The explosion of popularity that skateboarding has experienced in recent years has led to a proliferation of companies who specialize or sideline in the manufacture of skateboards and related accessories. This development, for better or worse, has defined every aspect of the world of skateboarding. Manufacturers sponsor teams, design gear and innovate engineering that eventually touch every skater’s life.

             Choosing from among the myriad of skateboard brands can be a mind-boggling decision. Which mark you choose will say a lot about who you are as a skater and even as an individual. Your selection will make you friends among aficionados, and perhaps earn you mockery from haters. Regardless, whether you are as loyal as a puppy dog or fickle as a club dancer, you will find that the quality of your gear is as important as making sore that it agrees with your ideas about skating equipment and the world around you.

             Some brands like ZERO started out simply as clothing manufacturers, who grew to include skateboard supplies as a result of the designs’ popularity within the skater culture. Most of the more popular skateboard brands, however, were actually founded by skaters, and were originally focused on manufacturing skateboard-specific items such as decks, wheels and shoes and only subsequently have expanded to include more general products such as T-shirts, hoodies, patches and stickers.

             Each skateboard manufacturer tends to stake out a given niche, appealing to different crowds according to attitude, age and taste of the core loyalists. Most successful companies communicate by the medium of the logo and associated art, publicizing the brand with accessories. The majority of equipment brands also have a clothing, shoe, and poster line as well as decks, trucks, and wheels.

             Another popular means for making a brand synonymous with skating is the amateur or pro sponsored teams. Skateboarding is not a profitable sport for the majority of practitioners, as there are only a handful of cash-prize competitions. Skateboard companies make it possible for the top talents to devote their lives to their sport, and in exchange, the brand receives exposure and endorsements that the skating public trusts.

             Some purists blame skateboard brands for corrupting the independent nature of the activity and for cynically commercializing what began as the countercultural province of fringe risk-takers, breeding an army of soulless posers who only care about image and style.

             Whether or not this is true, advocates contend that these same companies have also made safe and high-quality skateboarding equipment available to the average person, and everybody has the right to skate. Supporters point to the charitable and community activities of these companies, who tend to be more generous than their counterparts in other industries.

             Recently a movement has taken hold among skateboard companies to offer products which promote ecology and sustainable development, including offering clothing line using organic materials and alternatives such as hemp. Participating brands are enhancing the image of responsibility by donating a portion of the proceeds from these premium accessory lines to causes that link the skateboarding public with social conscience and concern for the world we all share.

Popularity: 80% [?]

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.

Popularity: 2% [?]