COFFEE BREAK WITH THE VANS CHIMA 2 AND AVE RAPIDWELDMy main reason for wanting to check out the Chima 2 was to get my hands on the new Ultracush 3D insole. I still miss those older Ultracush insoles with the gel in the heel, so I was hoping the new insoles would pick up where those left off. I've also been curious about the AVE Rapidweld...not beeing very keen on the appearance, but wanting to try out the shoe anyways.
Toe ShapeChima 2
The two best parts about the Chima 2 toe is 1) it looks a bit like an updated Agah, and 2) it looks like a vulc version of the OG Adidas Lucas Pro (which is my favorite toe ever). Unlike the first Chima shoe, in which my toes were cramped, there's ample room in the Chima 2 toe, even with the bulky Ultracush insole. Out of the box, I had a little pressure on top of my metatarsal bones, but the shoe loosened up after a half hour or so and havent bugged me since.
AVE Rapidweld
The AVE Rapidweld toe has a great shape too. It's nice and wide and doesnt cramp your toes. I'm still not entirely sold on the rubber toe piece, but it fits really well. It is a tiny bit narrower than the Chima 2, but it is not as pointy as an old skool.
SidewallsAVE Rapidweld
The sidewalls of the AVE Rapidweld are very very thin. I personally love a sock-feel to a shoe (i.e. the Rowley SPV), so this is a selling point for me. The fancy materials skate like canvas but dont wear out in the first hour like canvas. Also, the AVE have the standard pro 'straight-cut' on the foxing area...which I don't like as much as the scalloped look of the Crockett 2 or the Chima 2.
Chima 2
The sidewalls of the Chima 2 is very similar to the Crockett 2, but on a standard vulc sole rather than the waffle cup. It's Vans vulc...not too much else to describe here really.
Collar, Heel lockChima 2
There arent any bells & whistles to the Chima 2 collar, but it's comfortable and fit my foot well without digging into my achilles at all. Vans definitely re-worked something on these because the heel lock is much better than most of the pro line I've skated in the past. Most of the time, my foot feels a little too raised off the ground with the Pros, but in the Chima 2, my heel feels right where it's supposed to be. I'm a stickler for heel lock and my only gripe with the Chima 2 is that the eyelets dont come up high enough to really cynch the top of foot down in the shoe. This is not going to be something most people will care about, so if youre someone who doesnt lace your shoes all the way up, then forget I mentioned it.
AVE Rapidweld
The AVE Rapidweld collar is shaped a bit different than the standard Vans shoe in that it molds to your Achilles a bit more, which makes for a good fit. Otherwise, it's pretty standard Vans stuff. The softer material around the collar is a nice touch though. The heel lock of the AVE Rapidweld is the same as any other Vans Pro shoe. If you like the Pros, you'll like the AVE Rapidweld and maybe even a little more.
InsoleChima 2 (Ultracush 3D) / AVE Rapidweld (Ultracush HD)
The arch is higher/stiffer on the 3D insole, and little bit narrower
Arch of the 3D
3D
Heel of the 3D
So, when I first pulled out the 3D insole I thought "why would would I want to have a piece of plastic in my shoe". The thing is stiff and probably supplies 90% of the Chima 2's 'structure' or 'shape'. When you take the insole out, you can fold the shoe in half with one hand (similar to the Rowley SPV)
But with the insole inside the shoe, the Chima 2 fits and feels more like a Waffle Cup shoe like the Crockett 2 than a regular 'pro' shoe. I'd typically rather have the construction of the shoe itself do the work when it comes to stability, but the Ultracush 3D insole is quite comfortable and does it's job well.
The Chima 2 might not be a technological step forward for Vans or skate shoes in general, but the toe design and the new fancy insole make it worth checking out if you were already wanting to try skating it. I'd say it's a shoe for those of you who don't like the Pro line and dont want to skate the Waffle Cup, but still want to give Vans a try.