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We had a team of skaters test each shoe, spending weeks skating in each model to learn how they fit, feel, and perform. From freestyle to cruising, we skated countless hours to learn how these shoes differ in critical areas like comfort, board feel, durability, and traction. So, whether you need some shoes to cruise around in occasionally or you're a dedicated skater who's out shredding every day, we identify the pair of kicks to fit your style, budget, or skill level.
Our favorite skate shoe overall is the Emerica Pillar Mid. They're comfortable, durable, supportive, and provide great board feel. For a quality shoe that's still affordable, we recommend the DC Kalis Vulc. Our testers found the break-in time for this shoe was minimal, and they offer a great board feel. However, there is less ankle support and the thinner soles are less protective on impact.
If you're looking for a new deck, we've also tested some of the best skateboards on the market, too.
Editor's Note: We updated our skate shoe review on December 9, 2024, adding specs charts for our award winners.
Our favorite overall skate shoe is the Emerica Pillar Mid. We love the ankle cushioning and support offered by this mid-top shoe, which also serves to hold the heel in place so it doesn't slip out. The sole is constructed of double-wrapped vulcanized rubber with rubber taping that extends up higher around the shoe's outer. This, along with the suede upper and rubber ollie guard, makes it one of the most durable shoes for flip tricks in our test group. Though they required a break-in period, after a day or two, they were comfy and offered a great board feel and good control. The forefoot tread has a deep dot tread, while the back part of the sole features a tighter pattern of lines that grips the board well and assists with flip tricks. Emerica is a skater-owned brand known for making quality skate shoes for decades, so it's no surprise that this model won our first-place skate shoe award.
Since the Pillar is a mid-top with more material than the other models, it is slightly heavier, although not enough to make a noticeable difference when skating or to affect its ranking in our assessment. Most of the upper is suede (aside from the canvas tongue), so they can get rather hot, but the few small perforated areas provide some ventilation. The break-in period was a bit longer than most of the low-tops, but they also held up longer, making it a pretty fair tradeoff. The sole is somewhat thick, so the foot sits slightly higher above the ground, which can decrease stability. But fortunately, the footbed sank as the shoe broke in and formed to our foot. While the Pillar provides ankle support, the insole is very flat and offers little in the way of arch support. Those with pronounced arches may want to get a pair of top-rated aftermarket insoles. Overall, the Emerica Pillar is an excellent skate shoe that offers more support and protection than any of the others in our test fleet. We think it's the best option for high-impact skating and the pair we always reach for first. If you live in a hot part of the world and want a more breathable option, we recommend the Lakai Carroll.
The Emerica Pillar Mid offers a bit of extra protection for flip tricks.
The DC Kalis Vulc is an all-around great skate shoe and another updated version of a classic. Josh Kalis' first DC shoe was originally released in 1999 and shared the same side panel with the Kalis Vulc, but the similarities stop there. Compared to the Kalis OG, the Kalis Vulc is much thinner, slimmer, and weighs less atop a much simpler vulcanized sole. This shoe is very comfortable and requires virtually no time to break in; it's ready to hit the board straight out of the box. The suede toe is great for flip tricks and held up really well during testing, giving it points in durability. The mesh tongue and collar give it adequate ventilation without sacrificing structure or integrity. The vulcanized sole is very grippy, and the insoles are plush and soft, providing some impact protection and making this one of the most comfortable shoes in the bunch.
The Kalis Vulc's relatively thin sole means it's ready to skate right away. However, this could also be considered a drawback depending on the style of skating you do, as these shoes are not designed to withstand significant impact or abuse. Although they held up reasonably well and didn't initially exhibit indications of wear, they quickly lost their shape and became floppy. The absence of lace protection was the other major flaw. Even though most of the shoes we tested lack lace protection, this shoe's wider lacing has the potential to cause easier ripping or breaking of the laces. Overall, the DC Kalis Vulc is a decent skate shoe offered at an affordable price, resulting in a product with strong value. The Adidas Seeley is a comparable alternative, especially if you can find it on sale.
Adam putting the DC Kalis Vulc to the test with a frontside boardslide on a flat bar.
