tread depth to the Crockett Hi. Anyone else notice how the heels go quick on those?
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
Chiming in to also say that this review was spot on for me.
Went to pick up a pair of slip ons for the summer, saw the shop had the updated pros & almost bought without trying on. Thankfully I thought maybe I should since they were new, and wow so glad I did. I ended up leaving with a pair of classic slips instead.
Vans have always been such a consistent go to, it’s a bit of a bummer to have such a drastic change to the pro line.
Also, really not feeling the shiny rubber on the duracap.
Realistically what's the chance of any outcome at all if contacting Vans about it? I know they have plants reading this. Don't really feel like bothering the skate shop people right now about some shoes that have already seen (very light) wear. I can wear my dad's hiking boots that are 1,5 sizes too big no problem, I can wear snowboard boots that are half a size too small. No shoe should make a foot bleed.
If you don't try - you don't get ;)
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No surprise that every other skater you see these days are in adidas, Nike or New Balance...(sigh)
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I agree that they run a bit more narrow but the other changes make them a far better skate shoe IMO. My feet couldn't stand the Pro Series. Neither could my podiatrist and physical therapist. The changes make the shoes better for feet, the sole is much grippier, and they are holding up much better for me. I am on my 5th session in the sk8 lows. I have some Half Cabs and Skate Sports on reserve.
I tried on 2 pairs of the Half Cabs in the same size. Bot h were a little narrow in the toe but only one was too tight on the top of my foot. I have a shoe stretcher that works wonders. I will use it on the Half Cabs before I skate them.
My backside flips came back better than they have been in a long time with the Skate sk8 lows. Stoked.
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^^ See, that's where I am on the Skate line. As much as I really did not like the slip-ons that I bought, my issues were entirely to do with the fit of that specific shoe. The solution for me would not be to bring back the Slip On Pro because that one had its own set of issues for me - mainly that the sole was too thin and floppy.
Even though the slip ons fit me terribly, I actually like the changes they made to the construction; especially the sole. I'm sour on Vans right now because of my experience with the slip ons, but the new sole is encouraging to me, and may try another model in the future. I couldn't try on the slip-ons that I bought because we're still in covid lockdown where I live, but I may give it another shot when stuff opens up again and I can try on a few different models before I spend more money. The updates to the Skate line may actually make Vans vulcs wearable to me, which they haven't been for years.
For the slip-ons at least, they fixed the construction (which I hated before), but wrecked the fit (which was fine before). If I can find another model that does fit, then I think the Skate line is good.
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here is my initial review of the skate eras: (https://i.ibb.co/PDRyDN5/F6867-ABE-8-E37-4-A94-816-D-78-B2812810-A6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PDRyDN5)
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here is my initial review of the skate eras: (https://i.ibb.co/PDRyDN5/F6867-ABE-8-E37-4-A94-816-D-78-B2812810-A6.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PDRyDN5)
Could you tell why is your situation fault of Eras?
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51207343379_f1156bedfc_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m2229F)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2m2229F) by (https://www.flickr.com/photos/162334525@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51206782188_98a10e3558_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m1Y9jY)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2m1Y9jY) by (https://www.flickr.com/photos/162334525@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51205867302_3efcfcb4c9_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m1Tsn5)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2m1Tsn5) by (https://www.flickr.com/photos/162334525@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51207646695_d136411489_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m23zjg)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2m23zjg) by (https://www.flickr.com/photos/162334525@N08/), on Flickr
My skate half cabs worked out for me. This is a month in and usually I'm retiring shoes around this point. My pair still feels firm in the sole (there's a hard plastic shank from the midfoot to the heel that makes them feel great. Fit was great and I have a thick foot so it's weird seeing ppl finding them too tight from the top down. Tread is still essentially perfect but I rarely wear down the sole before the upper. The ollie hole just formed last session and I usually get them within the first week when I skated classic cabs. Theres still the rubber underlay and the think shoe goo I put over that to get through. Overall, I'm very happy with the changes.
