Your shoes are an important tool in skating. They need to have the proper traction, shape, and provide the adequate balance, so that the skater has control over their position and board at all times. You’ll want to avoid shoes designed for other sports, such as basketball or running, because every aspect skate shoe design is critical to the functionality you need.

The top manufacturers of skateboarding shoes are: Adio, Circa, DC Shoes, Duffs, DVS, Emerica, etnies, Fallen Footwear, Globe, Osiris, Supra, Vans, Vox, and Zoo York. Buy from a skate specialty store and not from some mall shoe shop. These are your feet we’re talking about.

The first thing to look for in skateboard shoes is that it have a completely flat bottom with at least ½ inch heel pads to absorb some of the shock when landing. Many high-end skate shoes even feature an air pocket in the heel for this very reason.

Also check that the sole be wide, so that you have maximum possible contact with the board. Look for vulcanized rubber soles, this will provide enough flexibility for you to move your foot to guide and feel your board, while giving enough cushioning to prevent heel bruises and other common foot injuries suffered by skaters.

It’s a good idea to look for a little extra padding when trying to find the right skate shoe, especially large puffy tongue and sides for maximum foot comfort and support. A high-top style ankle collar will provide a lot of added support to your feet when doing intricate flips and lands. High speed jumps put a lot of impact on your joints, and you’ll appreciate any shock absorption you can get, after an afternoon of hard landings.

High quality skateboard shoes include a reinforced outer lower lace area with bolstered shoelace eyelets, and often feature full lace guards. This is important so that you don’t hurt your foot or tear your lace when you’re sliding your foot along the side of the board- a necessary move in a lot of tricks. In fact, you should look for double or triple stitching all around when trying to find the proper skate shoe, as a skater’s shoe get a lot of rough, stressful treatment.

Remember that many skate tricks demand that you drag your toes across the board’s rough grip tape. This will put a hole through your old school sneakers in a heartbeat. The proper skate shoes will have a plastic or rubber toe cap to keep your shoe strong and protect your toes.

Before you try out your new skateboard shoes, make sure that there are deep patterns on the sole. These grooves necessary to maintain traction- and therefore contact- with your board. The more intricate the pattern on the sole of the shoe, the more flexible it will be.

Even though all eyes-except of course your own-will be focused on your feet, never sacrifice comfort for style. Remember, the right skateboard shoe will be designed to let your feet keep pace with the board…and nothing looks better than that.

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