Skateboarding Shoes

Skateboarding shoes carry the appeal and functionality of the sport on your heels. The function of the shoes is twofold, one to cushion and second to grip. Skate shoes are minimalist in the rock traction department and the water mitigation department as they are close to smooth on the bottom with small ridges. This is intentionally done so that the boarder can maintain control of the board in correspondence with the grip tape. The surface is therefore maximized as well as the friction so that the board is responsive to the movements of the rider. Typically, the shoes are worn loose enabling the foot to move slightly within the shoe, creating a de facto slip on shoe.

In many ways the appeal of skateboarding is tied to the professionals who wear them. Advertising is a major driving and the largest portion of a corporate shoemaker’s expenses. As with skateboarding clothing, skateboarding shoes are idealized by those few professionals who debut the cutting edge of their product line. The pros get that way through skill, and then become sponsored and endorse certain products by wearing them and advertising them through the attention they draw to themselves. The rest of the sport sees this, in magazines, posters, and in person and attributes the cool and skill to the items and then purchases them; this is the foundational understanding behind endorsements.