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^I'll be curious as to how they hold up. My main problem with Vans lately has been how quickly they flop out and become unsupportive especially in relation to their price. I hope they work out. Keep us posted please.
Yeah. Do a lil mini review or something?
I'm curious about the midsole cuz broken old man..
Impression after first session:
DAMN... are these are the best shoes I have ever skated? Prior to this first session I wore them all day for a couple days. These things are like tanks. They need to be broken in. The flick is so damn good. Helped me get my 360 flips back for tonight. My feet do not feel fatigued at all after the session which is mind blowing. Your feet really are protected in here and the impact absorption seems great. The outsole is amazing - I forgot how awesome waffle is. The toe shape is great and the duracap is both very functional and pleasing to look down at, As I said above, get a 1/2 size larger than your normal size. This model is best suited to a technical skater who prefers cupsoles. I think the typical fan of vans skate shoes would be thrown off by the feel. First sessions are never a good time to determine how good or bad the board feel of a cupsole is but it seemed good enough for me. I can tell it will improve drastically as I break them in more and wear down the waffle a bit.
compare to the 440? More bulk and snug? Higher cut? Support and cushion?
The snugness is going to depend on your foot shape. I found the 440 to be quite snug (I got 440 in my TTS, Ultrarange Pro II in .5 size larger). The Ultrarange Pro II is quite snug in the midfoot, very much so when you first put on the shoe. The ollie patch section of the Duracap was uncomfortable for me at first but I didn't worry about it because I realized it would mold to the shape of my foot - and it is. It makes the shoe feel very secure and provides some nice structure. It looks a little funny but damn it functions well.
The shoe is tough so I guess you could say bulky, but I wouldn't necessarily call it that due to its snug and sleek nature. It is definitely more substantial than the 440 by a long shot. However there doesn't seem to be any unnecessary material anywhere, everything has its place. The tongue is lightly padded. The ankle collar is padded just the right amount.
It is higher cut. The 440 was cut way too low for me. This shoe seems just right for a low top to me.
Support and cushion is phenomenal. The mid sole is amazing. I'm not sore from last night's session. That is insane to me (I'm 30 for reference.)
This shoe gives me a lot more confidence than the 440 did. The 440 was just a little too minimalist for me for skating. I still think the 440 is a cool sneaker.