Often Imitated

The Vans Era. A model for many skate shoes today.


The Etnies Taylor. I liked Etnies. When they made hi tops.

Vans are considered by many to be the original skate shoe. I got my first pair in 1984. Hi tops. Black and white checkerboard. Then I custom ordered some slip ons. I was hooked. Their gum rubber waffle sole is made for skateboarding. Grippy and thin enough to provide excellent board feel it's really no wonder as to why Vans are on the feet of the majority of skaters on board today. I skated holes through the bottoms of a handful of different styles of Vans shoes in recent years. I still prefer a hi top for ankle support and protection and the California based company offers a nice variety of hi and mid top skate shoes.
Vulcanized skate shoes ala Vans are being produced by nearly every skate shoe company. There are still plenty of beefy super padded teched out skate sneakers available but there is also a wide selection of thinned out "Vans like" shoes on the market as well. In recent years skaters have started to forgo the padded skate shoe in favor of a thinner shoe for better board feel. Shoe makers such as Converse
have taken notice. Check out their CVO S model shoe. Look familiar? If you are familiar with the Era by Vans then it should.
Part of the vulcanized shoe revolution is due to function and part is due to fashion. Mainstream skateboard media dictates the "uniform" to the conforming masses. Skateboarding is about doing your own thing and shunning the status quo yet a lot of skaters find it necessary to "fit in" even if they started skating because they didn't "fit in" to begin with. When the world zigs I zag.