Post UPCOMING/RECENT shoe releases thread

[Sk8 Prick]

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Is there something wrong with Soletech shoes to make you react this way? Sure, a handful of brands may not have ideal brand identity/consumer practices, but what's so appalling on this page, if I (and maybe others) am/are interested in knowing?

[close]

Nothing at all. It's not about Soletech. I skated exclusively emerica and éS from 95 to 07.

Maybe that's why, because it hurts that my emotional connection with the brands has no place in the present and it longs for something that it is only in my memory. Maybe that's why I may sound harsh.

My comment is about the designs. I find the shoes in this page dull and boring (emerica) or an atrocity (éS).

[close]

Hey buddy its ok to move on, people just leave sometimes theres no ryhme or reason. What we can do i cherish the good times we had and look over the horizon for new beginnings.

The problem here is that soletech hasn't left. They're still here, but they're only halfway in. And the thing that's most disheartening is the fact that they don't see how bad most of what they do actually is... They claim to be 100% skateboarding, but when you look at what eS is doing, its almost entirely marketed for that community of fat dude posers on instagram from the 'golden era' who sucked at skating to begin with. Makes you question the judgement of what should be the #1 entity in skateboard footwear based on their history and commitment to the game. 

If soletech doesn't want to invest in skateboarding by means of creating authentic skateboard footwear brands that push the boundaries of design and define the rules for what stylish skateboard footwear is, then honestly GTFO!

Maybe stop doing sh*t like this and use that money for new molds and to hire more designers..

[Shuh]

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Is there something wrong with Soletech shoes to make you react this way? Sure, a handful of brands may not have ideal brand identity/consumer practices, but what's so appalling on this page, if I (and maybe others) am/are interested in knowing?

[close]

Nothing at all. It's not about Soletech. I skated exclusively emerica and éS from 95 to 07.

Maybe that's why, because it hurts that my emotional connection with the brands has no place in the present and it longs for something that it is only in my memory. Maybe that's why I may sound harsh.

My comment is about the designs. I find the shoes in this page dull and boring (emerica) or an atrocity (éS).

[close]

Hey buddy its ok to move on, people just leave sometimes theres no ryhme or reason. What we can do i cherish the good times we had and look over the horizon for new beginnings.

[close]

The problem here is that soletech hasn't left. They're still here, but they're only halfway in. And the thing that's most disheartening is the fact that they don't see how bad most of what they do actually is... They claim to be 100% skateboarding, but when you look at what eS is doing, its almost entirely marketed for that community of fat dude posers on instagram from the 'golden era' who sucked at skating to begin with. Makes you question the judgement of what should be the #1 entity in skateboard footwear based on their history and commitment to the game. 

If soletech doesn't want to invest in skateboarding by means of creating authentic skateboard footwear brands that push the boundaries of design and define the rules for what stylish skateboard footwear is, then honestly GTFO!

Maybe stop doing sh*t like this and use that money for new molds and to hire more designers..

Maybe you will like it better over at the DC revival?

[BugleBites]

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Is there something wrong with Soletech shoes to make you react this way? Sure, a handful of brands may not have ideal brand identity/consumer practices, but what's so appalling on this page, if I (and maybe others) am/are interested in knowing?

[close]

Nothing at all. It's not about Soletech. I skated exclusively emerica and éS from 95 to 07.

Maybe that's why, because it hurts that my emotional connection with the brands has no place in the present and it longs for something that it is only in my memory. Maybe that's why I may sound harsh.

My comment is about the designs. I find the shoes in this page dull and boring (emerica) or an atrocity (éS).

[close]

Hey buddy its ok to move on, people just leave sometimes theres no ryhme or reason. What we can do i cherish the good times we had and look over the horizon for new beginnings.

[close]

The problem here is that soletech hasn't left. They're still here, but they're only halfway in. And the thing that's most disheartening is the fact that they don't see how bad most of what they do actually is... They claim to be 100% skateboarding, but when you look at what eS is doing, its almost entirely marketed for that community of fat dude posers on instagram from the 'golden era' who sucked at skating to begin with. Makes you question the judgement of what should be the #1 entity in skateboard footwear based on their history and commitment to the game. 

