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Skateboard Shoes

The sport of skateboarding seized its own culture in the 1980s with the revolution of punk that stemmed from the rock and roll that emerged after the metal of the 1970s and following eras. The massive culture that took hold after this that is culminated in a hatred for authority and the perpetual generation of chaos took skateboarding as a free kind of sport that had no boundaries and could be done anywhere you could find concrete. The small number of persons who chose this hardcore lifestyle found their style to be selective. The skateboard shoes were one of many different commercialized products to emerge from this niche marketplace and come to dominate many different forms of expression and style.

Although style and pop culture played into their introduction, the skateboard shoes also served a purpose for the skateboard themselves. In order to perform the tricks necessary on the board, the rider needed some foot mobility as well as a broad contact surface with the board. The skateboard shoes served both of these functions as the sole of the shoe is nearly flat, with limited friction points creating a solid surface of connectivity. Since the skateboard was already covered with grip tape it was not necessary for the shoe itself to hold the majority of the friction. Also, the shoe had incredible ankle mobility as it was, generally speaking, low riding beneath the ankle allowing the athlete to perform the complex ankle twists and contortions that create the spinning and jumping that is evident in the sport.

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