Some weird ass clown once said "if you're good at something, never do it for free". Guess he's just looking to get paid, good for him. I could care less what kind of shoes he's wearing. On top of that, who cares about brand loyalty seriously? Vans, Nike, Adidas, whatever they are all big ass companies that don't give two shits about their riders, they are only looking to make money, so I'd say the individuals that young skaters look up to and buy shoes because of them should go for whoever gives the better check. Hell I'd leave my job in a heartbeat for another employer who pays more for the same job, why wouldn't they?