Cupsole Recommendations

[Xen]

Been eyeing the metric, how’s the width?

Fuck DC for killing off the Mike Mo; love that shoe.

[blahblah999]

Been eyeing the metric, how’s the width?

Fuck DC for killing off the Mike Mo; love that shoe.

The width is okay, but there was some rubbing in the forefoot on the outside edge. I also had to go half a size up. Still didn't get the fit quite right, so they don't work for me. They may work for other people. If you are able to try them on first, or try and return, that would be best. Maybe get a pair in your normal size and a pair half a size up. See if either work for you.

[Hairy Ballsagna]

I know it will surprise many, but I really wanted to highlight these shoes..

(I think they are much more accessible to Europeans though.)

The Cupsole models from Decathlon !

I have ridden these shoes for a long time, I can't find a better cupsole honestly.. But I haven't tried many other shoes!

They protect me enormously, a perfect fit!

Here is the video that explains the design of this shoe (English subtitles that you can activate)



I know some are probably shocked "WHAT ? DECATHLON ?" , but know that all the shoes have been created and worked on by true skaters since 2017, they have really created their brand "Decathlon skateboarding", so it's really access on the skate and apart from the sports store, and a very good value for money ! And I repeat, but I have never had such a cool and protective shoe! The shape is perfect, cupsole but not huge and very sharp, perfect for flips. I remain faithful to the real brands (Emerica always in my heart  ) for walking, but for skating they don't protect me enough .. !

Decathlon have also made a vulc model, very pretty and very good value for money, but, cupsole forever now !

( And see if people are interested in the video of the manufacture of the new Vulc, as you can see that everything is meticulously worked : )

Interesting. Any idea how wide the toe box is on the Vulc model?

[Frank]

the cupsole decathlons don't look bad. i looked up the german site, sadly they don't sell em here, but i guess i could order them in france.

guys i might need help with dc in terms of sizing. i'm looking at the new cafe og kalis, mantecas and lynx zeros. the shanahan metric looks pretty dope as well. might snag a pair or maybe two on sale if they got the sizes and decent c-ways.

EDIT:

actually with the kalis it doesn't matter so much, since i probably wouldn't skate them. definitely would get mantecas or lynx zero to skate in. i think mantecas were tts wereas the lynx zero used to run half a size big iirc, as did the og kalis i think. i'm like a tts us8.5, 8 in cons/lrab and in some shoes i need a 9 for width reasons mostly. just need confirmation my info is still correct. it's been a while since i asked this(i think ask about dc sizing once a year and always about the same shoes lol and then i always still miss the sales in my size).

[Ok]

My experience with dc, and es, was that with cupsoles I needed to go up a half size. Dunks I wear a 10, lots of ‘core’ brands I wear a 10.5. Dunno how helpful that is

[Frank]

My experience with dc, and es, was that with cupsoles I needed to go up a half size. Dunks I wear a 10, lots of ‘core’ brands I wear a 10.5. Dunno how helpful that is

i take all the help, thanks

[blahblah999]

Vans BMX 114 shoes showed up today. I ordered the Port/Gum combo. The color is a little different than what it looks like on the screen, but aesthetically these are good looking shoes. Even though they are marketed as BMX shoes, they should work fine for skating.

Construction quality is definitely below some other skate shoe brands, but Vans have always been this way IME. These are not as cheap/thin/floppy as some of the classic models though. These don't look like $85 shoes to me, but then again $85 doesn't buy much these days. BITD I would have paid $40 max for a pair of shoes like this due to the construction quality. If you take out the insole, you will see loose threads held down by masking tape. If that is not cheaping out, I don't know what is.

Outsole looks like a vulcanized construction, but it's actually a thin cupsole made to look like a vulc. There really isn't any midsole cushion in these shoes at all. You will be relying on the Popcush insoles or whatever aftermarket you use.

The Popcush do not feel too bad but are fairly thick in the heel area. I don't really like that but I can see how it might help for impact protection. My flat feet and arches cannot handle any stock insole so I tried my FP 3.5mm. Fits perfectly with no issues. You can probably squeeze the thicker 5mm FP in there depending on the volume of your instep and how much forefoot room you need.