If soletech doesn't want to invest in skateboarding by means of creating authentic skateboard footwear brands that push the boundaries of design and define the rules for what stylish skateboard footwear is, then honestly GTFO!

Maybe stop doing sh*t like this and use that money for new molds and to hire more designers..

Yeah I’m not fat, skate just fine, and still love eS and Emerica. You conveniently chose the few outlier ugly models/colorways to make your point when all the corpo sports brands have unlimited amounts of ridiculous looking shoes like pretty much every colour of the Dunk, for instance. You think fuzzy neon orange Dunks look cool?! You love giant logos on literally every model so you have no choice but to rock giant logos like a walking billboard? Some of us like classic silhouettes without giant logos or any connection to major sports.

[DarkPools]

I agree with both sides on this topic. It's a shame to see brands become shells of their former selves. However, es, etnies, and Emerica have some of the arguably best shoes out currently - quality, durability, and looks. There are a lot of shitty ones that are unfortunately marketed to make their money, and if it keeps them around to make the good models, then I guess that's what they gotta do. Even if I don't agree with it, or you, or even Soletech themselves...

That said, the understated, simpler, workhorse models that are worth your money from SoleTech AND outlast the big 3 brands:

Marana, Joslin, Joslin 2, Spanky G6, Wino Slip Cup G6, Silo SC, Quattro, Gamma G6 (coming up), and KSL G6 (coming up).

There's room for these and the elephant tie dye vulcs abominations, which almost every sports brand also does in some fashion, by the way. It's almost a necessary evil at this point. Sadly. I don't wanna see those but if it means they keep making the better models alongside them, fuck it!

I'll close with the notion that I'm thankful some brands still look for actual customer input on here/in the streets and not just on IG - EmericaTM and Rothdigga, for example. If you don't like the Emerica 's, then your personal preferences have changed, but it doesn't mean they're bad. I think LRAB look atrocious and are awkward Cons knock offs, BUT they're skater owned and probably built fairly well, so I fuck with their mission!

[Sk8 Prick]

Yeah I’m not fat, skate just fine, and still love eS and Emerica. You conveniently chose the few outlier ugly models/colorways to make your point when all the corpo sports brands have unlimited amounts of ridiculous looking shoes like pretty much every colour of the Dunk, for instance. You think fuzzy neon orange Dunks look cool?! You love giant logos on literally every model so you have no choice but to rock giant logos like a walking billboard? Some of us like classic silhouettes without giant logos or any connection to major sports.

I agree that I used the worst sh*t to prove my point. I should mention though that I do not, and never will support corporate skate footwear brands aside from vans, maybe. All I want is a dope looking cupsole shoe that offers features that protect my feet and add to durability, while also taking risks design wise.

Emerica is my favorite footwear brand of all time, but they don't make a single shoe I would buy. I strictly wear cupsole shoes for skating, and I know they make cupsoles with features (pour in g6), but why do their cupsoles have to look like vulc shoes? I want a slightly sporty looking cupsole shoe from emerica.. something with some good looking sculpted contours and maybe a foam midsole. (For anyone who mentions the westgate g6, that still wasn't it)

It really bums me out that emerica is like some psuedo motorcycle-skate brand nowadays. Like, just because I don't eat cigarette butts for breakfast, listen to motorhead, drink budweiser heavy, and look like I shower every now and then I can't support emerica? F*ck that, Emerica should be the neutral, core skateboard footwear brand for anyone who skates. The brand identity should be skateboarding, not motorcycles, shitty beer, and stoner rock.

No offense to anyone who is into that kind of thing btw, I just think emerica is too important to skateboarding as a whole to be so directional in their identity.

