Best Shoes For Skateboarding

Great skate shoes aren’t only about looks. While it’s great to look good in your shoes, you want them also to be comfortable, durable, and give you the support you need to do the kind of tricks you want. These kinds of shoes are hard to come by, especially when you consider that most “skate” brands are trendy and don’t support the needs of avid skaters. More fashion statement than anything else, but in this post, we dive into a comprehensive list of the best shoes for skateboarding, so you know what to buy next time you are in the market.

How To Choose The Best Shoes For Skateboarding

When you’re buying a pair of skate shoes, you want to be sure you’re getting the best. That said, the best pair for you may not be the best pair for someone else. Instead, a good pair of skaters will be determined by what you do and what you find comfortable. Ideally, the best pair of skate shoes will prevent injuries, offer support, enhance your grip, and give you superior board feel – sometimes, shoes with these options may not be popular brands like Vans.

While this list of best skateboard shoes can help you narrow your list of skate shoes you’re not going to get the best experience if you don’t choose a shoe that’s ideal for you. Therefore, this is what you should look for when buying skate shoes.

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1.Know Your Style of Skateboarding

A pro pair of skate shoes are not necessary if you are a beginner and only plan on cruising down your local promenade. However, if you want to develop your skills and do flip kicks, ollies, and more advanced aerials, a pair of skaters are a necessity. Although many of the basic tricks will be okay to do with any skate shoe, advanced manoeuvres need superior shoes.

Depending on your skate style you will need to choose between flat, mid, or high top shoes. Mid and high top shoes give additional ankle support that’s key if you’re pushing through the heel and want to prevent ankle bruises. 

Your style of skating can also determine the type of sole you should choose as the sole will affect your board-feel. If you prefer good board feel for better control, a thinner sole will do, but board feel isn’t necessary when you’re cruising. 

The last thing your skating style will determine is the fabric of your shoes. Suede and leather are better for advanced tricks that require ramps, whereas canvas is fine for cruising and light use.

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2. Choose Between Vulcanized and Cupsole Shoes

If you are new to skateboarding, you won’t know about the difference between cupsole and vulcanized shoes. Cupsoles offer additional support, as they are a style of shoe invented for skateboarding to protect your ankle. But because of the thicker sole that often accompany cupsoles, they have less board feel, and they’re harder to break in, whereas vulcanized shoes give you greater control of the board but don’t offer the same protection. 

The best way to tell the difference between a vulcanized and cupsole is to examine the stitching around the sole. Vulcs will have foxing tape and no stitch – similar to what you’ll see on Vans – but a cupsole will be a one-piece sole with stitching – similar to the Nike SB range. 

3.Consider The Price

Skate shoes can range between £30 and £300, especially as skate culture becomes popular and regular priced shoes make thousands on resale. Many better quality skate shoes are sold out quickly as finding the perfect pair of skate shoes is difficult. Because resellers know this, good skate shoes sell quickly on the resale market. Take the Nike SB Dunk Low as an example, this skate shoe will usually go for £85 and is sold for £300 + on the resale market because of its durability, style and the overall reputation for being a superior skate shoe. Therefore, if you find a pair of skate shoes you love, buy a few pairs to ensure you have quite a few in rotation.

4. Consider The Stitching, Laces, and Material

When it’s time to get into the nuts and bolts of a shoe, examine more than the price. The finer details – the things you rarely think about – are the most revealing aspects of a shoe. 

Let’s start with stitching: always choose double or triple threaded shoes, these are less likely to tear during tricks.

Laces are secondary but just as important. You can end up spending so much money replacing laces if you don’t consider your pair. Laces aren’t only necessary for style but also give your foot support and if they break – which is common when you’re doing intermediate or advanced tricks – you’re at risk of injury. You want a shoe with reinforced lace holes but also has stronger and durable laces or in the very least a backup pair of laces.

Finally, the material. The most popular among novice and casual skaters is canvas because it is breathable and easy to go from cruising to daily wear. However, the best material for versatile skating is suede. It is more durable than canvas but still more breathable than the final option leather. Leather is possibly the most indestructible type of shoes – unless your dog starts munching on them – but they are less breathable and less lightweight than both canvas and suede but are ideal for skating if you intend to do loads of tricks.

6 Best Skateboarding Shoes 

1.DC Legacy OG $45 (£33)

DC are the original skate shoes. However, the Legacy OGs are a more stylish version of the classic DCs and offer excellent durability and support. The shoe is made from leather and suede with a rubber sole with double stitching all along the sole this is the perfect cupsole. You also have more support because of the high-density foam padded collar and tongue along with the Thermo polyurethane arch in the midsole. The shoe is also available in an eye-catching multi-coloured design that’s perfect if you’re a fashion-forward skater. 

2.DC Shoe LYNX OG SKATE SHOES $77.99 (£56)

This classic shoe has been around for quite some time – after being released in 1998 – the DC Lynx are durable with their suede and leather uppers and leather lace loops. They also come with a built-in heel cushion and padded collars to give you extra support. These are the classic shoes for a skater with a classic edge. 

3.eS Accel OG $73 (£53)

In mainstream skateboarding the eS Accel OGs may not be as well known as they are among pro skaters. eS has created a breathable pair of cupsole skaters. Although the shoes are made of suede, the eS Accel are breathable because of the perforated panels. Additionally, the STI open cell foam gives you better foot contact, board feel, cushioning & control. The shoes are available in black and tan for a more classic skater look. 

4.Emerica Romero Laced $60 (£43)

 If you’re looking for superior board feel, look no further than the Emerica Romero Laced. These shoes have been tested by legendary skater Leo Romero who made some necessary changes to the Emerica laced classic. That said, any avid skater will tell you these need to be broken into for a few days before you get the most comfortable wear, however, they are durable with excellent support due to the cupsole and triangle tread. 

If you don’t want to spend time breaking the shoes in, try sizing up half a size. 

5.Puma Suede Classic $65 (£47)

Puma isn’t known for its skate shoes, but many boarders swear by these, and it’s no wonder when you look at the design and construction of these amazing shoes. They’re comfortable supporting both the heel and toe but are also quite durable. The shoes also have traction because of the rubber outsole and don’t take much time to break-in. Because they don’t have that much ankle support or cushioning, they are better for casual skating. 

6.Nike SB Zoom Blazer Mid $85 (£61)

Nike is another brand you hardly ever think of when you think of skateboarding shoes but the SB collection of shoes, especially the Zoom Blazer Mid, is possibly one of the finest skate shoes available at this price point. It has everything you need: it’s versatile, allowing you to go from casual skating to doing tricks all day, it has impeccable board feel and excellent support so you can expect no ankle support, it’s also quite comfortable, but choose to size up half a size if you have broader feet.   It’s not as bulky as a high top, so these will be perfect.

If you aren’t able to find the best skateboarding shoes from this list, consider asking a skateboarder you trust what their go-to shoes are. While Vans and Converse haven’t made this list, that’s because for more intricate manoeuvres these shoes won’t last as long, because of the canvas and vulcanized combo. However, if you’re simply cruising on a boardwalk Vans and Converse should be fine.