The Lakai Carroll is a remastered version of the legendary skateboarder Mike Carroll's first Lakai shoe, originally released in 2000. Now, over 20 years later, Lakai released this newer version built of the same upper but on a more contemporary XLK cup sole. These fit great and are very comfortable, with a thicker tongue than any of the others and a good amount of padding around the collar, helping to hold your foot in place and offering great support. The upper is a mix of suede and mesh. The suede wraps around the lower panels, providing protection and durability in the areas used most, and the mesh windows and mesh tongue allow for excellent ventilation. The XLK cup sole breaks in quickly and provides the best impact absorption of all the shoes we tested, and the outsole around the forefoot has a light grid pattern, which grips very well for tricks. The Carrolls are the only model in our review that offers lace protection, which further adds to their durability. These are not only some of the most breathable shoes we tested but also some of the most durable.
These shoes felt great and skated well, but it's important to note that they run a bit small, so getting a half-size up may be necessary (our lead tester did this). Since the Carrolls are thicker and have more padding than most others, they take some time to break in, but the added durability makes it worth the wait. Once broken in, the XLK cup sole provides a great amount of board feel and grips well while skating, but the tread is not very deep, so the traction began to wear out faster than other shoes we tested. Several skate shoe companies have started reissuing or releasing updated versions of shoes from the early 2000s, and the Lakai Carroll is a great example of an iconic shoe with an updated sole for a more modern fit and performance. If you're looking for that throwback look and you're less concerned about breathability, the Vans Unisex Old Skool is also a great option.
Popping into a frontside nose blunt in the Lakai Carroll, which is durable yet still breathable.
Fresh out of the box, the Vans Old Skool feels ready to skate. There's almost zero break-in time thanks to the vulcanized sole, which also gives you a good feel of your skateboard's shape. The Old Skool's tried-and-true waffle sole design feels extremely grippy, whether that's on your deck or running up skatepark ramps, and is durable enough to survive the constant contact with your board's grip tape. The lightweight and simple design makes them feel like they're an extension of your foot, which is helpful when it comes to doing any precise tricks. Vans makes a Skate Old Skool version that's made with better cushioning and reinforced materials, but this base model can still hold its own when it comes to skateboarding. You can't go wrong with the classic look of the Old Skool, and it doesn't hurt that it's one of the most widely available skate shoes in the world.
The tradeoff for the Vans Old Skool's legendary vulcanized sole is that there's very little impact protection. The thin soles feel fine for low-impact days or a quick cruise around town, but we wouldn't recommend jumping down any big gaps or stair sets all day. No matter how much you skate, the Old Skool's outsole will most likely end up outlasting the flimsy canvas upper. The thin upper provides for better breathability, but its poor overall durability meant a hole within the first few sessions where our foot drags the skateboard up for ollies. Along with an ollie hole, the Old Skool's laces tend to rip if you do enough flip tricks. With all that said, the Old Skool's iconic silhouette is still a solid go-to choice for any skater, no matter the level. If you know you aren't going to be shredding your shoes to pieces with ollies and flip tricks, the Vans Authentic is a great shoe for cruisers and longboards that offers superior breathability to the Old Skool.
The Vans Old Skool's reinforced toecaps were designed to handle the wear and tear of kickflips, but not its uppers.
Credit: Jackson Chen
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The Vans Old Skool's board feel helps Jackson keep this backside feeble pinched.
Credit: Tyler Clement
How We Test Skate Shoes
To find the best models on the market today, our lead expert spent weeks skating in each pair to punish them in the way that only skaters can. After researching over 40 styles and selecting 21 as potential options, we purchased all the models we reviewed at retail price. While some are classics that have been around for decades, a couple of them are updated versions of legendary pro models, and others are new models that were just released recently. Although most are low-tops, we purchased a variety of options made of various materials, including a mix of vulcanized and cup soles. Each pair was put through rigorous testing during multiple skate sessions, as well as just walking around on both dry and wet surfaces. To keep our testing process fair and objective, we performed each test in the same consistent manner and in roughly the same amount of time. After months of research and testing, our methods and experience give us full confidence in our recommendations.
