How long do your shoes last you?

[Sedition]

What shoes do you wear?
How often do you skate?
How long do they last you?

(Note, this question is more aimed at people that wear a single pair until they are dead, and not the sneaker-heads that bring like three pair to a single session)

[JM]

IPATH. Grasshoppers.
Skate 2-4 hours a week.

Started them in the new year, and they might have another month or so in them before the sole goes bare (Ollie patch almost has hole through to sock, but not yet completely)

So, 6 months?

[hiljentaa]

NB# 508

Usually skate 3-4x per week.

A pair lasts between 2 and 4 months.

[propaganda]

- Accels but I swear this is my last pair maybe

- 10 to 15 hours a week tryna get back to 20 but work is taking all my energy

- Losing my concept of time but 2 months at least. Just realized current pair is at like 4 months with a goo job. I be mixing in old pairs [white left shoe/black right shoe] so some got maybe 6/8 months in the game but that’s not everyday wear.

[rawbertson.]

For me it’s usually just the sole that I will wear out, if the sides blow out I just fix it with shoe goo and seems to last. Certain shoes seem to need it more than others but not sure if any were safe in recent memory

Stretching them to 6 months

Almost all vulcanized

Imo the Nike SB GT Blazer feels really good the longest . Where some like last resort and asics felt kinda floppy after a few months. Nb and vans seemed to hold the shape a bit better.

[mfweeno]

When I was broke as fuck I would duct tape shoes up to the 6-7 month mark. On average I switch shoes every quarter, maybe every 8~ weeks if I’m skating a lot and doing a lot of flip tricks. Before I fucked up my knee this year I went through a deck and shoes in about a month and a half but I was skating 3-4x a week pretty frequently.

[Coffee]

I skate from 1-4 hours a week. I’ll usually change out my shoes every 6 months. I haven’t skated a shoe until it’s completely dead in years but once it seems like the insole/midsole is starting to compress I’m done with them. Last shoes where 440v2’s that I honestly just got tired of looking at so I took them to goodwill because they had life left in them.

[Jackismydogsname]

Nb# 480
1-4 hours a week
3 months
39 years old
haglund's deformity, so I need the back to be sound as I have a small lump on my heel bone. I can wear out heel mesh before getting an real ollie hole.

[SupremePizza]

Nike Dunk
2-3x per week
3-4 months

[Sila]

I rarely skate more than 3 hours a week and take lots of chill breaks between tricks, never really have a session constantly trying stuff. Shoes last a while except for Last Resort, Globe, and Vans vulcs. Last few pairs have been OG 440's.

[bombsaway86]

I usually wear half cabs. I live in the PNW so I skate nearly every day during the dry season, then barely skate from October-March. Average session is around 2 hours. I usually get almost a year out of half cabs.

I’ve had a pair of Vans Zahba that I’ve been wearing for about a year and a half now. They’re pretty trashed and the grip is pretty bald, but they still feel good. I don’t have much time left until I’ve worn a hole in the sole

[bombsaway86]

3 months? 6 months? wtf man I burn through a pair of shoes in 3 weeks if I’m skating 4x a week. What grip tape do you guys use? Is jessup the secret to shoe longevity? I’ve been happily paying extra for pepper but now you guys have me questioning wtf I’m doing wrong.

Or am I not crazy and the long shoe keepers are transition/slappy guys? I do a lot of ollies and kickflips.

I skate mostly transition, so my shoes last a while as long as I’m not doing knee slides. I also ride my shoes until they are completely trashed, either no tread left or holes big enough that my socks contact my grip tape. I can afford new shoes, I just choose to get the most out of them so I’m consuming less

[Slimeone]

It's a real problem. My uppers normally last for months but the sole always goes way too quick, probably around a month tops. I always get a hole under my front foot big toe followed by a hole around the outside of the front foot. I can't skate without constantly shuffling my front foot around. Thin soled shows and sole which have that egg carton construction are bad because they blow out way too fast. I'm thinking of trying Michelin Maranas in the hope that they last longer but they don't have tongue straps so that's gonna be a problem.

