New Vans skate line is trash

[Captain No Cab]

my only gripe with the new skate line is that sometimes half cabs split on the back after repeated use.

Yeh I had that happen as well, pretty annoying downside to an otherwise superb shoe.

[sadnocomply]

I just scooped up those Labor x Vans Half Cab green crocodile joints and these are the sickest/nicest QC vans I’ve ever owned. Can’t wait to skate them in about a year after all my Crocketts go lol.

[Uncle Flea]

this is the second longest lasting shoe ive ever had. the first is the AF2. Third was the Fast Break. These are the pro i think? have an ultracush.
Theres only like 3 other modern shoes that ive liked that are within my constant budget. None are available in my area at the moment. I wish i could try the $119.00 kicks but thats like 1/7 of my total monthly. I need to get 1.5-3 or 4 months out of my shoes. When i take chances on changes i never do get it.

I copped three pairs of vans before i got this blessed pair of indestructible chukkas. I had to give two pairs away because they wouldnt stop crushing my baby toe on the extended height foxing. The third pair was another pair of chukkas. Those also was the best shit for me.

My first trip to NYC in 20 years was ruined by those eras skate. I wish i had normal feet. Small wide feet in a pointy toe world.

Vans chukka Checkpoints and the fast break tho. I also love the af2 after break in.

I was hoping orchard or nwf would have them by now but i fear im the only person who loves for this shoe over all others. Its got to be the shape because i could see my toe for like over a month and i just started ruining socks. Idk what my next shoe is going to be but i gotta cop on the first if possible. Im not stoked on the choices at either shop. Skate shoes are kinda meh when you got tiny square feet. I can rock like Chukka or Slips or AF2s.

[IUTSM]

i don't know what you're doing but the half cab skate and half cab skate 92 (probably the same but 92 indicates a colorway?) are good skate shoes. no getting around it.

half cab pro were trash. had swapped to emerica for a long time because the cardboard vans was putting out. half cab skates have more support, better insole, rip less and just last longer. as long as I untie my shoes, the heel/ankle collar stays firm for long as time too

y'all talking about break in time- i know the difference between vulc and cupsole is a thing, but the break in time on the new vans, or half cabs anyways, is minimal and far more comfortable when compared to the nike, new balance, or éS i've tried the past couple years.

[Lashes2ashes]

Anyone fuck with the wayvees?  Just started on a pair of Tysons and besides looking like the colorway of a 14 year old who just discovered weed, the fit is really good.  Widest vans shoe I could find…

I’m skating my second pair of them, had the yellow black ones and now the brown with gum sole. There my favorite vans by far in terms of comfort and response. They do bag out a bit in the front if you lace them up tight, and my new brown ones have way to long of the tongue straps, so the left one slipped to the side. If they just changed how they laced and had a slightly thicker tongue they would be perfect in my opinion.

[shredslap]

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chiming in that I agree with most that the new skate line is much better than the pro classics. i've been running the 92 halfcabs (Reynolds colorway) in my shoe rotation since April. no bald spots on the bottom yet which is quite surprising as vans soles typically would last just 1 month in the past. the wafflecup soles get bald pretty fast though btw

[close]

The Wafflecup was from the Pro days. I think only the Rowan got the Slick Stick rubber on it but it too has the older Popcush.

I've got the same Reynolds and had the same experience with Waffle Cup soles. Crockett Highs are great for a while, but don't last for me especially the sole in the flick area.

The more recent rendition of Wafflecup isn't even the same as how it originally launched. The original launch touted skate-able from the box feel, and was actually amazing.. If anyone ever gets a chance to skate the Euclid's, they were the original Wafflecup shoe and are the best Vans I've ever skated.. Miss those the most.

[DarkPools]

OP, I think this is a you problem. Objectively speaking, Vans upgraded tremendously on all their models:

Shank in the midsole
Elastic foot straps
Contoured fit that is stiff/sturdy

Pro line was comfortable but not nearly as supportive or durable as new Skate line.

To each their own on preferences! Current Vans are actually skateable for me, where the previous Pro line became unbearable after trying various Pro Classics for a couple years.  Blew out fast, feet hurt, etc.

