12 Best Skate Shoes for Men 2022

To paraphrase ​​Tony Hawk in Stalefish, actual skate boarders within the Nineteen Eighties wore Vans. The model was based in 1966, however it actually took maintain of the skateboarding group when it launched the Sk8-Hello (née “Fashion 38”) a decade later. It’s because the shoe included options particularly made for the game, together with padding within the ankle guards and a patented waffle sole for a greater grip. Totally different variations in colours and supplies have been launched all through the years, however its building and unmissable jazz stripe have remained intact. And as of 2020, Hawk is again at it, as soon as once more turning into the ambassador of the storied model.

Lengthy earlier than skateboarding even existed, Converse was round, outfitting guys for quite a lot of sports activities—notably basketball with the Chuck Taylor All-Star.  Certainly, the fashion has all of the makings of a great skate shoe. However comparatively not too long ago, 2019 to be precise, skateboarding professional Louie Lopez, with the assistance of  the Converse CONS staff, made it higher. Constructing upon the Chuck Taylor All-Star outsole, Lopez added a perforated tongue for breathability, a collar that maximizes heel lock down, and molded Ortho Lithe sock liners for additional consolation.  

Excessive-tops have been the identify of the skateboarding sport again within the day. However all that modified when DC (together with different manufacturers) started producing low-cut kinds across the early ’90s, resulting in the introduction of the celebrated Lynx sneaker in 1998. Designed by Sung Choi, the fashion skyrocketed to fame from the go, largely because of execs like Brian Wenning and Josh Kalis who wore them often at tournaments. A number of anniversaries later, the OG model nonetheless holds up. 

Etnies was based in 1986 with the aim of manufacturing probably the most environment friendly, high-performing skate footwear. And it did so with the Marana, a sneaker that options Professional Foam 1 for affect absorption and STI Evolution Foam for sturdiness. However the pièce de résistance within the Michelin rubber outsole—yeah, just like the rubber discovered on the wheels of most automobiles—so you realize that it’s gonna be powerful. To not outdone is the fabric of the higher, a technical fiber that’s identified to final the lengthy haul.   

In the case of idiosyncratic skate boarders, Dennis Busenitz tops most lists. It ought to come as no shock, then, that the footwear he has designed with Adidas, a partnership that started nearly twenty years in the past, match the identical invoice. The German professional skater and German label have launched many variations of the sneakers that bear the Busenitz identify, however what ties all of them collectively are the molded Adiprene sockliner, anti-slip GEOFIT collar, and abrasion-resistant toe bins—options that permit for higher agility and sturdiness.

Adidas’s staff of skate boarders is one to beat; together with a legend like Busenitz, the model additionally has one of many hottest newcomers, Tyshawn Jones, in its arsenal. The Three Stripes scooped up the Bronx-born Jones again in 2014, 4 years earlier than he was named Skater of the Yr by Thrasher at 19 years previous. And, his footwear, as is commonly the case with most Gen Zers, place fashion entrance and heart. Together with the parts that are perfect for skateboarding—together with Adituff toe reinforcements and high-grade EVA midsoles—his designs typically function perforated vamps, insole detailing, and his signature stitched in gold. 

Marty McFly zooming previous Burger King, skitching from one automotive to the following on his strategy to college is a scene that skate boarders will always remember. Certainly, the angst-fueled character from Again to the Future and subsequent sequels is broadly credited for spurring the game on within the ’80s. And his sneakers so occurred to be the Nike Bruin in an unmissable pink and white colorway. It was initially a low-top basketball shoe, first launched in 1972, however its lightness and suppleness made it very best for skateboarding, too. And because of McFly, it’s fastened within the firmament of all-time nice skate footwear. 

Nyjah Huston is without doubt one of the largest names in skateboarding as we speak, profitable extra competitions and prize cash than some other professional within the sport’s historical past. Capitalizing on this notoriety is Nike, scooping up Houston and introducing his signature skate shoe in 2018. The Nyjah sneaker contains a rubber higher with mesh panels for breathability, and rubber outsoles with deep grooves that broaden and contract with motion. 

The last word dad shoe ain’t only for Boomers. In 2012, New Stability launched Numeric, a full line of sneakers particularly geared towards sprightly skate boarders. There are lots of kinds within the assortment, however the perfect of them is the Tiago. Named after professional Tiago Lemos, the shoe contains a FuelCell foam midsole, rubber cup outsoles, and lace closures for a safe match. The actual spotlight, nevertheless, is the eye-catching interaction of suede and mesh on the higher. 

Sure, Nike holds declare to what’s maybe the perfect skate footwear in cinema (see the Bruin), however the model was admittedly gradual to the skateboarding sphere. The Swoosh started wooing skate boarders in 1997, however the label actually garnered consideration when it launched the Nike SB line, with the primary mannequin being Dunk Low. The sneaker featured a Poron foam mattress, padded collar, and tongue. The fashion took off like gangbusters, and now, a number of a long time later, it has a resale worth as much as 300 % over retail.

Golden Goose and skateboarding did not initially go hand in hand. However the model beloved by trend insiders for its distressed sneakers is attempting to alter that. In 2021, GG partnered with Cory Juneau, a professional that received the primary Olympic bronze medal in skateboarding. And all through the match and on the rostrum, he wore the Ball Star, a shoe that contains a ​​cushioned insole and tongue. What’s extra, the label erected a skate park on the banks of Venice, Italy, letting the skateboarding group know that it’s right here to play with the large boys.