[scab]

I've tried all kinds of shoes over the past years. Virtually every kind of shoe between Last Resorts on one end  of the spectrum and 808s on the other. What stuck? Nothing, really. I'm back on the exact shoes I was skating 20+ years ago: clunky DCs (Lynx OGs and Kalis Ascends) and non-traditional Vans models (Rowan 2s and Rowley XLTs). They're not cool, but unlike any Adidas, NB#, or Nike SB I've ever tried, they simply fit my weird feet. It's also a nice perk that I can always get a pair of my preferred shoes on sale for at least half off.

Shoes will last me anywhere between 20-25 hours of "flip-oriented" skating on the low end (looking at you, XLTs) to 60-70 hours on the high end (love you, OGs). I'm an avid super glue and shoe goo user, so when I retire shoes it's usually due to the sole wearing out or the shoe disintegrating structurally.

After being a strict one-pair-at-a-time guy for years, I've now found the models I'm comfortable with and can switch it up pretty much seamlessly. I'll wear the OGs for a flatground session on one day and the XLTs at the park the next day without skipping a beat. Anecdotally, my feet seem to welcome the variation. 

[Eddy Mitchel]

4 months with some shoe goo skating like 3/4 times a week(rains a lot here)

[ferguu]

I only wear the chiller vans (Old-Skool, Era, Authentic). I skate about 4 days a week, usually for a good 4+ hours each.

They've got that rubber coating on the inside, I forget what it's called but it usually does a good job of lasting 2-3 months on its own, then I'll hot glue it. It's always the sole that goes really. Or I get bored of the colourway. Usually after 4-5 months.

Apparently the new waffle pattern was supposed to last longer, but I swear I kill soles quicker after the 'upgrade'...

[back smith]

3 months? 6 months? wtf man I burn through a pair of shoes in 3 weeks if I’m skating 4x a week. What grip tape do you guys use? Is jessup the secret to shoe longevity? I’ve been happily paying extra for pepper but now you guys have me questioning wtf I’m doing wrong.

Or am I not crazy and the long shoe keepers are transition/slappy guys? I do a lot of ollies and kickflips.

Jessup is much more gentle on the shoes than something like Mob when new but another thing is how long the boards last because Mob gets gentle too over time..

Recently I've had great luck with some DC models. Lynx OGs lasted most of last summer (3-4 months) which was a lot of skating. They look horrible now to the extent that if you wear them at the mall the security guards start following you around but still skateable. Around New Years' I changed to Manteca 4 Hi's and they're getting pretty rough, only now, but winter time indoors was less skating, almost every day but much shorter sessions. Funny how from them the front shoe sole is more worn when outdoors it is often the back. Been picky with the models though wouldn't trust every shoe from them.

In the past I really liked Vans but feels like they don't make 'em like they used to. The model I skated the most, which was durable, they literally don't make at all anymore.

Least durable shoes ever were some Circas. Maybe not fair to point them out because it was years ago but man they broke in every which way in no time at all.

[Jacorpes]

I actually tally up how many hours my shoes last me so I know exactly what I'm getting for my money. I only skate park, mostly transition with about 15 kickflips, Heelflips and 360 flips per session for reference. I always shoe goo the uppers and skate until there's a hole under my toe.

On average Vans last me about 50 hours, Last Resort 65 hours, SB Blazers 80 hours, Dunks 95 hours. The Leo Baker shoe only lasted 50 before losing all its structure and the NB#600 I'm skating now is on hour 20 and looks almost new so I'm expecting them to last longer than anything else.

Edit: I skate 3 times a week, for 2 hours, I rotate my shoes and each pair tends to be in the rotation for about a year.

[hot dabz]

Least durable shoes ever were some Circas. Maybe not fair to point them out because it was years ago but man they broke in every which way in no time at all.

Facts, I just had a flood of memories of mad busted CM766866 whatever the fucks, the ones with the strap

[Texas_Tone]

Right now I’m on a Jordan 1 kick, can usually find a variation that’s on sale

2 days a week

Usually ill get 2-3 months on a pair

[Mbrimson88]

.