[Mean salto]

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chiming in that I agree with most that the new skate line is much better than the pro classics. i've been running the 92 halfcabs (Reynolds colorway) in my shoe rotation since April. no bald spots on the bottom yet which is quite surprising as vans soles typically would last just 1 month in the past. the wafflecup soles get bald pretty fast though btw

[close]

The Wafflecup was from the Pro days. I think only the Rowan got the Slick Stick rubber on it but it too has the older Popcush.

I've got the same Reynolds and had the same experience with Waffle Cup soles. Crockett Highs are great for a while, but don't last for me especially the sole in the flick area.

[close]

The more recent rendition of Wafflecup isn't even the same as how it originally launched. The original launch touted skate-able from the box feel, and was actually amazing.. If anyone ever gets a chance to skate the Euclid's, they were the original Wafflecup shoe and are the best Vans I've ever skated.. Miss those the most.

Soz nerd alert comin thru but I think the stage 4s were the first wafflecups. One of my personal most disappointing shoes but from memory the outsole itself was decent. The forefoot actually felt a little thinner than the standard vans of the time.

[Frank]

this is the second longest lasting shoe ive ever had. the first is the AF2. Third was the Fast Break. These are the pro i think? have an ultracush.
Theres only like 3 other modern shoes that ive liked that are within my constant budget. None are available in my area at the moment. I wish i could try the $119.00 kicks but thats like 1/7 of my total monthly. I need to get 1.5-3 or 4 months out of my shoes. When i take chances on changes i never do get it.

I copped three pairs of vans before i got this blessed pair of indestructible chukkas. I had to give two pairs away because they wouldnt stop crushing my baby toe on the extended height foxing. The third pair was another pair of chukkas. Those also was the best shit for me.

My first trip to NYC in 20 years was ruined by those eras skate. I wish i had normal feet. Small wide feet in a pointy toe world.

Vans chukka Checkpoints and the fast break tho. I also love the af2 after break in.

I was hoping orchard or nwf would have them by now but i fear im the only person who loves for this shoe over all others. Its got to be the shape because i could see my toe for like over a month and i just started ruining socks. Idk what my next shoe is going to be but i gotta cop on the first if possible. Im not stoked on the choices at either shop. Skate shoes are kinda meh when you got tiny square feet. I can rock like Chukka or Slips or AF2s.

chukkas were my go to shoe from 2008-12 i guess. they got shitty for a while with the soles coming off super easy. but i loved skating them.

[Crap]

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chiming in that I agree with most that the new skate line is much better than the pro classics. i've been running the 92 halfcabs (Reynolds colorway) in my shoe rotation since April. no bald spots on the bottom yet which is quite surprising as vans soles typically would last just 1 month in the past. the wafflecup soles get bald pretty fast though btw

[close]

The Wafflecup was from the Pro days. I think only the Rowan got the Slick Stick rubber on it but it too has the older Popcush.

I've got the same Reynolds and had the same experience with Waffle Cup soles. Crockett Highs are great for a while, but don't last for me especially the sole in the flick area.

[close]

The more recent rendition of Wafflecup isn't even the same as how it originally launched. The original launch touted skate-able from the box feel, and was actually amazing.. If anyone ever gets a chance to skate the Euclid's, they were the original Wafflecup shoe and are the best Vans I've ever skated.. Miss those the most.

[close]

Soz nerd alert comin thru but I think the stage 4s were the first wafflecups. One of my personal most disappointing shoes but from memory the outsole itself was decent. The forefoot actually felt a little thinner than the standard vans of the time.

Taking it back to the early Wafflecup era, I had a pair of Crockett 1's that were one of the worst pair of skate shoes I've ever had. The edge of the Duracap was in the exact right spot where the edge of it pressed against the suede right where I ollie, causing the suede to rip within probably 2-3 sessions, and one of the laces ripped through an eyelet pretty quickly after that. I'm not that hard on shoes, but I destroyed those things in record time. That sole was better for me than the one on the Crockett 2's, but only by a little bit - it was still way too thin. However, I did re-use the insoles (when Ultracush still had the gel under the heel) in multiple pairs of Huf shoes after that, so it wasn't a total loss.

Thinking back, I can't believe how many pairs of Vans I bought in the 2010's considering how dissatisfied I was with most of them. I'd probably get one absolutely perfect pair out of every 10 I bought, and the rest were just garbage from day one.