[BugleBites]

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Yeah I’m not fat, skate just fine, and still love eS and Emerica. You conveniently chose the few outlier ugly models/colorways to make your point when all the corpo sports brands have unlimited amounts of ridiculous looking shoes like pretty much every colour of the Dunk, for instance. You think fuzzy neon orange Dunks look cool?! You love giant logos on literally every model so you have no choice but to rock giant logos like a walking billboard? Some of us like classic silhouettes without giant logos or any connection to major sports.

[close]

I agree that I used the worst sh*t to prove my point. I should mention though that I do not, and never will support corporate skate footwear brands aside from vans, maybe. All I want is a dope looking cupsole shoe that offers features that protect my feet and add to durability, while also taking risks design wise.

Emerica is my favorite footwear brand of all time, but they don't make a single shoe I would buy. I strictly wear cupsole shoes for skating, and I know they make cupsoles with features (pour in g6), but why do their cupsoles have to look like vulc shoes? I want a slightly sporty looking cupsole shoe from emerica.. something with some good looking sculpted contours and maybe a foam midsole. (For anyone who mentions the westgate g6, that still wasn't it)

It really bums me out that emerica is like some psuedo motorcycle-skate brand nowadays. Like, just because I don't eat cigarette butts for breakfast, listen to motorhead, drink budweiser heavy, and look like I shower every now and then I can't support emerica? F*ck that, Emerica should be the neutral, core skateboard footwear brand for anyone who skates. The brand identity should be skateboarding, not motorcycles, shitty beer, and stoner rock.

No offense to anyone who is into that kind of thing btw, I just think emerica is too important to skateboarding as a whole to be so directional in their identity.

Ok, that makes a bit more sense. And I agree to a point. Part of me feels like after shuttering eS for a bit, when they came back they focussed more on each brand staying within a certain vibe instead of an Emerica shoe just being an eS shoe with a different logo, if that makes any sense. eS IS the sporty-ish vibe brand for sole tech, emerica is the slightly hesh vibe, mostly black suede understated brand, etnies is… fuck, the mainstream option? The veer is actually dope, so is the windrow.

If that westgate wasn’t sporty enough for you then you may be out of luck because I think the days of emerica putting out puffy tech shoes like the Templeton are long gone unfortunately. They make what sells, for the most part. Although I’m not a fan of it, that Gamma is quite popular. The KSL remake looks promising and as long as it’s not as lacking in board feel as the Figgy Dose, I’ll try it for sure.

My favourite sole tech shoe is the Swift 1.5, pretty much perfect. The Silo SC is legitimately the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever owned, even more so than my old work runners. I was surprised how good it felt and I love the og Koston colorway I got it in.

Really sounds like you’re maybe longing for shoe styles that have, for the most part, gone out of style. Maybe not a suggestion I’d take myself, but have you seen the Axion relaunch? Might be the vibe you’re looking for? DC is definitely still doing puffy and sporty kicks.

[Sk8 Prick]

Ok, that makes a bit more sense. And I agree to a point. Part of me feels like after shuttering eS for a bit, when they came back they focussed more on each brand staying within a certain vibe instead of an Emerica shoe just being an eS shoe with a different logo, if that makes any sense. eS IS the sporty-ish vibe brand for sole tech, emerica is the slightly hesh vibe, mostly black suede understated brand, etnies is… fuck, the mainstream option? The veer is actually dope, so is the windrow.

If that westgate wasn’t sporty enough for you then you may be out of luck because I think the days of emerica putting out puffy tech shoes like the Templeton are long gone unfortunately. They make what sells, for the most part. Although I’m not a fan of it, that Gamma is quite popular. The KSL remake looks promising and as long as it’s not as lacking in board feel as the Figgy Dose, I’ll try it for sure.

My favourite sole tech shoe is the Swift 1.5, pretty much perfect. The Silo SC is legitimately the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever owned, even more so than my old work runners. I was surprised how good it felt and I love the og Koston colorway I got it in.

Really sounds like you’re maybe longing for shoe styles that have, for the most part, gone out of style. Maybe not a suggestion I’d take myself, but have you seen the Axion relaunch? Might be the vibe you’re looking for? DC is definitely still doing puffy and sporty kicks.

