Cop or Not is a new shoe review series I'm doing that basically serves as somewhat of a buyer's guide for those thinking about picking up some of the new shoe models out there. No ten paragraph descriptions of toecaps or multiple number ratings. I pretty much just skate the shoe for about 10-12 hours to get a feel for them, write a straight to the point description of it's qualities while being as informative as possible, and give my recommendations as to what kind of skater would get the most out of said shoe. I'll post pictures at the end to show the main areas for general wear and tear but I'm not spending a month doing more kickflips than usual in order to test durability. Everybody skates different and in turn wears down their shoes differently so I'm asking anyone who's skated these shoes to chime in and share their experiences. Anyways, let's get to it.
Project B.A. - Shoe Design by Brian Anderson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbpMDEVMHHs#)
SIZING & FIT
This is one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Not only are they surprisingly lightweight & cushy, but the breathability is insane. If I crack the AC in my car and lift my toes, I can feel the air flow throughout the entire shoe. Really cool stuff. These are easily the best "skate" shoe you can buy for walking around in, as I really can't imagine anything out there other than actual running shoes being better. Just overall an exceptionally comfortable shoe in all areas. This might sound weird but I'd say the sizing runs a quarter of a size big. I wear 10's and I've skated these in both 10's & 9.5's. I prefer to skate the 9.5's because I liked being able to really dig into that runner's toe when setting up for flip tricks, but it didn't feel like my foot was cramped at all. The 10's gave me a little extra space which was fine but not necessarily needed. I would say that if you have wide feet or prefer to have as much extra toe room as possible, get either your regular size or half a size up at most. If you want a more snug fit that feels more optimal for technical skating, (ledges, mannys, etc) I'd get half a size down like I did.
UPPER & SKATEABILITY
As stated above, the shoe is very lightweight & ventilated and this is because the upper is actually fairly thin. It's quality suede, but it does feel a bit thinner than it looks in pictures online. It should be just durable enough for many, but if you skate flatground for 3 hours a day and do a million flip tricks I can imagine you'd start ripping some holes in there. The placement of the lace holes isn't all that great either, and if you lace them all the way up to the top, that first part of the lace up by your ankles will be the first to go. Also get ready to superglue the top seam of that panel with the swoosh on it if you do a ton of heelflips. It doesn't seem to be a superbly durable upper although it should be adequate for most if you don't do a lot more fliptricks than the average skater. If you ARE that guy that does a boatload of different flip tricks everyday, you might want to spend $90 on a different shoe that'll last for that type of skating.
The outline of the toecap is a bit similar to a dunk as it's kind of rounded, but that runner's toe gives it somewhat of a pointy shoe feel. I like to use it as a guide for my flip tricks. Also my tre flips were REALLY good in this shoe as I would always think of just scraping that toe against the ground when I get that scoop, which worked very well for me. Overall it kind of has that early 2000's cupsole feel to it, just with more lightweight and modern materials.
INSOLE, MIDSOLE, and OUTSOLE
Easily this shoe's biggest strength. The midsole is literally 75% lunarlon with only the top right corner where you flick being rubber. It's surprisingly lightweight while still being exceptional supportive. If you jump down a lot of shit then you really won't find a better sole for taking impact, I promise you. As far as breaking them in if you bend & flex the sole with your hands and walk around in them before skating them it should only take a couple good sessions to fully break in that lunarlon. In terms of boardfeel I'd say its comparable to the Emerica Reynold's bit just a tad better because the foam midsole will squish down a bit more after a while. If you skate a lot of cupsoles you should be fine but if you're strictly a vulc guy you'll definitely have an adjustment period if they don't just downright feel like boots to you.
The insole is the new ortholite lunarlon insert also seen in the P-Rod 7's. Cushy & comfortable but pretty thin and won't be the first line of defense for absorbing impact. That's pretty much all on the midsole, which works exceptionally well, but don't expect to put these in some other shoes and think you're gonna have that same amount of support. It's the actual midsole doing 90% of the work.
The outsole as a very deep and tire-like tread lines as which definitely make it built to last. I really like the grip it has that real rugged, "heavy-duty" feel to it. The back also seems good for those who frequently drag their heel to stop & the forefoot has deep flex lines so that's great too. Overall I really can't complain about anything. The ONE knock people might be able to make about the sole is the boardfeel, but like I said, if you frequently skate cup soles you'll be fine, and the absolute best foot support in skate shoes right now make it worth it.
Would Recommend for: Anyone who skates a lot of gaps and/or tranny, those who feel they need extra foot support, anyone interested buying an exceptionally comfortable "chill" shoe, and any DC Lynx fanatics
Would Not Recommend for: People who do a ton of fliptricks and those who feel they need the absolute most boardfeel at all times
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p690/WillEasley309/BA%20Cop%20or%20Not/PROFILE_zpsc4c05319.jpg)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p690/WillEasley309/BA%20Cop%20or%20Not/BACKSIDE_zps3f570bfa.jpg)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p690/WillEasley309/BA%20Cop%20or%20Not/TOE_zps5c5731d6.jpg)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p690/WillEasley309/BA%20Cop%20or%20Not/INSOLE_zps83097770.jpg)
(http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p690/WillEasley309/BA%20Cop%20or%20Not/SOLE_zps49c6ff12.jpg)