Good news is that these seem to fit TTS and there is no rubbing on the outside of the foot or small toe area like so many skate shoes. Walking around, they are decently comfortable but the forefoot area is very thin and I would expect to wear through it quite quickly compared to some other shoes. Heel lock is pretty good. These are on the lower side of a mid-top IMHO but still seems to offer some support and ankle protection. Maybe not as floppy as a pair of Half-Cabs, but not as supportive as some other mid-tops I've had.

Overall, kind of a mixed bag, but these are comfortable enough that I could probably skate in them. For that reason they are not an auto-return. Still waiting for more shoes to show up and will decide after I've tried everything.

[Ok]

Giving me a run for my money on the long/extra gear posts.
I’d like you to inject more melancholy for days gone by, whilst adding more run-on sentences with a questionable, at best, deployment of commas.

But great write up

[blahblah999]

Giving me a run for my money on the long/extra gear posts.
I’d like you to inject more melancholy for days gone by, whilst adding more run-on sentences with a questionable, at best, deployment of commas.

But great write up

These are message board posts, not a doctoral dissertation. There will be some spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors on occasion. I don't spend a lot of time proofreading them.

[Ok]

Expand Quote

Giving me a run for my money on the long/extra gear posts.
I’d like you to inject more melancholy for days gone by, whilst adding more run-on sentences with a questionable, at best, deployment of commas.

But great write up

[close]

These are message board posts, not a doctoral dissertation. There will be some spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors on occasion. I don't spend a lot of time proofreading them.

Ah.
Here’s what I meant: I, poster ‘ok’, frequently ramble, on and on, with run-on sentences, about jack in the day setups, and such.
Your post hit, for me, despite the subject matter being of no interest to me.
I am jealous of your username.
I was attempting to make a joke, that I did not flesh out in anyway, that if you were to only adopt my por grammar, I could stop posting.
I apologize to if you feel attacked, I was just goofing around, posting, hastily, from a grocery line (much like most of my slapping, just in between errands).

[blahblah999]

Ah.
Here’s what I meant: I, poster ‘ok’, frequently ramble, on and on, with run-on sentences, about jack in the day setups, and such.
Your post hit, for me, despite the subject matter being of no interest to me.
I am jealous of your username.
I was attempting to make a joke, that I did not flesh out in anyway, that if you were to only adopt my por grammar, I could stop posting.
I apologize to if you feel attacked, I was just goofing around, posting, hastily, from a grocery line (much like most of my slapping, just in between errands).

Lol.

[blahblah999]

Continuing the quest for old man skate shoes...

Emerica Pillar Mids showed up today. These are a vulcanized shoe. I don't really like vulcs for skating, but nowadays many cupsoles are so thin and narrow that I am willing to try a pair of vulc mids from Sole Tech.

Construction quality is not as good as the KSL G6s IMHO. Even if I ignore the sole, the structure of the upper is floppy and less supportive than the KSLs. The ollie and toe area also feels quite thin. There is a low rubber ollie patch thing in that area held together with the foxing tape. I'm not sure how much of a difference that is going to make for some skaters with respect to durability. Typically I am used to seeing rubber ollie guard/patch things go higher and cover more area of the upper. Even the homemade ollie patches we made from bicycle inner tubes BITD were better.

Took out the insoles and looked at the inside of the shoe. These are made a little better than the average vulc but the soles are very hard and likely lack any midsole cushioning. If there is anything there, it's not very noticeable. I would be relying on my insole (FP 3.5mm Orthotics) to function as both a midsole and an insole. I'm guessing this is why the heel of the stock insole is so thick. Side note: I should probably invest in a cheap pair of digital calipers to start measuring these things.

Anyway, the shoe started off more comfortable than I expected. Heel lock was pretty good. Initially, it felt like there was enough room for my foot across the instep, forefoot, and toe area. However, once I started walking around in the shoes I could detect the liner portion rubbing against the big toe of my right foot. Not good. This happened after less than ten minutes of walking around on carpet. It might get better or it might get worse over time. Not something I want to mess with at this point though. That automatically makes the shoes a no go for me.