On the contrary actually.. I'm not looking for the 'sporty-athletic' runner style look. The westgate was actually too much of that imo. What I really want from emerica, is the kind of 'punk-athletic' or maybe even 'hesh-sporty' thing they had going on back in the late 90s (I am not one of those golden era guys for the record). Shoes like the MJ, Reynolds, and Templeton 1. Those shoes are highly stylized, but they're not sporty-athletic. For me the fact that skateboarding is kind of 'punk' by nature while also exhibiting some form of athleticism, that og 'punk-athletic', or almost, Counter-culture, underground-athletic style, makes sense and that's how I want to look and feel on my board.

In a perfect world, I want an all black emerica shoe with a stylish paneling scheme - meaning - taking some elements of athletic design language (layered paneling, some mesh, maybe some reflective accents, rubber elements) sitting on a super dope sole unit, but composed in a way to not be too striking visually.

And if you want to point me towards eS, like an all black silo or quattro for example, lets be real.. they're hideous (not knocking anyones tastes who likes them, but I am not into it at all) And shoes like the swift 1.5 and accel plus are just not doing enough, they feel cheap and are not satisfying as physical objects of design. Like, if a shoe is going to have a toe cap, then I don't want a thermoplastic melted on toe cap that starts to wear down to the suede after 3 sessions, I want the real deal stitched on rubber toe cap. I want shoes that have the modern shape of todays shoes, with the material hardiness, substance, and design quality of 90s shoes... and I want them to be made by emerica. Is this too much to ask?

[BugleBites]

Interesting. That must be frustrating longing for such a very specific type of shoe that’s been out of style for a couple decades. You pretty much described the Quattro but then said you don’t like it, so not sure what to tell ya. Any chance you’re good at illustrator, photoshop or just drawing? Im now quite curious what your ideal shoe would look like.

[MOE SYZLAK]

Jesus Christ.. just post a picture of the shoe you like… I can’t imagine what a punk athletic shoe looks like.
The Emerica Heritic? The Tilt? I know a lot of punks who wear the Sacouny Jazz…

[Atiba Applebum]

Isn’t how many skaters they employ company-wide a more important metric than if one or two owners are skaters?

[DarkPools]

Isn’t how many skaters they employ company-wide a more important metric than if one or two owners are skaters?

Shhhhh they're not ready for the truth

[Sila]

Jesus Christ.. just post a picture of the shoe you like… I can’t imagine what a punk athletic shoe looks like.
The Emerica Heritic? The Tilt? I know a lot of punks who wear the Sacouny Jazz…

It's like an army boot but with a the sole of a running shoe

[Crap]

In a perfect world, I want an all black emerica shoe with a stylish paneling scheme - meaning - taking some elements of athletic design language (layered paneling, some mesh, maybe some reflective accents, rubber elements) sitting on a super dope sole unit, but composed in a way to not be too striking visually.

 I want shoes that have the modern shape of todays shoes, with the material hardiness, substance, and design quality of 90s shoes... and I want them to be made by emerica. Is this too much to ask?

[pizzafliptofakie]

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Tom Penny Accel OG incoming as well

[close]

God dammit, eS. The buyer at our shop already told me about those and we were both just dumbfounded that they would do that instead of reissuing one of his two original models. Such a missed opportunity.

The KSL is almost identical to the eS Contract.

[close]

Except for the sole used. Or its heel. Or its overall paneling.

Seriously - Watson has pointed it out but how the fuck are so many of you people so bad at seeing differences and similarities between shoe models?

I agree though - just reissue a Penny pro model vs. an Accel. Of course, that might mean eS would need to give Penny royalties. And since they wont give Wade a pro model, I assume they're very anti-royalties.

I do love Lucas's new shoe still. So good.

