Vans Old Skool Wear Test

Vans Old Skool Wear Test

Words By: Jason Lee

    1 Hour of Wear

Initial Impression

I found this pair of Old Skools for about $35 at a local Nordstrom Rack. It should be noted that these are not the skate version of the shoe. I had to go a half size down in these shoes; I would suggest trying the shoes on at your local store because a few of my peers had to size up, whereas I had to size down. I walked around in the Old Skools to start the initial break in period and found that they offered a strange feeling of “boardfeel”. While I was walking, I found that the Ultracush insole offered a strange mix of what felt like a memory foam mattress on my feet but yet I could feel every pebble or clod of dirt I stepped on. I am relatively unsure as to how this will feel in regards to me skating.

5 Hours of Wear

First Skate Session

My first skate session I avoided any real stairs, and mainly skated ledges and manny pads at my skatepark. The waffle sole offered the same amount of grip I have come to expect with every vans shoe. Although the grip is not gumsole colored, it should not trick one into thinking that they will not receive the classic grippiness in vans soles that we have come to love. However, I am somewhat curious as to whether or not it will lose its grippiness as quickly as they usually do. After around 5 hours or so of skating I began getting used to the boardfeel the Old Skool’s offered and as a result it did not affect my skating. The flick felt relatively regular and did not feel superb or subpar. I feel like I am still undergoing the break in period after my first skate session because the leather around the shoe still felt tough and more often than not the crease in the toe would bother my toes. By this I mean that the leather crease that appears on the toe of the shoe because of walking actually rubbed hard enough against my skin that it caused my big toe bleed a little. At the end of the session my pinky toe felt squished due to the shape of the toe and because of this, I would suggest that people with wide feet beware. Durability wise, the shoe lasted well and the ollie hole is starting to develop significantly but shows no sign of tearing through as of yet.

20 Hours of Wear(Canvas is visible and no leather remains.)

Shape

The Vans Old Skool has a somewhat unusual shape if one is used to skating very flat skate shoes. By this I mean that the sole caves in a small degree causing it to feel like one is standing on a smaller platform. Essentially the sole is not as large as the sidewall, as seen in the picture below. However, after skating in the shoe for about three days, I got used to this feeling and it felt no different from any other shoe. Overall, the flick is superb and the shape of the toe is effective for even people with wider feet. The toe is not too pointy like the Dylan, therefore it was not bizarre adjusting my flick after skating Huf’s Gillette. The toe narrows out into what can probably be described as a stubby arrow. Although the eyelets were relatively close to the toe they did not rip throughout the weartest. In fact, they did not show any wear at all(this may depend on your flick).

Durability

The leather shoe offers some decent durability and did well in lasting around 2 weeks before a hole began to appear. The leather was relatively thick and seemed to be layered to some degree. It should be noted that I do slappies and sometimes it takes longer for me to rip through a shoe due to this. If I took this into account, I think it would have lasted about a week and a half. There seems to be around three layers of thin leather on the shoe. However, there was a canvas lining underneath the leather which added around another day to the shoe’s durability. The stitching is decorative on the sidewalls, except for the side stripe and the heel. As mentioned before, although the eyelets are close to the toe, the laces did not rip throughout the wear process.

Breathability

Breathability is dependent on the material one gets, but being that I purchased leather Old Skools, the breathability was extremely subpar. The insole absorbed a large amount of sweat and I did not experience swamp feet until later. However, the problem comes later, the morning after my initial skate session I put the shoe on only to notice that the insole was still soaked in sweat. The shoe had about 8 hours to lay out and let the moisture evaporate, but it was still soaked. Putting on a wet shoe was not a highlight of my second skate session. I recommend getting a canvas/suede version of the shoe if possible. But, after a week or so they no longer exhibited this problem, mainly because I got used to it.

Grip/Support/Comfort

The sole did not wear out and still offered a significant amount of grip to it, but the insole did pack in or flatten pretty quickly. The non “pro skate” version offers the Ultracush insole whereas the “pro skate” version offers the Ultracush HD insole. It can be gathered that the insole would not have packed out so quickly if one bought the “pro skate” version. However, the insole is more than sufficient for low to medium impact skateboarding. The sole maintained most of its shape and did not lose its grip throughout the weartesting process. The sole will probably maintain the same amount of grip for another three weeks. The grip is the classic waffle pattern that has the right rubber that offers an above average grip that prevents the foot from sliding. It is not too sticky to the point where it becomes troublesome to move one’s foot while setting up for tricks in or out of grinds, slides, or manuals. Adjusting one’s foot position in general is not hindered by the grip. The collar provided ample amounts of comfort but did not do a good job of protecting the ankle or inner ankle from the skateboard. The tongue has minimal padding but I did not experience many moments in which my skateboard fell on top of my foot. Therefore, I did not find the lack of padding on the tongue to be a problem. But, I can safely assume it will hurt, but not as badly as perhaps a shoe like the Gillette, Dylan, or Converse CTAS. As mentioned earlier, the support was awkward at first but once the shoe broke in, it was not noticeable.

Conclusion

Overall, the Vans Old Skool is a good shoe that has the attributes that make it a classic skate shoe. The shoe is simplistic, functional, and can be found at an affordable price. Although the shoe lacks in breathability and takes some time to get used to support wise, it does offer moderate impact protection and the classic Van’s grippiness. The durability is good for its price range but I would suggest not paying full price for this shoe due to the short lifespan it offers. Although this particular shoe did not exhibit a quick sole life, I would keep in mind that generally one should expect the sole to lose its grip quickly past a one month period. The Vans Old Skool is a staple shoe that will not be disappearing anywhere soon; it offers moderate durability and good stability for what it lacks in affordability and transient insole.