To summarize, here are the shoes that didn't work for me so far:

Nike: Ishod, Cortez, Dunks, Force 58, Blazers

NB: 440, 1010, 808

DC: Metric

Emerica: Pillar

These shoes are on the maybe list:

Vans: BMX 114

Emerica: KSL G6

Still waiting for these to arrive:

Vans: MC 96

Adidas: Tyshawn

'eS: Stylus Mid

[theloniousmonk]

Continuing the quest for old man skate shoes...

Emerica Pillar Mids showed up today. These are a vulcanized shoe. I don't really like vulcs for skating, but nowadays many cupsoles are so thin and narrow that I am willing to try a pair of vulc mids from Sole Tech.

Construction quality is not as good as the KSL G6s IMHO. Even if I ignore the sole, the structure of the upper is floppy and less supportive than the KSLs. The ollie and toe area also feels quite thin. There is a low rubber ollie patch thing in that area held together with the foxing tape. I'm not sure how much of a difference that is going to make for some skaters with respect to durability. Typically I am used to seeing rubber ollie guard/patch things go higher and cover more area of the upper. Even the homemade ollie patches we made from bicycle inner tubes BITD were better.

Took out the insoles and looked at the inside of the shoe. These are made a little better than the average vulc but the soles are very hard and likely lack any midsole cushioning. If there is anything there, it's not very noticeable. I would be relying on my insole (FP 3.5mm Orthotics) to function as both a midsole and an insole. I'm guessing this is why the heel of the stock insole is so thick. Side note: I should probably invest in a cheap pair of digital calipers to start measuring these things.

Anyway, the shoe started off more comfortable than I expected. Heel lock was pretty good. Initially, it felt like there was enough room for my foot across the instep, forefoot, and toe area. However, once I started walking around in the shoes I could detect the liner portion rubbing against the big toe of my right foot. Not good. This happened after less than ten minutes of walking around on carpet. It might get better or it might get worse over time. Not something I want to mess with at this point though. That automatically makes the shoes a no go for me.

To summarize, here are the shoes that didn't work for me so far:

Nike: Ishod, Cortez, Dunks, Force 58, Blazers

NB: 440, 1010, 808

DC: Metric

Emerica: Pillar

These shoes are on the maybe list:

Vans: BMX 114

Emerica: KSL G6

Still waiting for these to arrive:

Vans: MC 96

Adidas: Tyshawn

'eS: Stylus Mid

Give the Tyshawn mids some serious consideration, and also try them with the super feet green insoles. They got me much better with those insoles Than the stock.
They are going to feel way too stiff at first, but try long walks in them to get them started

[Ok]

That’s buck. I also tried them with the green super feets. And it was a go.
Tyshawn mids were very nice, as good of a skate shoe as I’ve had.
My quick list over the last 5 ish years, that were noteworthy for me:

Ave pro
Legacy slim
Tyshawn mids
Dunks
Jordan 1s
Tiago 1010s

[blahblah999]

Give the Tyshawn mids some serious consideration, and also try them with the super feet green insoles. They got me much better with those insoles Than the stock.
They are going to feel way too stiff at first, but try long walks in them to get them started

I will try them like any other shoe. Fit is key and I have trouble getting a good fit with a lot of shoes. I have a variety of insoles here including some superfeet I use for running shoes and boots. One thing I've learned over time is that if I cannot get a good fit initially, the shoe is not worth messing with for me. Sizing up doesn't always work for me either. Many times it solves one fit problem but then creates another.

[Pasta Monster]

Expand Quote

Give the Tyshawn mids some serious consideration, and also try them with the super feet green insoles. They got me much better with those insoles Than the stock.
They are going to feel way too stiff at first, but try long walks in them to get them started

[close]

I will try them like any other shoe. Fit is key and I have trouble getting a good fit with a lot of shoes. I have a variety of insoles here including some superfeet I use for running shoes and boots. One thing I've learned over time is that if I cannot get a good fit initially, the shoe is not worth messing with for me. Sizing up doesn't always work for me either. Many times it solves one fit problem but then creates another.

Amen. You get rid of the tightness in the forefoot from sizing up, but then you’re left with heel slip. The  only times sizing up/down has worked has been based on the amount of (or lack of) padding.

[Turtle Boy]

Expand Quote

I know it will surprise many, but I really wanted to highlight these shoes..

(I think they are much more accessible to Europeans though.)

The Cupsole models from Decathlon !