On an episode of the Experience Kelly sorta admitted to eS being super stingy about photo incentives so it's natural that tracks for royalties in general. A fucking chimp could make better marketing decisions for this stupid company at this point.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

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In a perfect world, I want an all black emerica shoe with a stylish paneling scheme - meaning - taking some elements of athletic design language (layered paneling, some mesh, maybe some reflective accents, rubber elements) sitting on a super dope sole unit, but composed in a way to not be too striking visually.

 I want shoes that have the modern shape of todays shoes, with the material hardiness, substance, and design quality of 90s shoes... and I want them to be made by emerica. Is this too much to ask?

[close]

yes! Heavy templeton 1 vibes with this one!

[Sk8 Prick]

yes! Heavy templeton 1 vibes with this one!

This is actually the closest thing that has come to what I'm looking for, but despite being a fan of Tiago, I can't buy them because I dont support corporate skateboarding. I just think its kind of corny... It's not skate. Converse, Nike, New Balance, Adidas - those are normal people shoes. I like having stuff that is niche to us

It really bothers me that I like a shoe from new balance for skateboarding more than anything available from a core skate brand. I get it, times change... but its kind of pathetic.

As far as the 'punk athletic' thing goes, I'm not referring to punk as straight edge rockers, but rather using punk as a euphemism for 'Anti'. Traditional athletic shoes are all about promoting dynamism and giving the impression that they suited to put you in motion. The 'original skate aesthetic' (in terms of footwear) that was being pioneered in the late 90s was all about taking elements from athletic shoes, while simultaneously making them look as if they are saying f*ck athletics. They were sporty while being anti-sport. In terms of emerica, a good example of this is the Reynolds 1. It takes elements of traditional athletic footwear via; exposed mesh, sculped midsole, airbag, striking language (the shape of the mesh window in the center) but then the addition of the big rubber toe cap and super flat sole make the shoes anti-athletic because of how much those elements hinder dynamism. Its so awesome.

And also, they were eclectic. Didn't matter if you were a rocker type dude (jim greco), slightly more fresh (brad hayes), or anything in between.. The Reynolds made sense aesthetically because it was a great design that was purely skate, but more so because emerica was so neutral as a brand. Imagine a fresh dude wearing emericas nowadays... it would make no sense.

[GardenSkater77]

@Sk8 Prick

How bout dez Silos…

[vhsfisheye]

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yes! Heavy templeton 1 vibes with this one!

[close]

This is actually the closest thing that has come to what I'm looking for, but despite being a fan of Tiago, I can't buy them because I dont support corporate skateboarding. I just think its kind of corny... It's not skate. Converse, Nike, New Balance, Adidas - those are normal people shoes. I like having stuff that is niche to us

It really bothers me that I like a shoe from new balance for skateboarding more than anything available from a core skate brand. I get it, times change... but its kind of pathetic.

As far as the 'punk athletic' thing goes, I'm not referring to punk as straight edge rockers, but rather using punk as a euphemism for 'Anti'. Traditional athletic shoes are all about promoting dynamism and giving the impression that they suited to put you in motion. The 'original skate aesthetic' (in terms of footwear) that was being pioneered in the late 90s was all about taking elements from athletic shoes, while simultaneously making them look as if they are saying f*ck athletics. They were sporty while being anti-sport. In terms of emerica, a good example of this is the Reynolds 1. It takes elements of traditional athletic footwear via; exposed mesh, sculped midsole, airbag, striking language (the shape of the mesh window in the center) but then the addition of the big rubber toe cap and super flat sole make the shoes anti-athletic because of how much those elements hinder dynamism. Its so awesome.

And also, they were eclectic. Didn't matter if you were a rocker type dude (jim greco), slightly more fresh (brad hayes), or anything in between.. The Reynolds made sense aesthetically because it was a great design that was purely skate, but more so because emerica was so neutral as a brand. Imagine a fresh dude wearing emericas nowadays... it would make no sense.

So you want emericas that look, skate, and are comparable in quality to new balance? a company with far more money and resources for design? I think you just want new balances my dude. But if you fuck with vans the wayvee seems like the punk athletic shoe you want

[pizzafliptofakie]

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yes! Heavy templeton 1 vibes with this one!

