Aight, so Vans Skateboarding has almost always been part of the skating industry (since ’66). They’ve collected a huge team of shredders including Johny Layton, Geoff Rowley, Anthony Van Englen, and others. They’re legendary old school skateboard style still lives on in the new school era with some of their models, including the “SK8” series. So today I will be reviewing Vans SK8-His.
And here we go!
First Impressions:
So when I saw these I liked the simplicity of them. I liked the way they looked like more of a chill shoe than other bulkier high-tops. I purchased these off of www.6pm.com for $20.00, which was an incredible steal for these kicks. I must applaud 6pm for having so many color ways of this model, definitely go check them out. When I first slipped them on I noticed that the collar of the shoe was a little stiff, and I noticed they pushed back against my leg when I first skated them. I also noticed on how I had to tie and untie them every time I put them on, because of the high top factor.
Skating Them:
So when I broke these in I noticed the collar mellowed out and became more flexible, while still staying supportive for my ankle. Also after a while I got smart, unlaced a few holes, cut down the laces and stashed them so they were able to be slipped on and off with no lacing. The moment I rode some tranny I noticed the grippyness of the sole, compared to my previous shoes, Circas. The sole also provided a lot more board control when catching flips, tweaking ollies, etc. The side only got a few small holes, but nothing too big. Now something that was really unique about these was that the toe cap didn’t rip. You may think that’s ridiculous, but it’s true. The wafflestomper (the add-on of rubber around the initial toecap rubber) held for a long time before dissolving away to the suede underneath. The suede never ripped or got torn, it just was impenetrable. I also must note these shoes had a good flick, as from what I’ve seen the low profile of most Vans provide that. I found the sole didn’t wear too fast, as some vulcs do. My only complaint with these was the impact resistance. When I skated these for about a week I noticed how bad the insoles were. So I proceeded to tear them out (which took quite a bit of force) and replace them with some Dr. Scholl’s insoles. This addition made the shoe so much more comfortable. Something that was also cool was that the way they were constructed the laces never snapped. Over all these shoes lasted about 2.5 months, and i still skate in them from time to time.
Statistics:
| Grip- | These shoes were pretty grippy, no complaints here. | 9/10 | |
| Durability- | Relatively good durability for being such a thin shoe, definitely no lack of quality. | 7/10 | |
| Flick- | The low profile of the toecap gave off a good flick even when worn down. | 9/10 | |
| Impact- | I was pretty disappointed with the insoles, but some fresh ones helped. | 5/10 | |
| Style- | These just look so chill. The whole look is just filled with skateboarding culture. | 10/10 | |
| Overall- | The stats say it all, great performing shoe, just a tad thin. | 8/10 |
- The side only acquired a few holes.
- The toe cap didn’t ever rip through.
- The soles were really grippy.
- The laces never snapped.
- The collar had good support.
- The low profile added some nice flick.
- They look sickkk.
- Chinese manufacturing hasn’t taken away from quality.
- The The original insoles didn’t have good impact resistance.
- The Vans line on the side panel came off a little.
Who are these for?
These shoes are for tranny, and mild street skaters.
I’d say these shoes aren’t for you if you are constantly skating stairs. Probably the maximum you will feel comfortable skating these on stairs is a five or six set, nothing to massive. These are also a very good choice for some chill shoes or some kicks for just goofing around in. They have crazy good colorways, and they feel nice and comfy (new insoles will enhance the comfort).
Hope you enjoyed this review, thanks for reading! –Mr. G