I have ridden these shoes for a long time, I can't find a better cupsole honestly.. But I haven't tried many other shoes!

They protect me enormously, a perfect fit!

Here is the video that explains the design of this shoe (English subtitles that you can activate)



I know some are probably shocked "WHAT ? DECATHLON ?" , but know that all the shoes have been created and worked on by true skaters since 2017, they have really created their brand "Decathlon skateboarding", so it's really access on the skate and apart from the sports store, and a very good value for money ! And I repeat, but I have never had such a cool and protective shoe! The shape is perfect, cupsole but not huge and very sharp, perfect for flips. I remain faithful to the real brands (Emerica always in my heart  ) for walking, but for skating they don't protect me enough .. !

Decathlon have also made a vulc model, very pretty and very good value for money, but, cupsole forever now !

( And see if people are interested in the video of the manufacture of the new Vulc, as you can see that everything is meticulously worked : )

[close]

Interesting. Any idea how wide the toe box is on the Vulc model?

I know a 3 or 4 guys that skate a lot and swear by decathlon shoes. Probably the best value for money you can find on shoes, however if you look shoes on sale from other brands Soletech/DC/NB# you can find shoes for around the same price as decathlon. The price tag for Decathlon cups is around 40 €.
The only thing i tried from Decathlon are there wheels. And for 20€ they are the best wheels you can find: better than a lot of mid tier wheel brands, but not on the level of Bones/Spitfire.

[Xen]

Sizing up a half size in the tyshawn mids was key,

Good toe room
Wide enough
Great heel lock (which helps with all of the above by keeping your foot where it should be). Note: the extra top eyelet laced properly is key.

I tried stock, super feet green and orange, FP 3mm game changers and a host of other shoe insoles and the FP work the best in this shoe for me.

It’s a chunky shoe at first, keep that in mind.

The only draw back, and this applies to most Adidas, is they aren't that grippy.

[Crap]

I just checked the Canadian Decathlon site and they don't have the skate shoes on there, but they do have a badminton model that looks pretty interesting for $45 CAD.

[eSK3]

“We have kostons at home” when I look at those awful looking shits

[Crap]

If you think those Kostons are bad, you should see the ones éS is selling.

[Turtle Boy]

I don't want to derail this thread on decathlon products but I was really close to try those decathlon handball shoes that are made in Portugal for only 55e!
The sole is really close to the Samba/busenitz but the leather and fit don't seem to be as good.

[blahblah999]

Update on the search for old man skate shoes...

Adidas Tyshawn:

I've had a lot of Adidas shoes over the decades - going way back. No prior experience with their current skate line though. This is a nice looking shoe that feels fairly well made. Unfortunately the volume of the toe box is way too small and low for me.

It didn't matter if I used my aftermarket orthotics or the thin stock insoles - these don't fit my feet. Sizing up won't work either because the length is correct. Again, it's the volume of the toebox that's the problem here. Not sure if all the new Adidas skate shoes fit kinda like this or not. Disappointing.

Vans MC 96:

These are supposed to be a reissue of Mike Carroll's pro model from the 90s. Of course they don't have his name on them, because he doesn't skate for the company anymore. From what I've read the original version of this shoe was only around briefly. I honestly cannot remember if I ever saw a pair BITD.

The quality of the material on the uppers and the stitching looks way better than any Vans I've ever seen. I guess these are part of the "VCU" line which is supposed to be a higher quality version of Vans. The olive/army green colorway is not for everyone. I do not mind it but it looks lighter in person than on some websites.

The sole is vulcanized which I typically don't like, but nowadays most cupsoles are so thin I don't think it matters. Like some other Vans there is no real midsole cushioning so you need a good insole with these if you decide not to use the stock one. The stock Popcush insole does not feel bad but lacks the arch support I need these days.

Fit seems TTS and there is some fairly thick padding on the tongue and around the ankle collar. Heel lock is not the best and I can feel the heel cup reinforcement when I walk in the shoes. Not good. Compared to the BMX 114 model, these just aren't as comfortable for me even though they look and feel like a higher quality shoe overall. If Vans could take the best aspects of the MC 96 and the 114 and make a hybrid, I would try that shoe.