[close]

This is actually the closest thing that has come to what I'm looking for, but despite being a fan of Tiago, I can't buy them because I dont support corporate skateboarding. I just think its kind of corny... It's not skate. Converse, Nike, New Balance, Adidas - those are normal people shoes. I like having stuff that is niche to us

If it makes you feel better I'd confidently wager that all of those companies you listed have more skaters employed in their respective divisions than these "core" skate brands.

[BugleBites]

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yes! Heavy templeton 1 vibes with this one!

[close]

This is actually the closest thing that has come to what I'm looking for, but despite being a fan of Tiago, I can't buy them because I dont support corporate skateboarding. I just think its kind of corny... It's not skate. Converse, Nike, New Balance, Adidas - those are normal people shoes. I like having stuff that is niche to us

It really bothers me that I like a shoe from new balance for skateboarding more than anything available from a core skate brand. I get it, times change... but its kind of pathetic.

As far as the 'punk athletic' thing goes, I'm not referring to punk as straight edge rockers, but rather using punk as a euphemism for 'Anti'. Traditional athletic shoes are all about promoting dynamism and giving the impression that they suited to put you in motion. The 'original skate aesthetic' (in terms of footwear) that was being pioneered in the late 90s was all about taking elements from athletic shoes, while simultaneously making them look as if they are saying f*ck athletics. They were sporty while being anti-sport. In terms of emerica, a good example of this is the Reynolds 1. It takes elements of traditional athletic footwear via; exposed mesh, sculped midsole, airbag, striking language (the shape of the mesh window in the center) but then the addition of the big rubber toe cap and super flat sole make the shoes anti-athletic because of how much those elements hinder dynamism. Its so awesome.

And also, they were eclectic. Didn't matter if you were a rocker type dude (jim greco), slightly more fresh (brad hayes), or anything in between.. The Reynolds made sense aesthetically because it was a great design that was purely skate, but more so because emerica was so neutral as a brand. Imagine a fresh dude wearing emericas nowadays... it would make no sense.

Yeah, you just want something that doesn’t exist anymore for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being those old puffy kicks had no board feel at all and actually hinder your ability to skate compared to modern cupsoles. That was a rad shoe, key word being WAS. You’re basically shit out of luck, but it’s not because the rest of the skate world is “pathetic”, it’s because you’re stuck in the past. People like to be able to feel their boards and not have giant gaudy muffins on their feet.

[Youoverthere]

@Sk8 Prick

How bout dez Silos…

lol those are my work shoes

[fakie varial flip]

Please stop using punk as a marketing term

In fact please stop caring so much about marketing

[AsianVegan]

Those all black Julian Davidson G6 Gamma's are literally almost everything you're after right? I'd grab them and stop thinking too much about it.

[cool_hand]

Use safety pins instead of laces and write a swastika over the logo.

[cool_hand]

Btw what’s up with this ”uuuh give us vegan options” on every page?

Is it a better material for skateboarding or what?

[MusclesMarinara]

You know I was in a shoe madness like you seem to be in at the moment, I remember last year longing for a shoe that was comparble to some of my favorites back in the day. I had pairs of es, dc, even some globes and dvs. They all had their time in my life but in 2020 they just didn't fit the motif anymore and I came to the conclusion that it was time to move on and embrace modern skate shoes. I still have 1 thing that I stand by when purchashing new skate shoes. They need to have a midsole. For me personally, these companies that skimp out on midsole and just put in a thick insole is absolutely crazy. Now if it's a vulc it's one thing but for an actual "cupsole" like vans promotes to just have the outsole and a insole is not a cupsole, it's just cutting corners and cost production. I don't care about "boardfeel" and have skated the same way regardless if it was cup or vulc, but I can tell you vulcs and these cupsole hybrids have fucked my feet up more than puffy shoes ever did. I am very excited to see emerica coming out with more models with the pour in G6 midsoles and padding around the collar and ankle. Shoes today don't don't have to be super puffy, but they can still have the cushioning and protection we all long for from our skate shoes of the past.

