I’ll start off with a few colorways they come in.
Colorways
And many more! But as you can see, from the ones I did show, this shoe can have a lot of mono colors thrown on them, and still look attractive, some colorways more then others, but overall each colorway has something for everyone.
Sizes: 3.5-14
Features
-Suede upper on a vulcanized rubber outsole.
-Mid-top upper for increased ankle support.
-Single padded tongue.
-Double stitched and layered ollie area.
-Vans waffle grip sole.
Price
$60 for most places. Some online stores have them for $55, give or take a few dollars, but for most skateshops they be in the $60(+) range. Nothing too expensive, but not very cheap either.
Where Can I Purchase?
This is a very popular shoe right now, so most skateshops should carry them. If yours does not, then search online for a pair. They’re everywhere pretty much. A few online stores include CCS, Utilityboadsupply, Active, BuySkateShoes, and more.
First Thoughts
I fell in love with them at first sight. Two simple, yet attractive colors on a Vans all suede vulcanized shoe made this shoe appealing. What really stood out to me was the thickness of the sole. At first, I was questioning how much boardfeel they’d have regardless of being a vulcanized sole, and what others had said. After trying them on, and walking in them a bit, they felt great!
Comfort
When I first got them, they were a little stiff like most skate shoes are, so I didn’t think much of it. I have sorta wide feet, so the first day was a bit uncomfortable. After about 2-3 days of wearing them constantly, they were broken in plenty. I put in TNT 4 insoles so they’d be more comfortable, and it helped a lot.
Impact
They say the insoles aren’t removable, but eventually after wearing them for a few months, they become easily removable. All they have is a very thin black strip of shock absorbing material under the footbed for comfort which doesn’t help much for preventing heel bruises. The TNT 4 insoles in them though helped greatly with keeping my feet safe from heel bruises. I recommend strongly if you like big stair sets or gaps that you put some insoles like DR. Scholls, or STI or whatever you have in them or your feet will be hurting after each session.
Lace Protection
The white laces you see on there now are the the original white laces I got when I purchased them. Though they did eventually rip after a few weeks, I was impressed with how long they lasted. It seems as though Vans put the lace holes further away from the side, and more in the center of the shoe so that the laces could last longer. If that’s the case, it definitely worked.
Boardfeel
I loved the boardfeel these shoes gave me. From the start, I felt they had a bit too much boardfeel since my feet (w/o the insoles) would start to hurt after a few tricks down just a 7 stair. But once they had insoles they were perfect. They still had a lot of boardfeel, but had good cushioning to them as well. I had TNT 4 insoles (which are pretty thick) put in, so you should be able to get as much boardfeel as you like no matter which insoles you use.
Grip
Being a classic Vans Waffle grip tread pattern, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. Vans soles have always amazed me with how long their tread last. The tread on these didn’t start to fade until about 2 months afterwards. What also pleased me was the grip wasn’t anymore, or any less grippier from the first step, to the last session I’ve had with them. They keep their grip even with the holes in a few places, and half the tread being gone. Also, since it was a gum sole, it couldn’t have been any better.
Durability
Exceptionally well. I didn’t apply any Shoe-Goo to the toe until about 3 weeks after purchasing them. Even then, there were no holes, just a few tears, so I made sure that didn’t go any further. Showing the frontal view, you can sorta see the shape of the toecap, and see how Vans made it dip inwards, instead of out like a lot of skate shoes. This helps makes the material on the toe more durable since it’s not coming in direct contact with the griptape as much. I skated these for a full 4 months before they looked like this. Overall, I was pleased with the durability considering I had used a little Shoe-Goo.
Overall
I really couldn’t find any major flaws with this shoe during the time I’ve had them. The worst thing that happened was 2-3 heel bruises without insoles, but that’s reasonable since it’s a vulcanized sole. They look pretty attractive when you find your colorway, have amazing skateability, are exceptionally durable, have decent comfort, have incredible lace placement for longer lasting laces, and the grip is awesome being that’s it’s from Vans . This shoe was brought back after over a decade, and it shows, so why not give them a try?
