The Balance of Innovation and Aesthetics in Skateboarding Footwear
Uncovering the push and pull between grip, protection, style and tech from the ’80s through 2024.
At the behest of Tony Alva and other California pool skateboarders, Vans added padding around the collar of its CVO silhouette in 1976 to create the Style 95. Now known as the Era, this small technical upgrade prevented loose boards from making direct contact with ankles and became the catalyst for 50 years of innovation in the skate shoe space.
Over the course of these five decades, brands have rolled out proprietary foams, visible air, lace-savers, high-durometer rubber compounds, stash pockets and much more. Despite all these advances, skateboarders have consistently returned to the straightforward vulcanized footwear Vans produced in the ’70s. This push and pull between high-tech innovation and bare-bones simplicity continues to this day with more footwear options than ever before.
Below, the evolution of skate shoes and how technology—and in some cases, a purpose-driven lack thereof—has shaped contemporary skate silhouettes.