The Emerica Pillar Mid's suede upper meant a consistent flick for kickflips.
Credit: Tyler Clement
Why Trust GearLab
As someone who has been both a skateboarder and a shoe collector for more than 20 years, our lead tester Adam Yee has skated through scores of skate shoes from numerous brands. He has tried shoes from nearly every company that makes skateboarding footwear and has a deep understanding of what makes a great skate shoe. During his teenage years, Adam had a shoe sponsor that he would test new models for each season, and he continues to keep a watchful eye on the latest models being released. Over the last 25 years, he has seen many brands come and go and watched skate footwear change from the thick and bulky models of the '90s and early 2000s to the thinner and more lightweight models of today. Regardless of the current trend, Adam will keep skating and collecting and continue his endless search for the perfect skate shoe.
Dropping in while wearing the Lakai Carroll.
Adam flipping out in the Adidas City Cup.
The Nike SB Check has a Solarsoft sock liner that is supportive and very comfortable.
With nearly two decades of skateboarding experience, Jackson Chen has had the pleasure of tearing up skate shoes from longstanding brands to those just entering the space. He's experimented with chunky cupsole shoes, minimalistic vulcanized designs, leather uppers, classic suede, and any other novel design skate companies want to throw on their shoes. He loves to nerd out over the new technology that gets stuffed into the latest skate shoes, but Jackson still has love for the timeless skate silhouettes he grew up with.
Holding the cross-lock for a backside 50-50 with the Emerica Pillar Mid.
The Vans Old Skool felt right at home with casual mini-ramp days.
Popping a switch frontside bigspin in the Vans Old Skool.
Analysis and Test Results
For skaters, having a shoe that moves with their feet and allows them to feel the board is imperative, so the majority of skate shoes are designed with a thin but durable upper on a flat sole. Since skateboarding is harsh on feet and shoes, having footwear that is protective and can withstand punishment yet maintains a sensitive board feel is a necessity, and like other athletic shoes, comfort, traction, and breathability are also important. We spent hours skating in each model and based our ratings on the performance of each of these features, as well as the sum of their parts, to determine the best option for any type of skating.
What's the Best Value?
“Skate and Destroy” isn't just the spirited attitude of skating; we also destroy our boards, trucks, wheels, clothing, bodies, and sometimes quicker than anything – our shoes. In our experience, the shoes whose designers have put more thought into functionality last longer and skate better, but they also cost more. On the other hand, models like the Vans Old Skool can disintegrate rather quickly depending on the type of skating you do, but they're affordable and readily available. If you want a special feature such as the fantastic breathability offered by the Lakai Carrol, be prepared to spend a bit more.
Comfort and Support
The first thing to be considered for any pair of shoes is how they fit and how comfortable and supportive they are. Size and fit can vary between brands or certain models, so it's important to get the correct size to ensure optimal performance. Many models these days are thin, with minimal padding to reduce the amount of time it takes to get them broken in, but this also reduces the level of support and protection that they provide. To test the comfort and support, we spent several days walking around and skating in each, and the ones that kept our feet from getting sore received the highest marks.
The amount of support varies greatly between skate shoes. Some (like the Emerica Pillar) have a lot of padding for the foot and ankle, while others don't have anything more than a thin layer of fabric, which can be light and comfortable but offers little support.
The Vans Old Skool isn't a great choice for jumping down things but Jackson still floats an ollie down this four stair.
Credit: Tom Logsdon
Skate shoes like the Vans Old Skool break in quickly, but don't offer great impact protection. Many low-tops, like the DC Kalis Vulc, have a great insole and good padding around the collar, and therefore still offer a good amount of support. So, depending on your preference and the type of skating you're doing, there's a skate shoe on the market to accommodate your needs.
The Kalis Vulc is lightweight and has a pillowy soft insole, making this one of the most comfortable shoes we tested.
Credit: Amber Kissner
Durability
Since skaters are constantly jumping on and off obstacles and dragging their feet across grip tape, durability is one of the most important aspects of any skate shoe. Despite having similarities in looks or design, the level of durability differs greatly between models, depending on the materials. The design also plays a part in the overall durability, as having a rubber toe cap or lace protection will help preserve the life of the shoe. To gauge the durability of each model, we did 25 consecutive kickflips, along with dozens of other flip tricks during hours of skating, to find the areas of weakness and see how well each held up.