My only dumb gripe is I wish the half cab logo was embroidered like the classics instead of the stitched on flag like it is here. Oh also both heels had a small tear from when I jammed my foot into the shoes without unlacing enough.
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I went to the outlets in Commerce, CA and they still have half cab pros, skate hi pros, and I think old school pros and slip ons as well. I got the last pair of half cabs in size 12 I think.
Their memorial day weekend special was buy a pair and get 50% off a sale shoe. Basically, I got two pairs of shoes for about 50 each after tax. Not that bad, but not that great either.
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A local shop had 30% off all Vans plus 10% off everything, so 40% off some new Vans Skate Sk8 Low were too good to pass up. * Yes that is such a mouthful to say, Skate Sk8 Low shoes, but I had been eyeing them off for a while now.
Anyway, shoes arrived today, just put them on to stand in them for a minute and just didn't take them off, so more than half a day later, after wearing them and even having a bit of a skate in them, I can say they are amazing and definitely a great upgrade from the older Vans Pro range that I have had, these ones being so supportive right from go, no issues with blisters or feeling uncomfortable and I didn't change out a single thing with the insole or anything, which is very surprising for me.
A couple of things to note, I go between 11 (too tight) and 12 (too loose) in the fit, but I think the older I get the more the 12 fits better than the 11. In Australia, there are no half sizes but I have bought lots of 11.5 over the years from US shops, which are a good in between size for me.
These Sk8 low shoes are 12 and don't feel overly big at all, with a good amount of toe room, not tight or uncomfortable in any area at all, no heel rub, no pinky toe squish and no issue with my usually painful big toe nails if the shoe is too tight in length or height, so I was pretty happy.
Given the old Vans Pro range were fairly snug but so very soft overall, I just fit ok in 11 only after stretching, but then the 12 were so big and floppy on me right from go and only got worse as they aged, I was more keen on the tighter shoes, but the new Skate range are way more snug and a tougher shoe than the Pro, so maybe try a half size up from your usual size in the Vans Skate range and the shoes might fit a whole lot better on you than what you might have bought.
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
Chiming in to also say that this review was spot on for me.
Went to pick up a pair of slip ons for the summer, saw the shop had the updated pros & almost bought without trying on. Thankfully I thought maybe I should since they were new, and wow so glad I did. I ended up leaving with a pair of classic slips instead.
Vans have always been such a consistent go to, it’s a bit of a bummer to have such a drastic change to the pro line.
Also, really not feeling the shiny rubber on the duracap.
Realistically what's the chance of any outcome at all if contacting Vans about it? I know they have plants reading this. Don't really feel like bothering the skate shop people right now about some shoes that have already seen (very light) wear. I can wear my dad's hiking boots that are 1,5 sizes too big no problem, I can wear snowboard boots that are half a size too small. No shoe should make a foot bleed.
If you don't try - you don't get ;)
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No surprise that every other skater you see these days are in adidas, Nike or New Balance...(sigh)
I did contact Vans about it and they seemed open to finding a solution, but they still asked me to go to the retailer with my case (and get back to them if the retailer is not helpful). I did not feel like dealing with retailers and sending shoes back for some lousy expert evaluation so I decided to stick with the Skate Eras. I have managed to soften them up a bit and they are not murdering my heel anymore. In the future I will probably try a different shoe or wear the Skate Eras indoors for a while before taking them outside. The serious heel rubbing aside, they're a pretty nice shoe. I already "cheated" with some Nikes as I was hating the Skate Eras so I will see how those are, but they seem extremely comfortable out of the box.
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I went to the outlets in Commerce, CA and they still have half cab pros, skate hi pros, and I think old school pros and slip ons as well. I got the last pair of half cabs in size 12 I think.
Their memorial day weekend special was buy a pair and get 50% off a sale shoe. Basically, I got two pairs of shoes for about 50 each after tax. Not that bad, but not that great either.
