2026 Unpopular Opinion Thread

[SwitchBenihana]

I've seen plenty of 933. It's a newer shoe at a high price point and it will take time to catch on and also be regularly on sale. Tiagos were nowhere near as common as they are now the first 1-2 years they were out. What's weird to me is they're doing so many meh colorways of the shoe and the 600 is at a more affordable price point and the colorways are consistently ass. I liked the shoe but consistently disliked every color that was out.

[kookdusoleil]

Reynolds is undoubtedly one of the all time greats but I don’t know why he has a shoe in 2026.

I mean why not? He’s had several pro shoes in the past. Skateboarders trusted his judgement went it came to shoe design and functionality when he was at his gnarliest, so why would that change just because his knees get sore and his back probably hurts?

Some people get the legacy treatment — if Reynolds doesn’t qualify for it, who does? Others have already commented on the existing market for this stuff and the aging consumer base. Michael Jordan still has a shoe in 2026 despite admittedly going years without touching a basketball, because dudes will buy it. Dudes will probably buy a Reynolds shoe.

[cornman]

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Reynolds is undoubtedly one of the all time greats but I don’t know why he has a shoe in 2026.

[close]

I mean why not? He’s had several pro shoes in the past. Skateboarders trusted his judgement went it came to shoe design and functionality when he was at his gnarliest, so why would that change just because his knees get sore and his back probably hurts?

Some people get the legacy treatment — if Reynolds doesn’t qualify for it, who does? Others have already commented on the existing market for this stuff and the aging consumer base. Michael Jordan still has a shoe in 2026 despite admittedly going years without touching a basketball, because dudes will buy it. Dudes will probably buy a Reynolds shoe.

Also, Reynolds is still cool and relevant despite being older. It’s not like he’s washed up and New Balance is throwing him a bone - it’s very much mutually beneficial. And from what I can tell they sell well and I see a lot of people of all ages skating them.

[PalaceButtPlug]

Might be both unpopular and snobbish, but - 95% of skate related "art" has nothing to do with art. And I don't mean high brow art, either.

It's mostly just scribbles and scrabbles that became more or less recognizable and marketable. Oh, wow, an umpteenth Sect Eye doodle. Wheeee. And that's coming from a die hard Templeton fan.

On the other hand, Todd Francis seems to be getting better and (almost) always has different subject matter

[propaganda]

Re Gonz: can we say we’re sick of his art work?

I thought gonz art sucked too but I just seen some realistic oil painting and it changed my perception. I don’t really like his art style but if I get rich I will use he pieces to launder money. His best art other than skating is his weird ass YouTube videos

[Sandwich Marty]

Gonz’s art is iconic. Whether it’s aesthetically pleasing to you doesn’t matter. It’s been a huge part of so many design aspects of skateboarding for so long that if it were to vanish from history the void would be felt. Hate it or love it, you should at least respect his work.

Also not all artists need to evolve their style, sometimes consistency is its own achievement. His work is immediately recognizable which to a visual artist is massively important.

[j....soy.....]

I always think krooked and toy machine are just mailing stuff in now with Ed/Gonz, I like when they use different artists….

[Lenny the Fatface]

Also not all artists need to evolve their style, sometimes consistency is its own achievement. His work is immediately recognizable which to a visual artist is massively important.

I disagree, visual artists that aren’t evolving are on bullshit most of the time. That doesn’t mean Gonz needs to be a master of lighting like Rembrandt, but to not explore different themes or styles just tells me there isn’t much thought behind what you’re making.

It’s a similar issue I have with Jeff Koons’ work, he just keeps making the same elevated kitsch. The key difference is Koons might secretly be doing a 40 year meta-critique about how people who refuse to challenge capitalism are also sex predators. But we likely won’t know his true meaning until he dies.

[sk8n hugon]

I too have always liked Gonz’s art and it doesn’t bother me that it hasn’t really changed. I guess that’s part of the charm in sense.

[Sandwich Marty]

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Also not all artists need to evolve their style, sometimes consistency is its own achievement. His work is immediately recognizable which to a visual artist is massively important.

[close]

I disagree, visual artists that aren’t evolving are on bullshit most of the time. That doesn’t mean Gonz needs to be a master of lighting like Rembrandt, but to not explore different themes or styles just tells me there isn’t much thought behind what you’re making.

It’s a similar issue I have with Jeff Koons’ work, he just keeps making the same elevated kitsch. The key difference is Koons might secretly be doing a 40 year meta-critique about how people who refuse to challenge capitalism are also sex predators. But we likely won’t know his true meaning until he dies.