Shoes made with leather, especially suede, hold up better and last longer than shoes made of canvas or synthetic materials. The shoes with the greatest durability were the Lakai Carroll, the New Balance All Coasts, and the Emerica Pillar, which are all made mostly of suede. All of these were great for skating and showed minimal signs of wear after several days of skating.
The suede upper and protective lacing system make the Lakai Carroll a very durable skate shoe.
With its suede upper, extended taping, and rubber ollie guard, the Emerica Pillar is very durable.
Shoes like the Vans Old Skool, which have a canvas upper, were far less durable and showed signs of wear within the first sessions. If you only skate occasionally or opt for the cruiser more often than the popsicle stick, this will be less of a concern – but if you're dead set on perfecting your nollie flips, you're going to shred these shoes to pieces.
The canvas side panel of the Vans Old Skool couldn't hold up to the nonstop abrasion from a skateboard's griptape.
Credit: Jackson Chen
Board Feel
Skaters need to be able to feel the board underneath their feet, so the board feel is arguably the most important aspect of any skate shoe. Many skaters are fully dedicated to either vulcanized or cup-soled shoes, as they prefer the board feel that they get from one over the other. To test the level of board feel offered by each, we measured how high the foot sat in the footbed and how long it took to get them fully broken in. We then wore them while skating boards with different sizes, shapes, grip tapes, and various degrees of concave to see how each felt. Spending weeks wearing each pair allowed us to get a good understanding of how well one can feel through any given model.
Most brands are making lighter and thinner shoes to maximize board feel and reduce the time needed for breaking them in, but one brand was way ahead of the game on this one. The minimalist design of the Vans Old Skool proved to be our team's favorite shoe in terms of feeling the board through the soles. Other commendable models, the DC Kalis Vulc and the Adidas Seeley, provided a high level of board feel and required very little time to break in.
Vulcanized soles make it easy to feel the board, allowing Adam to hold on to this frontside grind.
Credit: Amber Kissner
Traction
Another important factor for any type of athletic shoe is traction, as it helps with maintaining balance. The grip tape on top of a skateboard provides a lot of traction for the rider, but it's important to have shoes that work together with the grip tape to maximize control. The sole is only part of this equation, as the materials of the upper also need to grip the board for tricks, so the 25 kickflip test that we used to gauge durability also played a part in our traction test. To further measure the traction, we saw how well each performed when being used as a foot brake at roughly 15 mph, as well as when walking on various wet and dry surfaces. Although no two shoes had the same sole, the different tread patterns delivered similar levels of traction.
Despite the mix of cup soles and vulcanized soles and the fact that each shoe had a unique tread pattern, there wasn't a huge difference in the traction they provided. However, the shoes with the grippiest soles were the Vans Old Skool, the Vans Authentic, and the Emerica, which are on vulcanized soles. So, even though the shoes with cup soles performed well in other areas, the softer rubber of the vulcanized models typically offered the best traction.
The vulcanized sole on the Emerica Pillar provides excellent grip assisting Adam with this wallride.
The waffle sole of the Vans Authentic is super grippy and helps Adam to launch this front side 180 ollie.
Breathability
The final feature that we rated each shoe on was its breathability. Like durability, this metric was mainly determined by the materials and design of each shoe, as the type of fabric and where it's placed affects the ventilation. Canvas may not hold up as well as leather; it is much lighter and more breathable. However, some companies incorporate mesh panels strategically on a leather shoe to achieve a level of ventilation that's just as good, if not greater. In rating the breathability of each option, we wore socks of the same thickness throughout and spent several hours on multiple days skating in each pair. After skating, we would remove the shoes to see how hot the insoles and our feet were.