'eS Stylus Mid:

These are on the lower side of a mid-top shoe and do not offer as much ankle protection as I would have liked. I ordered the Black/White colorway which has an upper made of suede and printed nubuck. I am not a fan of the way the nubuck material looks here, but it's tolerable.

The tongue and ankle padding are both very nice IMHO. There are no tongue straps, which I do not mind since I have problems with those sometimes. The lining of the shoe is very smooth and verges on slick. I did not mind it but some people may have an issue with it. The insole is very thin with a thin piece of arch support material. I did not have any issues fitting an FP 3.5mm orthotic inside the shoe. Overall shoe volume is good IMHO.

The sole on these is thinner than that of the KSL G6s but still feels comfortable. What I dislike is that the shape of the toe comes to a weird rounded point which reduces the amount of room in the toebox. The initial fit felt alright, but once I started to walk around on the carpet I could feel the lining of the shoe rubbing against one of my small toes. Ultimately these are a no go for me.

More later...

[Ok]

Update on the search for old man skate shoes...

Adidas Tyshawn:

I've had a lot of Adidas shoes over the decades - going way back. No prior experience with their current skate line though. This is a nice looking shoe that feels fairly well made. Unfortunately the volume of the toe box is way too small and low for me.

It didn't matter if I used my aftermarket orthotics or the thin stock insoles - these don't fit my feet. Sizing up won't work either because the length is correct. Again, it's the volume of the toebox that's the problem here. Not sure if all the new Adidas skate shoes fit kinda like this or not. Disappointing.

Vans MC 96:

These are supposed to be a reissue of Mike Carroll's pro model from the 90s. Of course they don't have his name on them, because he doesn't skate for the company anymore. From what I've read the original version of this shoe was only around briefly. I honestly cannot remember if I ever saw a pair BITD.

The quality of the material on the uppers and the stitching looks way better than any Vans I've ever seen. I guess these are part of the "VCU" line which is supposed to be a higher quality version of Vans. The olive/army green colorway is not for everyone. I do not mind it but it looks lighter in person than on some websites.

The sole is vulcanized which I typically don't like, but nowadays most cupsoles are so thin I don't think it matters. Like some other Vans there is no real midsole cushioning so you need a good insole with these if you decide not to use the stock one. The stock Popcush insole does not feel bad but lacks the arch support I need these days.

Fit seems TTS and there is some fairly thick padding on the tongue and around the ankle collar. Heel lock is not the best and I can feel the heel cup reinforcement when I walk in the shoes. Not good. Compared to the BMX 114 model, these just aren't as comfortable for me even though they look and feel like a higher quality shoe overall. If Vans could take the best aspects of the MC 96 and the 114 and make a hybrid, I would try that shoe.


'eS Stylus Mid:

These are on the lower side of a mid-top shoe and do not offer as much ankle protection as I would have liked. I ordered the Black/White colorway which has an upper made of suede and printed nubuck. I am not a fan of the way the nubuck material looks here, but it's tolerable.

The tongue and ankle padding are both very nice IMHO. There are no tongue straps, which I do not mind since I have problems with those sometimes. The lining of the shoe is very smooth and verges on slick. I did not mind it but some people may have an issue with it. The insole is very thin with a thin piece of arch support material. I did not have any issues fitting an FP 3.5mm orthotic inside the shoe. Overall shoe volume is good IMHO.

The sole on these is thinner than that of the KSL G6s but still feels comfortable. What I dislike is that the shape of the toe comes to a weird rounded point which reduces the amount of room in the toebox. The initial fit felt alright, but once I started to walk around on the carpet I could feel the lining of the shoe rubbing against one of my small toes. Ultimately these are a no go for me.

More later...

If everyone you meet is an asshole, it might be your feet. Or something

This subject is near and dear to my heart. Foot pain keeps me from skating as much as I’d like, and I have family members that have severely limited their physical output, due to foot pain.
The poster @Crap has good recommendations imo.

My feet have spread out with age, and I went from wearing a 9, to a 10, after my mid 30s.
Shoes that work for me that I haven’t seen you mention:

Ave pro- I just kinda started being over the way they look, but for awhile I was all about em. I went for runs, played basketball/soccer, general walking around, bike shit, and skating. Just a good shoe, for me.