[FUBAR]

Well I’m about to skate my first pair of half cabs so we shall see. I’m 46 and once they found out how old I was, Vans sent me a letter via certified mail and said I would be murdered if I did not try a pair of half cabs at my age.

[thehogsniper]

I noticed this more recently, but the insoles on this new line are not consistent. Popcush is not all created equal. Last year I bought up a bunch of these because they're the only shoes with enough support to wear all day working and skating. I've had the grosso mids and highs, sk8-hi, era, berle, half cabs, and old skools. I bought the sk8-hi (from daddies on sale) and of all the shoes I've bought, they have the weakest insole. The red elastic band for the tongue has bled through onto the interior of the shoe, and on my maroon half cabs after one wear to a bar half of my sidewall was pink from just sitting with the upper of one touching the sidewalk of another. It's not a big concern, but just something I noticed, not to mention sizing being insanely inconsistent.

[IUTSM]

my only gripe with the new skate line is that sometimes half cabs split on the back after repeated use. i've tried to prevent it by undoing/redoing the laces every time i take them on and off. didn't have that problem with the old ones.

This has happened to me if I take them off without untying laces. Gorilla glue puts that shit back together

[mj23]

All I know is that the skate slip ons seem to be the same shoes with a thicker insole, which means they don’t have enough vertical space to actually get my foot into them anymore. Shits wack

[camel filters]

All I know is that the skate slip ons seem to be the same shoes with a thicker insole, which means they don’t have enough vertical space to actually get my foot into them anymore. Shits wack

They actually have thinner insoles. It's the last that changed and was made super shallow.

Old on left. New on right:
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[mj23]

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All I know is that the skate slip ons seem to be the same shoes with a thicker insole, which means they don’t have enough vertical space to actually get my foot into them anymore. Shits wack

[close]

They actually have thinner insoles. It's the last that changed and was made super shallow.

Old on left. New on right:
Untitled by

well damn you know your shit way better than i do, all i know is that the regular joints fit me fine and the 'skate' line doesnt, even if i size up.

[nevrwasben]

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All I know is that the skate slip ons seem to be the same shoes with a thicker insole, which means they don’t have enough vertical space to actually get my foot into them anymore. Shits wack

[close]

They actually have thinner insoles. It's the last that changed and was made super shallow.

Old on left. New on right:
Untitled by

[close]

well damn you know your shit way better than i do, all i know is that the regular joints fit me fine and the 'skate' line doesnt, even if i size up.

I couldn’t wear the updated Pros when the got more shallow/narrow, and I can only wear the Skate slip ons after I break them in for a few weeks wearing super thin dress socks; then they’re great!!
That break in period is a real bitch tho…

[camel filters]

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All I know is that the skate slip ons seem to be the same shoes with a thicker insole, which means they don’t have enough vertical space to actually get my foot into them anymore. Shits wack

[close]

They actually have thinner insoles. It's the last that changed and was made super shallow.

Old on left. New on right:
Untitled by

[close]

well damn you know your shit way better than i do, all i know is that the regular joints fit me fine and the 'skate' line doesnt, even if i size up.

[close]

I couldn’t wear the updated Pros when the got more shallow/narrow, and I can only wear the Skate slip ons after I break them in for a few weeks wearing super thin dress socks; then they’re great!!
That break in period is a real bitch tho…

Yeah the shape of the new slips is very unforgiving. I use thinner con insoles in mine and they are still pretty tight but way more manageable. They don't have the rebound of the pop cush tho which is a bummer cause its a good stock insole.

[commie]

The skate version of Sk8 hi lasted a long time for me, but something about the added rubber on the toe really fucked my flick. I also flick weird, so idk.

[manysnakes]

I can honestly say that I didn’t notice a difference (aside from the obvious) where moving from the older AVEs to newer Crockett Highs.

[DERBY]

i’ve heard so many mixed reviews about the aves after i copped a pair. thought i was gonna dislike them, turns out i fuck with them heavily. the only downside to me was the look of the shoe. wished the outsole was opaque

[manysnakes]

i’ve heard so many mixed reviews about the aves after i copped a pair. thought i was gonna dislike them, turns out i fuck with them heavily. the only downside to me was the look of the shoe. wished the outsole was opaque

There are a lot of styles of this shoe out there, so you don’t necessarily end up with a translucent sole. The Beatrice model seemed pretty unpopular and was blown out cheap at all the retailers, so a lot of people seem to think that this is the only way this shoe comes.