Vans Classic shoes usually, with the insole removed and pro custom insoles added, some super glue on stitching and high wear areas, often black spray can over whatever colours are on the side of Old Skool and Sk8 Low versions more recently as they have been on great sales, which also helps the shoe hold up I have noticed.  I have others in rotation, like Half Cab Classics, some older versions of Pro Eras and Old Skools, but they don't usually get out much.  Mainly the Classic shoes with the custom insoles for everything skate related.

Jessup is the only grip I skate, don't dust it back at all and if I was to skate the one pair of shoes completely, non stop, they last a couple of months until they are bald and then retired from active duty, but are still used as go to shoes when skating a new board at home on the ramp.

Might set up a new board every week sometimes, or go back to older decks I have taken off for a while, so the grip is usually about medium on any board I have, but I also never wear the grip right out, so it all works really well for me - soft soled shoes and plain Jessup is a great combination.

The top tends to wear a bit more or less depending on what I am skating, but usually more park, transition, my ramp at home, or some minimal tech stuff, so I don't blow out the top, or at most, the bottom is usually fairly done by the time the top blows out as well, so I do moderate what and how I skate depending on a number of things, skate a bit most days, some solid sessions a couple of times a week at various places, or just a simple roll at home on rainy days or when I can't get out to go anywhere else.

I think that covers it, but the basic Vans gum sole and Jessup has been my go to for a long time and I think that over anything else has been the main thing that has never changed for me, or at least feels like home, more than anything else.

[roba]

i skate 4-5 times a week for a couple hours, usually 2 to 3, i skated for like 5 yesterday though

superstars last me the longest which is like 4-5 weeks

right now i'm on my third pair of dunks in a row and they last me for about 3-4 weeks each, but i superglue the shit out of them

when i skate vulcs it's usually about 2-3 weeks

i skate sanded down jessup, i don't like it too grippy

my skateboarding is like 75% flip tricks, 90% of which are done in my natural stance

i stop skating shoes as soon as i get a hole in the kickflip area. i blow through the ollie area in a week usually, but i don't mind supergluing it. with the kickflip all of the fixes mess with my flick, i can't do superglue, hot glue or even shoe goo, it just doesn't feel right anymore and i don't want to get frustrated everytime i go skateboarding. i do superglue the stitching always even if it's in the kickflip area, a small strip doesn't make that much of a difference to me but when there's a fully formed hole that i have to glue up it just doesn't grab as much anymore. maybe it would if i skated some shit like mob or something but then my shoes would probably last for half of what they normally do. fuck mob grip.

[marcusbutler]

Depends on the shoe. I'm not skating 2 days out of the week. That's when I get off work late. But about everyday. I'm mostly skating in nb# cups. Depending on the grip as well. Shoe usually last a month. Can I get atleast 2 more weeks out of the shoe? yes. But when side panels and toe caps are ripping off I got to put them down.

[JM]

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3 months? 6 months? wtf man I burn through a pair of shoes in 3 weeks if I’m skating 4x a week. What grip tape do you guys use? Is jessup the secret to shoe longevity? I’ve been happily paying extra for pepper but now you guys have me questioning wtf I’m doing wrong.

Or am I not crazy and the long shoe keepers are transition/slappy guys? I do a lot of ollies and kickflips.

[close]

I skate mostly transition, so my shoes last a while as long as I’m not doing knee slides. I also ride my shoes until they are completely trashed, either no tread left or holes big enough that my socks contact my grip tape. I can afford new shoes, I just choose to get the most out of them so I’m consuming less

[close]

Man I wish I could become a transition guy. Looks so relaxing and cool and even your gear lasts longer. It’s hard in these streets.

It’s pretty simple, Mr. Fried Slappy.

The more hours you put into doing high-ass tricks (resulting in more aggressive sliding across the grip), the quicker the leather and rubber will wear.

You must have high-ass tricks, done often.

I do not kicklfip. Hate them. And my Ollie’s are only half the time of the high-ass variety. So my shoes embarrassingly last a while, and don’t get the “skater’s mark” for a long time.