Dunks- what I wear the most. They just work. Not hyped on how they look, at this point, but they won’t be the problem.

Jordan 1s- same as dunks. Also the same in that I’m kinda over the look. I got a wide forefoot, and a narrow heel, so Nikes work. But it’s fuckin Nike.

Tiago’s 1010- I go tts. These are the most comfortable. The tech and build quality is a cut above. I get gnarly heel slip. I don’t care. Nothing is gonna be perfect.

[blahblah999]

If everyone you meet is an asshole, it might be your feet. Or something

I realize my feet aren't the easiest to fit. I am old (40s) and have had knee and foot problems. I have flat feet that are wide at the front and narrower at the back. Not every shoe will work.

I cannot tell you how many pairs of shoes over the years I have purchased only to donate later because they did not work for me after wearing them for a week or two, or even less.

I try not to do that anymore hence why I like to try shoes on at home instead of at a store or skate shop. I get more time to try the shoe and walk around and compare to other shoes.

This subject is near and dear to my heart. Foot pain keeps me from skating as much as I’d like, and I have family members that have severely limited their physical output, due to foot pain.
The poster @Crap has good recommendations imo.

I will keep that in mind.

My feet have spread out with age, and I went from wearing a 9, to a 10, after my mid 30s.

Yep. I wore a 9 or 9.5 for many years. It was only a few years ago that my podiatrist and an NB store employee pointed out that my shoes were a little too small. I typically wear a 10D in most TTS shoes now. Of course the Brannock measurement only tells you the length and width. It does not tell you about other aspects of comfort or fit. Many shoes "almost" fit my foot only to rub on a toe or on my instep which makes them a no go.

Shoes that work for me that I haven’t seen you mention:

Ave pro- I just kinda started being over the way they look, but for awhile I was all about em. I went for runs, played basketball/soccer, general walking around, bike shit, and skating. Just a good shoe, for me.

Dunks- what I wear the most. They just work. Not hyped on how they look, at this point, but they won’t be the problem.

Jordan 1s- same as dunks. Also the same in that I’m kinda over the look. I got a wide forefoot, and a narrow heel, so Nikes work. But it’s fuckin Nike.

Tiago’s 1010- I go tts. These are the most comfortable. The tech and build quality is a cut above. I get gnarly heel slip. I don’t care. Nothing is gonna be perfect.

Dunks and 1010s don't work for me. I tried them. No experience with the Ave pro. I may give them a shot.

[Ok]

Another thing: I used to obsess about wearing shoes as small as possible. Bad.
Running stores fit me in 11s, often. Fits the arch better.
All to say, I’ve had much better luck, sizing up, and just getting used to the slip/slop. The ‘joggers loop’ I think it’s called, the lacing trick, that helps me with the narrow heel problems.
Godspeed.

[blahblah999]

Another thing: I used to obsess about wearing shoes as small as possible. Bad.
Running stores fit me in 11s, often. Fits the arch better.
All to say, I’ve had much better luck, sizing up, and just getting used to the slip/slop. The ‘joggers loop’ I think it’s called, the lacing trick, that helps me with the narrow heel problems.
Godspeed.

Never had anyone at a store try to convince me on 11s. I've tried 10.5s before (half a size up) and that rarely works for me. Lace locks can help, sure, but they can only do so much with my feet. If I need to practically cut off circulation with them in order to avoid heel slip then it's an absolute no go. I can't deal with heel slip either because I get blisters from that.

I don't try too hard to make a shoe work when it's just not going to fit my feet properly. It doesn't matter how much I like the brand or style. I just move on. Everything is always down to the shape of the shoe's last, which few sneaker manufacturers even bother to describe in their product listings.

After trying all the shoes I've got 2 pairs that seem to fit fairly well. I could stop at this point and wait to try more after these are done. I could also try more shoes and see if there are any I like better than the 2 pairs that made the cut. Not sure what I will do just yet.


Summary:

These shoes are likely keepers:

Vans: BMX 114

Emerica: KSL G6


Didn't work:

Nike: Ishod, Cortez, Dunks, Force 58, Blazers

NB: 440, 1010, 808

DC: Metric

Emerica: Pillar

'eS: Stylus Mid

Adidas: Tyshawn Mid

Vans: MC 96

[Crap]

Expand Quote

Update on the search for old man skate shoes...