You inspired me to finally take a trip out there yesterday since I had been hearing about deals at the Vans outlet. I wish I could say I came up on some great deals but it was just OK. I didn't see any more Half Cab Pros in the place and most of the Pro stuff was pretty picked. AVEs were $80 so not a wild deal that I've never seen anywhere before. Mostly I was there to hoard Slip On Pros and wound up walking away with 2 pairs - one black/black and one oatmeal/gum @$80 before tax. It was a deal but not the mad outlet price I was dreaming of. The beat thing about it is they still have neutral colorways of most of their classic Pro models in various sizes but they are selling them for $5 off list price. The BOHO deal made it possible to get a discount but I had to wrangle to get one white tag and one orange tag. $5 off a discontinued shoe is a pretty crummy price point.
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I ended up at a Vans outlet yesterday and grabbed 2 pairs of half Cab pros. $65 a pair is not a great deal, but it's better than retail and I am stocked for a bit which is nice. Was a bit surprised that the sales person (non-skater) knew the details of the pro line being cancelled and what all the changes for the classic line are.
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I ended up at a Vans outlet yesterday and grabbed 2 pairs of half Cab pros. $65 a pair is not a great deal, but it's better than retail and I am stocked for a bit which is nice. Was a bit surprised that the sales person (non-skater) knew the details of the pro line being cancelled and what all the changes for the classic line are.
Gold star for that person then!
It is sad that people who actually know anything about the product are in the minority. Whether they use it or not is irrelevant, but it is always cool to see a few people I know in Vans stores who have a passion for what they do and keep up on all the current info.
I wonder though as it is such a big change, if they haven't had it drilled into them by management so they do know what is going on and are able to keep customers informed as to what is happening with the old lines going and the new lines coming in.
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What is the consensus on the Skate Sk8-Hi?
Always wanted to try them.
How high are they on the foot? Will my ankle feel secured?
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i second this ^^ lots of half cab talk and not enough sk8-hi comparison
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I ended up at a Vans outlet yesterday and grabbed 2 pairs of half Cab pros. $65 a pair is not a great deal, but it's better than retail and I am stocked for a bit which is nice. Was a bit surprised that the sales person (non-skater) knew the details of the pro line being cancelled and what all the changes for the classic line are.
Gold star for that person then!
It is sad that people who actually know anything about the product are in the minority. Whether they use it or not is irrelevant, but it is always cool to see a few people I know in Vans stores who have a passion for what they do and keep up on all the current info.
I wonder though as it is such a big change, if they haven't had it drilled into them by management so they do know what is going on and are able to keep customers informed as to what is happening with the old lines going and the new lines coming in.
I was in a vans store and tried on the skate half cab and era's
I ended up grabbing both they were on sale. Both sales people knew enough about the new line the young lady said she'd just watch some doco on Cab . They was pleasent enough.
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I ended up at a Vans outlet yesterday and grabbed 2 pairs of half Cab pros. $65 a pair is not a great deal, but it's better than retail and I am stocked for a bit which is nice. Was a bit surprised that the sales person (non-skater) knew the details of the pro line being cancelled and what all the changes for the classic line are.
Gold star for that person then!
It is sad that people who actually know anything about the product are in the minority. Whether they use it or not is irrelevant, but it is always cool to see a few people I know in Vans stores who have a passion for what they do and keep up on all the current info.
I wonder though as it is such a big change, if they haven't had it drilled into them by management so they do know what is going on and are able to keep customers informed as to what is happening with the old lines going and the new lines coming in.
I ended up grabbing both they were on sale. Both sales people knew enough about the new line the young lady said she'd just watch some doco on Cab . They was pleasent enough.
Was that the Vans shop at Warringah Mall, Brookvale? Such a tiny store upstairs and down the far end as I saw, when I was working all round the country back in 2017.
I also find it curious that so many new "Skate" styles are already on sale in Vans stores and online AU, but at least for the customer, that is a good thing.
