I've had a pair of KSL and am about to retire them so here is my personal review:
TL;DR They performed and looked better than expected and are a really solid middle of the road (padding, support, and bulk) cupsole. The toe box wasn't my favorite shape, I found that the sole foam didn't hold its initial firmness as well as I would like, and I wore through the flick stitching fairly quick. These are all nuances that are unique to me and I think they compete with anything from ASICS or NB and I would choose them over a Dunk, Busenitz, or Samba any day of the week.
Pros- Pretty good blend of board feel and padding
- Lifespan of the sole was great, better than my last pair of NB 440
- They look and feel slimmer on foot than the product pics
- They are a great middle of the road option. If you like an ASICS Japan, NB 600, or even a Dunk these are right up your alley. Don't expect to love them if you need a super thin or super thick shoe, but that should be obvious.
- The chunkiness of the rear of the shoe made them have an excellent heel flip flick
- I like the minimal branding. At first I hated it in pics, but as soon as it was on foot I didn't think it was bad at all.
- There's not much to dislike. That's sorta rare these days as shoes tend to be polarizing.
Cons- The grip started pretty good, but got worse over time. Coming from Japans these had a bit less grip, but it's not "bad". Probably on the lower end of the spectrum for my preferences.
- The toe stitching and flick area wore faster than expected. I didn't glue the stitches and busted through them quickly.
- This is entirely personal but I didn't love the toe shape or the flick. I really like the 440 and Vickka: pointy but not necessarily narrow or as extreme as a Busenitz. I don't find the Japan to be as pointy as I'd prefer but it somehow works.
- I didn't love the midsole foam over time. It started out great but as of now feels much soggier. The upper didn't bag out as much as a Vans or Blazer even, but I feel that they held their shape less well than the ASICS or NB I have used recently.
Detailed ReviewI bought these entirely on a whim and I haven't liked most of Emerica's cups from the last 15 years. I really didn't like the Reynolds 3, but I did like the Spanky High and Wino Cups. I saw the initial product pics and wasn't super stoked, but then I saw them in person and they looked as solid as the initial spy shots that got people excited.
Fit is TTS. I have pointier, but not narrow feet. I was coming off the Japan S, which always seemed a bit too short and narrow, but mostly worked. I was worried that the midsole would feel a bit too soft like a lot of the current IPath I have tried but it was a really good middle ground. Not a board like the 480, not too soft like Wafflecup. Break in time was really minimal and they were intuitive in that I didn't feel I had to adjust or get used to the shoe.
They lasted longer and performed better than I expected. I've drank the large brand koolaid a bit too much probably to justify to myself that wearing shoes and logos that I don't find aesthetically pleasing is "worth the superior performance". They definitely lasted longer than my 440V2 and recent Adidas, but not as long as my Japans or 600. I hated the 480 and don't really need a 993 or 1010 so I can't compare to those. The midsole did get a bit soft for my liking over the life of the shoe and I wore through the flick stitching faster than I would have liked. At the same time the Ollie/Nollie area is perfectly placed for me and I had far less wear there than any NB I have skated.
Overall I think they punch above their weight. G6 or not they perform the same as the larger brands and are a great option in a super saturated market. I dislike the big Etnies push from Sole Tech, but respect that the brand is trying to move forward past the last iteration. I'd recommend them over a lot of the more popular shoes out there and I would skate them again, but right now like a few other options slightly more. My decision would be based more on the color way and price than anything else.
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