Converse Chuck Taylors(CTAS) Shoe Review/Wear Test

Converse CTAS Wear Test
Words By: Jason Lee

 Out of the Box

Initial Impression
Similar to the Jack Purcell I noticed that there’s a slight curve upward as you move towards the toe of the shoe, making things feel bizarre. This is in part due to the fact that majority of skate shoes are usually flat throughout, something not existent in the regular Chuck Taylors. However, the upward curve at the toe of the shoe is not as prevalent in the skate version of the shoe. The grip is below average in part to the fuzz on the outer rim of the sole making my foot slip more than usual. I anticipate that this will go away as I skate this shoe more. After an hour of wear, no hole has surfaced in part to the fact that there is a canvas backing to the shoe. I have developed wear in areas besides the initial ollie hole due to heelflips. The wear is much more apparent and extreme than in other shoes. The shape is relatively narrow but a little wider than the Jack Purcell, and it offers significantly more breathability due to the canvas. The padding is immediately noticeable in that it is basically non existent. Overall, the shoe offers average comfort and breathability; it runs a half size large; and has below average, durability, grip, and support.
1 Hour of Wear

Sizing
Would recommend going a half size down.
Shape
The shape is relatively narrow but is not uncomfortable for those with wider feet. The toe box is not too arrow-like in that it rounds out at the tip.
2 Weeks of Wear

Durability
The shoe has below average durability by skate shoe standards, but falls as expected in regards to a canvas shoe. The sole wore out relatively quickly in that it was already showing significant signs of wear within the first couple of weeks. A ollie hole developed within a week; the reason it lasted that long for me was in part because I changed how aggressively I slid my foot on my board because the shoe only had two thin layers of canvas. The toe cap far surpasses the lifespan of the shoe’s sidewall and sole. Little to no wear was prevalent on the shoe’s toe cap. The canvas did weaken and to a certain degree pack out and stretch well within the first couple hours of skating. In a sense, the canvas was no longer as starchy and thick but soft and malleable.
Breathability
The Chuck Taylor offers below average ventilation but makes up for it with the fact that canvas is significantly more breathable as compared to an all suede shoe. The two inside eyelets on the side panel of the shoe do little for breathability. The insole did a relatively poor job of absorbing sweat so most of the breathability is in part thanks to the canvas.
Grip/Support/Comfort
The grip was below average and my foot was often slipping on the board during the first initial hour of skating the shoe. However, once the lining on the shoe’s sole wore off the gumsole offered an average amount of grip to the shoe. The grip unfortunately does not compare to its sister shoe, the Jack Purcell, or Vans’s waffle sole. The gumsole wore off relatively quickly for only being skated in and walked in for about a couple of weeks. The comfort of the shoe was average and if anything below average in terms of impact protection. Anything above a 6 stair began to hurt well within the half hour mark. The support is nonexistent besides for the fact that it is a high top and offers the placebo affect of ankle protection.
1 Week of Wear(10+ hours)

Final Thoughts
Although the laces ran close to the toe I never personally experienced any wear on the front 3 laces leaving me to like the shape of the shoe especially due to its durable toe cap. Overall, the Chuck Taylor offers a very fast break in time with, average grip and breathability, below average durability, comfort and support, but superb toecap durability and flick.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Converse Jack Purcell Shoe Review/Wear Test

Image
Converse Jack Purcell Words By: Jason Lee Out of The Box Initial Impression My initial impressions when skating the shoe straight out of the box was that the sole of the shoe was extremely grippy, possibly grippier than the Vans's waffle sole. The sole seems to have no grooves in it but when the sole flexed a multitude of close grooves show themselves which explains its grip. Being that the toe cap is rubber it took me about a day to get used to the flick and adjust accordingly so I no longer over or under flicked my tricks. The shoe has a relatively skinny shape and the minimal padding in the shoe was obvious and painful when I landed primo. Overall , the shoe seems to have above average grip, subpar padding, effective grip, and minimal breathability. Sizing Would recommend going a half size down. Shape The shoe has a very skinny shape or narrow shape which most likely suites those with narrower feet. However, I have wide feet and did not no...
Read more

The Death of Kinked Rails

Image
The Death of Kinked Rails By: Jason Lee So sackable, so rewarding, so overwhelming, so dead... Kinked rails have seemingly become the standard, right next to big stairs, for skaters looking to go pro or get sponsored. In fact, kinked rails have become so standard and huge in skateboarding that there are unofficial teams seemingly known for skating kinked and big rails . However, as time has passed, kinked rails have slowly reached a point where not only have they reached their climax, but they have started to become underwhelming to watch. Kinked rails to say the least are not a general trend by any means, it's not a sole trick or accessory that has all of a sudden become stale due to over saturation but, it has met these attributes. More and more videos come out of people grinding kinked rails sometimes hitting double digits in kinks, as a result our brain has become numb to what was originally a very jaw dropping sight. This is not to disregard the fact that watching or f...
Read more

Adidas Continental 80 Shoe Review/Wear Test

Image
Adidas Continental 80 Shoe Review/Wear Test By: Jason Lee 1 Hour of Wear(Note: This is my "switch foot" but this is more or less the condition of the shoe at the 1 hour mark) Initial Impression The shoes look nice, and the rubber heel cup resembles the City Cup, which I’m assuming took inspiration from said shoe(Continental 80). The Continental’s rubber bumper gives off the impression that it could help with flicking heelflips. The shoe itself is rather puffy in the ankles’ support region, which is nice, but does no real help because it sits below the ankle. The shoe looks promising but does look a tad strange with slimmer pants. Thanks to Eugene’s uprise in baggy clothing, and my crippling desire to conform, this is not really a problem. Sizing The shoe for me fit better a half size down. I would suggest going to a shop and trying them on wherever available. 10 Hours of Skating. Shoe is starting to become blown out near the toecap, and the o...
Read more