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What is the consensus on the Skate Sk8-Hi?
Always wanted to try them.
How high are they on the foot? Will my ankle feel secured?
I love the new Sk8-Hi and it's the shoe I skate 95% of the time.
They're high enough on the foot to cover the ankle bone on the side so even if you land on the side of your foot, its not bone against the ground.
My ankle feels secure enough to use them as slip-ons if I want. I tied the shoelace ends on a couple of pairs and just slide them on and skate. They've never fallen off when skating like this. Tying them works well to make your ankle feel even more secure (but I don't find the laces long enough for the last eyelet). I've also never rolled my ankle bad in them.
The best part of Sk8-His is that the position of the shoelace avoids the "kickflip area" so I've never worn down a pair of laces wearing them (Half-cabs almost broke a lace on the first sesh so they're casual shoes for me now).
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I ended up at a Vans outlet yesterday and grabbed 2 pairs of half Cab pros. $65 a pair is not a great deal, but it's better than retail and I am stocked for a bit which is nice. Was a bit surprised that the sales person (non-skater) knew the details of the pro line being cancelled and what all the changes for the classic line are.
Gold star for that person then!
It is sad that people who actually know anything about the product are in the minority. Whether they use it or not is irrelevant, but it is always cool to see a few people I know in Vans stores who have a passion for what they do and keep up on all the current info.
I wonder though as it is such a big change, if they haven't had it drilled into them by management so they do know what is going on and are able to keep customers informed as to what is happening with the old lines going and the new lines coming in.
I ended up grabbing both they were on sale. Both sales people knew enough about the new line the young lady said she'd just watch some doco on Cab . They was pleasent enough.
Was that the Vans shop at Warringah Mall, Brookvale? Such a tiny store upstairs and down the far end as I saw, when I was working all round the country back in 2017.
I also find it curious that so many new "Skate" styles are already on sale in Vans stores and online AU, but at least for the customer, that is a good thing.
Yeah it was and that mall is horrible
but I've been around here forever and unfortunately its a part of life
As for sales I paid $59 for the skate era's and I'm pretty happy with that
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What is the consensus on the Skate Sk8-Hi?
Always wanted to try them.
How high are they on the foot? Will my ankle feel secured?
I love the new Sk8-Hi and it's the shoe I skate 95% of the time.
They're high enough on the foot to cover the ankle bone on the side so even if you land on the side of your foot, its not bone against the ground.
My ankle feels secure enough to use them as slip-ons if I want. I tied the shoelace ends on a couple of pairs and just slide them on and skate. They've never fallen off when skating like this. Tying them works well to make your ankle feel even more secure (but I don't find the laces long enough for the last eyelet). I've also never rolled my ankle bad in them.
The best part of Sk8-His is that the position of the shoelace avoids the "kickflip area" so I've never worn down a pair of laces wearing them (Half-cabs almost broke a lace on the first sesh so they're casual shoes for me now).
Currently having a rolled ankle, this makes me happy to hear. Thanks a lot mate.
I have some half cab pros and they are comfy but feel a bit bulky for me. Should I get my usual Vans size in the new Sk8-Hi?
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What is the consensus on the Skate Sk8-Hi?
Always wanted to try them.
How high are they on the foot? Will my ankle feel secured?
I love the new Sk8-Hi and it's the shoe I skate 95% of the time.
They're high enough on the foot to cover the ankle bone on the side so even if you land on the side of your foot, its not bone against the ground.
My ankle feels secure enough to use them as slip-ons if I want. I tied the shoelace ends on a couple of pairs and just slide them on and skate. They've never fallen off when skating like this. Tying them works well to make your ankle feel even more secure (but I don't find the laces long enough for the last eyelet). I've also never rolled my ankle bad in them.
The best part of Sk8-His is that the position of the shoelace avoids the "kickflip area" so I've never worn down a pair of laces wearing them (Half-cabs almost broke a lace on the first sesh so they're casual shoes for me now).