Adidas Tyshawn:
 

Vans MC 96:


'eS Stylus Mid:


More later...

[close]

If everyone you meet is an asshole, it might be your feet. Or something

This subject is near and dear to my heart. Foot pain keeps me from skating as much as I’d like, and I have family members that have severely limited their physical output, due to foot pain.
The poster @Crap has good recommendations imo.

My feet have spread out with age, and I went from wearing a 9, to a 10, after my mid 30s.
Shoes that work for me that I haven’t seen you mention:

Ave pro- I just kinda started being over the way they look, but for awhile I was all about em. I went for runs, played basketball/soccer, general walking around, bike shit, and skating. Just a good shoe, for me.

Dunks- what I wear the most. They just work. Not hyped on how they look, at this point, but they won’t be the problem.

Jordan 1s- same as dunks. Also the same in that I’m kinda over the look. I got a wide forefoot, and a narrow heel, so Nikes work. But it’s fuckin Nike.

Tiago’s 1010- I go tts. These are the most comfortable. The tech and build quality is a cut above. I get gnarly heel slip. I don’t care. Nothing is gonna be perfect.

Hey, thanks for the shout out!

Sounds like OP maybe has the shoe dilemma sorted? I've settled on Dunk hi's as my skate shoe of choice now that it got a little easier to get ahold of them. But when that wasn't the case, I tried pretty much every other shoe and have read pretty much everything possible about feet, insoles, shoes, etc. In general, I'm really happy there are more cupsoles coming out from every brand and am hoping to try out the Last Resort cupsole and the Leo Baker pro shoe when they come out.

@blahblah999, sounds like you've tried a lot and settled on a couple options, but the only ones I might add to your list to try on in the future if you're still looking might be the Skate Half Cabs. With the heel shank, the new Vans outsole is much more supportive than the old one, and I would argue that it feels more like a cupsole than the BMX/wafflecup sole. I haven't tried on the MC96, but the Half Cab tongue isn't as puffy and it doesn't have that cutout at the heel that I bet is bad for heel lock (this only applies to the regular Half Cab, not the Half Cab '92, which feels like the collar is a little lower). For what it's worth, I had the same fit problems with the Tyshawn mid and going up half a size did help - I didn't think it would either until I tried them on.

[blahblah999]

@blahblah999, sounds like you've tried a lot and settled on a couple options, but the only ones I might add to your list to try on in the future if you're still looking might be the Skate Half Cabs. With the heel shank, the new Vans outsole is much more supportive than the old one, and I would argue that it feels more like a cupsole than the BMX/wafflecup sole. I haven't tried on the MC96, but the Half Cab tongue isn't as puffy and it doesn't have that cutout at the heel that I bet is bad for heel lock (this only applies to the regular Half Cab, not the Half Cab '92, which feels like the collar is a little lower). For what it's worth, I had the same fit problems with the Tyshawn mid and going up half a size did help - I didn't think it would either until I tried them on.

Last time I tried on a pair of Half Cabs was over 10 years ago now. I didn't like them at that time as they felt too unstructured and floppy. The HCs I remember from the 90s with the glued-in insole were the same way. No idea about the HC 92s either.

I don't know anything about the new Skate HCs and hadn't really considered them. I was kinda sorta eyeing the Vans Wayvee. I do kinda worry about the fit of those though.

Other shoes I had considered but may or may not bother trying are the 'eS Tom Penny 2 mid-tops, Emerica G6 Gamma, DC Lynx Zero, Adidas Forum ADV, etc.

[ChompskyHonk]

I have no clue how the tom penny 2 reissues fit as far as the upper goes, but they're on the same sole as the og accels. out of all the shoes I've skated that cupsole is easily the most supportive I've had.  compared to dunks, a slimmer but not super slim cupsole, the Accel cupsole is much more supportive due to the full length eva foam that molds to your feet, and the fact that it's much wider than the dunk cupsole. my ankles are shit and I tend to roll them a lot in skinnier shoes, but I haven't had nearly as many bad experiences with the accel cupsole than any other cupsole or vulc shoe. since the penny 2s are a mid top I would expect that support from the upper would be even better in those than accels