[noxiousPond]

It's a real problem. My uppers normally last for months but the sole always goes way too quick, probably around a month tops. I always get a hole under my front foot big toe followed by a hole around the outside of the front foot. I can't skate without constantly shuffling my front foot around. Thin soled shows and sole which have that egg carton construction are bad because they blow out way too fast. I'm thinking of trying Michelin Maranas in the hope that they last longer but they don't have tongue straps so that's gonna be a problem.

I’m in this boat too. I go through shoes every 1.5-2.5 months and it is almost always the sole wearing out before the upper. I also get a hole in the sole by my big toe. Once there’s a hole and all that’s left is some midsole foam or the lasting board I retire them and just wear them at work sometimes with some shoe goo at the bottom.

The Nike vertebrae was the worst offender for me. That outsole is very soft and shallow. Dunks are best so far. Adidas outsoles seem to last the longest for me because they use a much harder rubber but fuck they don’t grip for shit! (Copas)

Random: anyone ever rip out the zoom air unit from an old blazer/jonoski/dunk and use it in a new shoe?
I have a skated pair of janoskis and they come with extra insoles, so the skated insole I tore out the zoom air unit and have been thinking of putting it into another shoe for added cushioning. I wonder if that would even work.

[rawbertson.]

what i was doing the last year and a bit was kind bouncing around between shoes cause i just wanted a good comparison between all the brands

i would definitely say there seems to be some sort of relationship between break in period and how long they last / "Hold the shape".

i mentioned the asics + last resorts felt flimsy the quickest - but they also seem to be skateable right out of the box. these i probably stopped skating after only 2-3 months. i could probably get more life out of them.

the nb and vans seemed in between (particularly Chukka and 306 "Foy") i definitely got bit more life out of those

and the nike gt blazer seemed to take a very long time to break in but seemingly lasting forever (but also so did vans half cabs so depends on the model...) and these feel like only shoe ive had in a long time i have skated for probably 4-6 months solid

the es accell probably last shoe i had i kept on this long or maybe the adidas tyshawn

[Cthulhu!]

I don't think I have a favorite shoe at the moment, I'll skate in all kinds. The first thing that came to mind was those older sb bruins, they fit perfectly. Like a sock foot glove. Though perhaps I have grown disillusioned...

If I'm able to skate a lot, then I can go through a pair in a month. I aim for 4 sessions a week. I like working on my flip tricks. Or at least attempting to keep them in some sort of fight against atrophy. I still like rough grip too. Remember Black Magic? XG Pepper is neat.
Unfortunately life has some nerve, so there are times when I have to take care of other things. Cutting into my skate time, then my gear will certainly last longer.

Should I actually like the shoe then I'll periodically superglue to keep them going. A dab on the laces as well. How horrible it is to rip a lace in the middle of a good session.

[gaunting]

What shoes do you wear?
I always have two pair of shoes for skating. one cup sole and one vulc. and I go back and forth between white and black. so currently skating vans rowley classic in white leather and NB 440 v2 high in black suede.

How often do you skate?
5 days a week.

How long do they last you?
since I alternate between 2 pairs. I’d say 4-5 months for both pair to be blown out.

[Bupstop]

What shoes do you wear?

Currently Adidas superstars

How often do you skate?

3 to 4 times a week. Anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours a session.

How long do they last you?

About two months. Sides are blown out and the sole is getting really worn. Toe cap is still fine but starting to get a little translucent from kick flips. I’ll probably retire them in a few weeks.

[Slave IV]

I mainly use one pair when I'm going out specifically for a skate session.
Etnies Walmart Hi - Just started using them and barely broken in but so far, so good.
Zoom Blazer Mid - Over 2 years but on their last leg. I just Shoegooed it a while ago but the outsoles are near worn through.
Before that, I got Adidas Copa Nationale, which are around 3 yrs now but also pretty much done. I got the Blazers shortly after (realized I needed something higher for ankle protection) and mostly wear those but sometimes go to the Adidas for casual riding around.
Skate about 2-4 hours a week.
Back in the day, I remember my shoes used to last nearly a year but that was definitely just one pair for everything where now, I have shoes for lounging, shoes for hiking, shoes for walking and skate shoes among others and I only wear my skate shoes when I'm specifically going on a skate session.