But yeah, they’re great shoes. My favorite Vans and my usual go-to shoe when my ankle isn’t injured.

[Urtripping]

I liked the pro series but the skate series is solid. Only thing I'd change is getting rid of the glossy black foxing tape.

[Lessfillingtastegreat]

I’m not sure if they are pros or the skate.  Didn’t know there was a difference. I’ve been rocking the Crockets highs.  One of the best shoes I’ve skated. Prior to this it was the blazer mid.  I only skate mids or hi’s. I like them laced tight too.  They can be had for 50$ on sale somewhere regularly. 

They took about two solid sessions to breaking the tape. 

I typically wear my shoes for a while before skating in them. 

Edit: not sure of the are pros or skate - 

[camel filters]

I’m not sure if they are pros or the skate.  Didn’t know there was a difference. I’ve been rocking the Crockets highs.  One of the best shoes I’ve skated. Prior to this it was the blazer mid.  I only skate mids or hi’s. I like them laced tight too.  They can be had for 50$ on sale somewhere regularly. 

They took about two solid sessions to breaking the tape. 

I typically wear my shoes for a while before skating in them. 

Edit: not sure of the are pros or skate -

Pros vs skate line refers to the vans classic models (sk8 his, old skools, half cabs, slip ons, etc). They recently switched the fit and build of these models that are geared towards skateboarding (they also have the classics which are these models without reinforcement meant for normies). I know this is all very confusing if you don't pay that much attention.

Crocketts are just a pro model vans shoe not belonging to either category. Although I think some might incorporate the materials used for the latest skate line. Hopefully that clears it up.

[stringsnthings]

Vans pro related but not pro line related.. Anyone else like the classic/OG half cabs over the newer batches? I like the softer padding in collar and 1 piece toe panel of the OG half cab. I think around the time the Andrew Reynolds color ways came out, I noticed the half cab introduced that 2 piece toe panel and stiffer collar and it takes a lot longer to break these in compared to the OG model. Anyone else have this experience?

[Sedition]

I wear SK8-Hi on transition, and Old-Schools on street. Had a pair of both when the Skate line first came out. I hated them. Board feel was gone compared to the old Pro Line. They were super stiff, and super uncomfortable in places the Pros never were, etc. I heard similar complaints all over the place about them. Today, I am convinced there was early production problems that have since been resolved. More recent pairs have been really comfy out of the box, and not quite as stiff. The added rubber on the sole is going initially give less board feel than the Pros, but they seem to last way longer than the Pros, too. The pop-cush insoles are big improvement over the old ultra-cush, imho, which always used to pack-down in the heel on me. I know there was also splitting problems with the Half Cabs. I just go pair of those (first I've had in years), and forgot how much I liked them. Will mine split? Remains to be seen.   

[BALARGUE]

Vans pro related but not pro line related.. Anyone else like the classic/OG half cabs over the newer batches? I like the softer padding in collar and 1 piece toe panel of the OG half cab. I think around the time the Andrew Reynolds color ways came out, I noticed the half cab introduced that 2 piece toe panel and stiffer collar and it takes a lot longer to break these in compared to the OG model. Anyone else have this experience?

the reynolds is "another" shoe
Half Cab 92 (i'm not sure but maybe it means it's the original with a 2 piece toe panel)

You can still find "normal" half Cabs in the skate line (1 piece toe panel)

[lemonchicken91]

AYO Shoutout Xen

The Emerica g6 foam insoles are a great swap for the popcush. They are not as thick or padded, but they aren't as high and my foot is not rolling/squishing in them.

will see how they hold up but I'm not experiencing knee pain like I was before.

[manysnakes]

AYO Shoutout Xen

The Emerica g6 foam insoles are a great swap for the popcush. They are not as thick or padded, but they aren't as high and my foot is not rolling/squishing in them.

will see how they hold up but I'm not experiencing knee pain like I was before.

This is a clutch trick. I keep my old insoles when they're still in decent shape and use them to make certain shoes fit or feel better. Currently I'm using some older insoles from a pair or AVEs in my Nikes and it made all the difference.