I might be viewing this through a more graffiti/illegal art oriented lense as opposed to fine art or similar subcultures. There’s a staying power in being easily identifiable and Gonz has basically been bombing skateboarding and staying consistently up with his doodles for decades now. There might not be a lot of substance to a lot of his work but sometimes art is just about making shit for the sake of making shit and you can’t disagree that he’s been successfully doing that for years. In my eyes that’s worthy of respect.

[sidekickman]

some minor tweaks to wrestling shoes, and they are suddenly better skate shoes than all skate shoes

[Rick Trapasso]

I always think krooked and toy machine are just mailing stuff in now with Ed/Gonz, I like when they use different artists….

Their art has just become the brand image at this point. If I see a piece from either of them outside of the context of their brands, I immediately think of the brand.

It has kind of devalued in that sense to me, but also I think it is kind of cool to have YOUR brand use YOUR art to the point where it has totally become the image.

That being said, I don't think any of it is particularly groundbreaking or special these days. Not that it has to be or anything though, theyre both long standing brands at this point and it's kinda what I want to see from them. Krooked still puts out great videos and sponsors great people.

Toy needs to step up in that regard.

[j....soy.....]

In the same breath, I wish Toy did more re-issues and just ran regular BBS boards with the classic graphics like the AH Eagle….With Gonz, I guess I just like the classic graphics like the stuff unofficial runs, the eyes never really did it for me and every Adidas line runs Gonz stuff, it just doesn’t feel special anymore.  I never watch his YouTube much but you can see he’s still skating and pretty well.  I always think of how Gonz was essentially saved by DLX, he got put on Real after Blind, 6040, ATM all didn’t work out and I think he would have ended up like Hensley, Natas, Eric D etc…skating was moving fast and if he was just cut loose who knows what would have happened. 

[MMongrel]

I was just watching videos from Gonz's youtube channel and he seems to be an artist where everything he does is kind of part of the art (be it his fits, reversed videos of Phelper skating a bowl or a Krooked graphic etc.) and with Krooked some of that maybe doesn't become apparent in the brand which makes some things work better and some not so much. Still dig it though and I'm not sure where I'm going with this.

[DeanMaple]

some minor tweaks to wrestling shoes, and they are suddenly better skate shoes than all skate shoes

Damn, you re maybe into something

www.sportheavy.eu/product/14799/nike-inflict---wrestling-shoe-24--blackwhite-white

ok, all black with white laces are bit biased, but still.

[bokchoy]

I think people like Gonz' art because... he's "the Gonz". How can you hate on the most creative skater's creative endeavors outside skateboarding? He has done some cool stuff here and there but for the most part his art isn't my cup of tea.

You guys talking about toy/krook mailing it in in the graphics dept... hell, all the older brands are doing the same boring ass heat transfer graphics. These dudes barely print t-shirts anymore. DLX, Baker, Tum, Zero, and a lot of other older brands have boring ass logo boards and corny, i.e., AH, graphics.. cant think of one board graphic in forever that I was genuinely stoked on.

I wouldn't put Reynolds in the cool category whatsoever.. he had his moments when Baker first popped off until This is Skateboarding, but cool? nah. Look at his fucking brand now. What is cool about current Baker? People only ride for that shit now because it's Reynolds... "the boss". Give me a fucking break. Too much old blood in skateboarding. There isnt one company that is specifically marketing to kids between 9-15. This is one of the reasons younger kids arent picking up skateboards. There is nothing relatable. World did it right the second time capturing a younger demo with the cartoon shit. The first company that can figure that shit will be very successful.

[SatanicPanic]

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Reynolds is undoubtedly one of the all time greats but I don’t know why he has a shoe in 2026.

[close]

I mean why not? He’s had several pro shoes in the past. Skateboarders trusted his judgement went it came to shoe design and functionality when he was at his gnarliest, so why would that change just because his knees get sore and his back probably hurts?

Some people get the legacy treatment — if Reynolds doesn’t qualify for it, who does? Others have already commented on the existing market for this stuff and the aging consumer base. Michael Jordan still has a shoe in 2026 despite admittedly going years without touching a basketball, because dudes will buy it. Dudes will probably buy a Reynolds shoe.

I always figured that shoe designers were doing the real work and that pros were just signing off on them. Which I dunno, maybe isn't true, but I also don't think I'm the only person who thinks this way

I guess if people are buying them then cool. I would prefer if it were someone younger who isn't already doing OK financially but whatever

[123]

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Reynolds is undoubtedly one of the all time greats but I don’t know why he has a shoe in 2026.

[close]

I mean why not? He’s had several pro shoes in the past. Skateboarders trusted his judgement went it came to shoe design and functionality when he was at his gnarliest, so why would that change just because his knees get sore and his back probably hurts?