[Sk8 Prick]

Yeah, you just want something that doesn’t exist anymore for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being those old puffy kicks had no board feel at all and actually hinder your ability to skate compared to modern cupsoles. That was a rad shoe, key word being WAS. You’re basically shit out of luck, but it’s not because the rest of the skate world is “pathetic”, it’s because you’re stuck in the past. People like to be able to feel their boards and not have giant gaudy muffins on their feet.

Perhaps I didn't clarify. I don't want puffy shoes. What I want is slim shoes with substance. The thing that those og shoes had that most core skate shoes nowadays don't have, is a satisfying physical presence by means of material composition and design quality. When you look at shoes like the reynolds g6, new KSL, and gamma for example, they're all very flat. There's no depth or texture to the design. They all feel very bland as physical objects, compared to a lot of og shoes that were literally a symphony of materials and sophisticated layering. Part of the fun of shoes is holding them in your hands and exploring them. Shoes should provide a satisfying tactile experience before you even put them on your feet. You should be excited about how certain physical qualities of the shoe are going to feel when they interact with your feet and the board.

I'm not saying that the skate world is pathetic. I'm just saying that a lot of our core brands are selling themselves, and ultimately the 'authentic' culture of skateboarding short. Making shoes that are good to skate in is the bare minimum. Style, aesthetics, and cultural value through means of artistic excellence should be paramount, especially in skateboarding, where most of us don't give a f*ck about whether or not so and so is an amazing skater if everything they do looks like sh*t.

I'm not here to be hostile btw, I'm just using this discussion as an opportunity to articulate my thoughts in order to have a better understanding of what I'm looking for, and to hear how you guys feel on the topic. And unfortunately, no matter what anyone suggests, there is not a single shoe on the market I'm interested in :/ The axion genesis was close, but omitting the rubber toe cap is a deal breaker. Why? Because without it the shoes feel bland. The rubber toe cap on the original provided the perfect balance and contrast between the different panels. Without it, the composition becomes 'blobby' and dull. Also, the airbag is not a functional airbag and is only there for looks. It provides no cushioning

Idk, maybe I'm a psycho, but this whole debacle is just as frustrating to me as it probably is for all of you.

[BugleBites]

Oh, I see. Personally, I loathe busy shoes with pointless panels and style features that do nothing. A rubber toe isn’t necessary for me cause I don’t wear shoes until they’re destroyed - I skate them until they pack out a bit and the heel gets worn down on one side too much, making ankle rolls more likely. I honestly want a shoe with a one piece toe, no big logos, and very minimal/understated paneling. I couldn’t be happier that skating moved away from overly tech looking shoes. Less is more, in my opinion.

[DarkPools]

Marana or Joslin. You want one of those, but you don't know it yet.

[Sk8 Prick]

Oh, I see. Personally, I loathe busy shoes with pointless panels and style features that do nothing. A rubber toe isn’t necessary for me cause I don’t wear shoes until they’re destroyed - I skate them until they pack out a bit and the heel gets worn down on one side too much, making ankle rolls more likely. I honestly want a shoe with a one piece toe, no big logos, and very minimal/understated paneling. I couldn’t be happier that skating moved away from overly tech looking shoes. Less is more, in my opinion.

Word, I respect that. I too actually am not into overly busy shoes, the shoes I like from the og era are paneled, but tastefully so. The panels are only there to protect the main areas of wear, but stylized in a way to not be cumbersome.

The reason I like the rubber toe so much is because if its the right durometer of rubber - the moderately soft and tacky kind - It pulls the board up better when you flick giving you a higher and more level flip. And again, the rubber in contrast with suede etc just makes the shoe feel more fulfilling as a physical object imo.

This is another shoe that was close to what I'm looking for (but still not quite ), If they ever dropped in all black I probably would have skated some: