by Justin Ridgeway
The number one skate shoe without a doubt has to be the Airwalk Prototype. Why? It was the first ever boutique specialized skate shoe that was only available at skate shops, very specialized for the way skating was becoming-more impact, bigger ollies (even had the first true integrated ollie patch right up near the little toe), and a lot of ankle support for more demanding vert skating and stair ollies and handrails. It was the first shoe that was there when new school skating started coming in (circa Vallely’s first Powell deck). It was easily the most sought after shoe-in fact probably the first ever skate shoe that had that level of status and commodification. It took basketball shoe structure but gave it a skate aesthetic. Ultimately what makes this the number one skate shoe of all time is that not only was it the first ever truly sought after skate fashion item that belonged solely to skaters and could not be appropriated by others as it served no purpose other than skating. There was a time when, back in Airwalk’s heyday, if you skated, you rocked Prototypes, and you didn’t go to the mall to get them, you went to the skateshop.
Vans Half Cabs are up there as they may have been the first true “signature shoe” and it single handedly revamped the Vans brand.
Converse Chuck Taylor-always a classic, a little shakey for bonelesses and anything impact, but most skaters started out as the urban urchins or kids who wanted to be like them and this shoe was part skid, part punk, part drama class-and all skater-or downtown record store employee.
Nike Air Jordans- the first shoe to be used for serious skating, a predecessor to the Prototype. See Police Academy 4 featuring the Bones Brigade.
Disagree with this selection? Got a better shoe you can name? Then post a comment, tough guy.
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Vans NTS still trying to find a pair… Ebay help me