Some people get the legacy treatment — if Reynolds doesn’t qualify for it, who does? Others have already commented on the existing market for this stuff and the aging consumer base. Michael Jordan still has a shoe in 2026 despite admittedly going years without touching a basketball, because dudes will buy it. Dudes will probably buy a Reynolds shoe.

Except that right before NB# he was on Vans talking about how awesome the shoes are.  Vans and NB# have to be on opposite sides of the shoe spectrum.

[Coffee]

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Ray Barbee over Gonz all day, its not a competition (I know),  but Barbee style kept good and his trick selection is cooler than Gonz with his clown shit: giant skate, circular boards and more bullshit.

[close]

I’ll back this all day. However by the time I started skating in late 1995 both were seen as “old and irrelevant”. It took me a few years to appreciate Gonz and about 20 to really appreciate Ray. If Ray put a full part out today I would watch it immediately. If Gonz put one out I wouldn’t watch it at all.

[close]

Youth slander on Gonz is unacceptable.  He literally invented modern street skating.  He doesn’t need to be your favorite in 2026 but I bet his Video Days part has more NBDs than any other part of all time.  Ray wasn’t boardsliding double kinks or ollieing Wallenberg or skating switch on boards with no noses.  There’s a reason adidas gives him a lifetime pass.

Definitely not a youth take. I fully stand on this as a 42 year old man who has went back and watched both Gonz and Ray’s stuff multiple times at different stages in my life and as my taste in skating has evolved. Yes Mark had “better” tricks but his style always sucked. Ray today at 50 whatever years old he is has better style than prime Gonz by a mile.

[steve]

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Ray Barbee over Gonz all day, its not a competition (I know),  but Barbee style kept good and his trick selection is cooler than Gonz with his clown shit: giant skate, circular boards and more bullshit.

[close]

I’ll back this all day. However by the time I started skating in late 1995 both were seen as “old and irrelevant”. It took me a few years to appreciate Gonz and about 20 to really appreciate Ray. If Ray put a full part out today I would watch it immediately. If Gonz put one out I wouldn’t watch it at all.

[close]

Youth slander on Gonz is unacceptable.  He literally invented modern street skating.  He doesn’t need to be your favorite in 2026 but I bet his Video Days part has more NBDs than any other part of all time.  Ray wasn’t boardsliding double kinks or ollieing Wallenberg or skating switch on boards with no noses.  There’s a reason adidas gives him a lifetime pass.

[close]

Definitely not a youth take. I fully stand on this as a 42 year old man who has went back and watched both Gonz and Ray’s stuff multiple times at different stages in my life and as my taste in skating has evolved. Yes Mark had “better” tricks but his style always sucked. Ray today at 50 whatever years old he is has better style than prime Gonz by a mile.

Barbee has great style but this take is unpopular because its false

[Sandwich Marty]

Ave will probably be the next Steve cab

[j....soy.....]

Nobody cares about his shoe….

[lamfordie]

I hate sidewalk Manny clips. It's just a poor man's hill bomb.

[Jort250]

I hate sidewalk Manny clips. It's just a poor man's hill bomb.

This hurts me but you’re completely right

[Lou Strux]

I hate sidewalk Manny clips. It's just a poor man's hill bomb.

Wait… hill bombs are upriver now?

[Scarecrow Radio]

I like Mark's art and I never want to see it change. He has a great eye for color

[Noble Experiment]

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I hate sidewalk Manny clips. It's just a poor man's hill bomb.

[close]

This hurts me but you’re completely right

I definitely prefer sidewalk manny tricks and ride on grinds to the trend of excessive no comply variations and sex change variations of yesteryear.

[vinithebr]

sex changes are still pretty cool imo

[roba]

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Ray Barbee over Gonz all day, its not a competition (I know),  but Barbee style kept good and his trick selection is cooler than Gonz with his clown shit: giant skate, circular boards and more bullshit.

[close]

I’ll back this all day. However by the time I started skating in late 1995 both were seen as “old and irrelevant”. It took me a few years to appreciate Gonz and about 20 to really appreciate Ray. If Ray put a full part out today I would watch it immediately. If Gonz put one out I wouldn’t watch it at all.

[close]

Youth slander on Gonz is unacceptable.  He literally invented modern street skating.  He doesn’t need to be your favorite in 2026 but I bet his Video Days part has more NBDs than any other part of all time.  Ray wasn’t boardsliding double kinks or ollieing Wallenberg or skating switch on boards with no noses.  There’s a reason adidas gives him a lifetime pass.

[close]

Definitely not a youth take. I fully stand on this as a 42 year old man who has went back and watched both Gonz and Ray’s stuff multiple times at different stages in my life and as my taste in skating has evolved. Yes Mark had “better” tricks but his style always sucked. Ray today at 50 whatever years old he is has better style than prime Gonz by a mile.

wtf did you just say

[roba]