Even though the materials are the number one factor in determining a shoe's breathability, the climate and weather also play a part. Our initial review was conducted during the fall, and as the temperature was lower, the results may have varied in warmer weather. However, despite this uncontrolled variable, the Lakai and New Balance models delivered the best ventilation and kept our feet cool through the long sessions. While the Vans models didn't have any specific ventilation designs, the lighter canvas material meant the shoes didn't get as swampy as all suede models. So, although some shoes may have gotten hotter in the summer, we still feel like we were able to get an accurate picture of the breathability of each shoe through our tests.
The suede upper of the Emerica Pillar Mid meant sweaty feet, but its Desert Grip outsole lets Jackson hold onto this frontside lipslide.
Credit: Tyler Clement
How to Choose The Best Skate Shoes
We have compiled four important buying considerations, including style, material, and lifespan, to help guide your decision-making process.
What Type of Shoe?
Skate shoes come in various styles and shapes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. First, deciding between high, mid, or low-top shoes will depend on prioritizing ankle protection over mobility and feel. Some skaters prefer to use high-top shoes to help support and stabilize their feet to avoid ankle injuries, but other skaters value low tops for their ability to move and flick their feet with more freedom, which often results in a better board feel. For those undecided, it's worth considering the type of skating you usually do and if you have had previous ankle injuries.
The Old Skool's thin outsoles are perfect for doing flatground tricks, like this heelflip.
Credit: Tyler Clement
Cup Sole vs Vulcanized
The great debate about skate shoes comes down to cup sole vs vulcanized construction. Both styles offer something valuable, but the choice is ultimately a personal preference. Cup sole shoes are constructed from a single rubber piece to provide shock absorption and durability. Vulcanized shoes have soles that are glued to the upper and are designed to be light and flexible, making them ideal for board feel connection and easy break-in. Deciding on the right shoe depends on your skate style and the rate at which you go through shoes. Someone who skates every day and regularly hits large gaps and stairs will prefer cup sole shoes, while someone who skates low-impact obstacles like ledges, flatbars, and transition or just likes to cruise around streets will enjoy the board/feet connection that vulcanized shoes provide.
Vulcanized shoes like the Adidas Seeley promote a great board-to-feet connection.
Credit: Amber Kissner
Does Material Matter?
Material selection will affect the durability, feel, and breathability of your shoe. Leather is known for its superior durability but does not offer much breathability for those long, hot days. It can also feel slippery when it comes to ollies and flip tricks. Due to its lightweight construction and breathability, canvas works well for those who mostly skate transition or just roll around in the streets. Suede is the most common skate shoe material because it bridges the gap between leather and canvas, providing decent durability, some breathability, and a reliable flick. When deciding on a material, consider how long-lasting a shoe you need and if a breathable shoe is important for your climate and usual skate sessions.
Emerica added some perforations into the Pillar Mid's uppers, but it's still not as breathable as other options.
Credit: Jackson Chen
What Features to Look For
Skate shoes often have special features that aid in landings, tricks, and board feel. Many skate shoes include heel protection to help avoid heel bruising and provide shock absorption for drops and landings. Another nice feature to look for is toe caps, which can improve the longevity of your shoes. Flip tricks can cause your shoes to take a beating, so having extra protection in high-use areas helps extend the shoe lifespan. Companies have also started using tongue gussets to help keep tongues in place while skating to avoid slippage and pressure points on your feet.
The Lakai Carroll is among the best Skate shoes for impact protection due to its shock absorbant cup sole.
Credit: Amber Kissner
Conclusion
Skate shoes are one of the most popular types of footwear globally and are worn by skaters and non-skaters alike. As a group of individuals who spend a lot of time focused on their feet, it should come as no surprise that skateboarders know what it takes to make a good quality shoe that's comfortable, durable, and performs well. As skateboarding has grown, more and more brands make skate-specific footwear, so our lead expert spent months thoroughly testing several pairs to deliver our best recommendations. Although big companies like Nike and Adidas now have successful skate lines, we tried to balance bigger and smaller skater-owned brands to highlight in our review. So, whether you're looking for the best shoes to start skating in or you're an avid skater that goes through a pair every couple of months, we hope that this review helps you decide on your next pair of kicks.
The mesh panels give the New Balance All Coasts 574 V1 a good amount of ventilation without sacrificing durability in its upper.
