It's pretty fascinating that it 'took this long' for skate shoe companies to fold.
In the 90s I remember buying almost any new brand I was remotely excited about, mostly to try new things the same way I used to pick different boards on the wall. This may be anecdotal, but I feel like back then if you saw a kid with skate shoes shoes you were just hyped to see ollie marks and less judgmental about the brand. But, then I watch videos about the clicks at Embarcardero or whatever and realize it was probably just the Southern California group of friends I had.
duffs, etnies, airwalk, 88s, circa, emerica, evol, axion, kastel, globe, lakai etc.
In retrospect, they were mostly cheaply made, either uncomfortable or so overblown with padding that it made board feel impossible. Nostalgia aside, they were really horrible shoes.
Although it's a sad state that giant corporations have planted their flag, it's undeniable that they are a FAR superior product.