Currently having a rolled ankle, this makes me happy to hear. Thanks a lot mate.
I have some half cab pros and they are comfy but feel a bit bulky for me. Should I get my usual Vans size in the new Sk8-Hi?
I get the same size Sk8-Hi as I do the Half Cabs, but the new Slip-ons I go half a size up, the thicker insoles make them too tight otherwise.
With the rolling the ankle thing, it seems that falls that would normally roll my ankle instead just take me down onto my side instead (which I prefer). The other benefit of Sk8-His is the extra protection from those low shinners.
Sk8-Hi til I die.
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Got a pair of the new slip ons as chillers (no intention of actually skating in them - my feet can't handle it). I hate them, but they also strangely have me interested to try more shoes from the new Skate line. The general changes that they did to the whole line (materials, construction, etc.) all seem good, but I don't know what they were thinking with how the slip-on fits. The Pro slip ons fit me well, but hurt my feet because the sole was so thin, so I thought I'd like the update. I might try the Half Cabs or the Old Skools in the future, but I've learned my lesson with the Skate line about expecting them to fit like previous versions of the same shoe.
Pros:
- I like the new sole - feels more supportive than the old one, and should last longer because of the deeper tread.
- Collar is a little higher in the back than the old Slip On Pros - a little better heel lock, which was an issue with the previous ones.
- They generally seem to be a little better constructed than the old Pro line - stitching looks cleaner, the canvas feels a little sturdier, the foxing is a little higher, and they added some much needed beef to the sole. Specific to the slip-ons, I noticed they stitched the elastic between the lining and the exterior canvas layer instead of underneath both and right up against your foot.
Cons:
- Toebox is way too narrow/thin/pointy - not shaped like any other Vans slip on I've ever worn, and not shaped like any actual human foot I've ever seen. The overall shape feels similar to the Huf Dylan slip on, but I think maybe even a little narrower than that very narrow shoe.
- They fit too long - I could have maybe gone down a half size if they weren't so narrow, but I probably couldn't even get my foot in them if they were any narrower. I didn't plan to skate them anyway, but there's too much space in front of my toes to consider it.
- Despite how narrow they are up front, there's maybe a little too much room in the heel. Doesn't feel very secure back there. This also plays into my 'not shaped like a human foot' commentary.
- Too tight across the top of my foot, even with my orthotics swapped in, which are thinner than the Popcushes. I tried to stretch them out a little before wearing them, but it didn't help much.
- The new cut of the Duracap layer is all wrong. The entire front half of the shoe is basically made of rubber. If the toebox is too narrow for you (which it probably will be), they're not going to stretch out much with all that rubber. I imagine they'll be sweat boxes on a hot day, also.
- The collar is rigid enough and hits in the right spot to destroy my achilles/heel area. I took a 20 minute walk in them last night, and I was bleeding through my socks when I got home.
Great review, lines up perfectly with my experience. Wish I had complained to the store/Vans when problems first arose. Paid a lot for these and just want to get rid of them already. There have been some big mistakes made with the design of the Era at least and the customers will foot the bill (pun intended).
Agreed, spot on review. Should defo send this to Vans so they can fix these annoying cons as there are way too many! The old pros were much better!
The tightness across the top of the foot is the most annoying part!
Chiming in to also say that this review was spot on for me.
Went to pick up a pair of slip ons for the summer, saw the shop had the updated pros & almost bought without trying on. Thankfully I thought maybe I should since they were new, and wow so glad I did. I ended up leaving with a pair of classic slips instead.
Vans have always been such a consistent go to, it’s a bit of a bummer to have such a drastic change to the pro line.
Also, really not feeling the shiny rubber on the duracap.
Realistically what's the chance of any outcome at all if contacting Vans about it? I know they have plants reading this. Don't really feel like bothering the skate shop people right now about some shoes that have already seen (very light) wear. I can wear my dad's hiking boots that are 1,5 sizes too big no problem, I can wear snowboard boots that are half a size too small. No shoe should make a foot bleed.
Got a friend who works at Vans & sent him my opinion on fit right after…so I’d say that my chances of being heard were pretty good.
Also didn’t bother any skate shop employees, and I still left with a pair of Vans.
Kinda thought people we wrote shit like this here to help potentially inform others in case they were curious of fit or buying online…¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I was specifically talking about the slip-on tho…
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Been wanting to try these out and finally got some old skools today. My knees/back are too messed up to skate regular classic vans anymore but these have a very similar feel just with the added insole. Pros always felt like big soft baked potatoes on my feet. I cut the checker tag off and removed the top metal eyelet. Honestly feel like I can give up blazers now. They did a really good job
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I put something up already in the other Vans thread, but I now have two pairs of the new SKATE shoes, one each in Old Skool and Sk8 low and they are both by far a stronger, more supported, grippier and stiffer version of anything I have ever had from Vans, which going forward is the way of the future, even if a lot of people are unhappy with the feel of the new ones.
My options are limited to full sizes here in AU (no half sizes and I fit 11.5 best) so I went with the bigger 12 rather than 11 and they are very comfortable right away, no blisters or unwanted rubbing issues, but I am yet to really do much more than wearing them for a full day each and having a bit of a skate in both of them.
That said, I prefer tighter shoes to skate in, but going up half a size might help some others who have big issues with the fit of the new ones.
They are definitely not the soft thin moccasin type of shoes that the pro turned out to be, that's for sure.
New Vans models thread:
https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=110394.540
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Have any of you tried the Skate Sids? How are they compared to the Saddle Sid Pros? Thanks.
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Anyone skating just the original classics? I'm a fan of the classic half cabs. Not the Pro, or Skate models. The ones with the insole embedded into the shoe. They seem like they are going to be discontinued soon due to vans not stocking them. I prefer these over the others due to better board feel. The removable insoles ain't it chief. Am I fucked? Do I stock up while I can?
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You’re fucked, Jimmy. You’re fucked.
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Anyone skating just the original classics? I'm a fan of the classic half cabs. Not the Pro, or Skate models. The ones with the insole embedded into the shoe. They seem like they are going to be discontinued soon due to vans not stocking them. I prefer these over the others due to better board feel. The removable insoles ain't it chief. Am I fucked? Do I stock up while I can?
https://www.tactics.com/vans/classic-half-cab-skate-shoes/black
Tactics has pretty much a full size run of them in stock. Probably not for long. I like the fit of the classics better than the skate or the pros but you best believe im ripping out that insole to put a pop cush in there.
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I’ve been thinking of ordering a pair of the skate half cabs- does anyone know if the sizing on them is the same as the classic half cabs or the half can pro?
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I’ve been thinking of ordering a pair of the skate half cabs- does anyone know if the sizing on them is the same as the classic half cabs or the half can pro?
Get the same size you would get when buying other vans. Hopefully this was useful :)
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Does anybody know what's up with the Vans BMX shoes? I'm wondering how they're different from the skates or classics.
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They’re stiffer cups
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They’re stiffer cups
Lol thanks, I've read that. I guess what I should have asked is 'has anyone bought or skated in the BMX models?'
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Lol thanks, I've read that. I guess what I should have asked is 'has anyone bought or skated in the BMX models?'
It might be the other Vans thread, but there was a lot of talk about them and people had skated them, with most saying they were definitely a big upgrade on the thickness, support and way more solid than the normal Vans shoes.
I went looking with the search option, but didn't turn up half as much as I recall seeing in the last year or so:
Vans BMX thread:
https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=114021.0
I couldn't see many or any other posts with the BMX versions, but at least that thread should be good.
Maybe I was thinking of that one, but I know there were a few different threads that had some of those shoes with people who have bought them with reviews and info.