HISTORY OF SKATE SHOES - PT 2

Skating evolved more or less from youth fads – scooters and roller skate wheels adapted to planks of wood. Do you think most kids are actually aware of how far back the sport goes?
When we started skateboarding we didn’t know anything about the history! So the kids of today don’t know much of the historical stuff. Maybe they have seen the Dogtown documentary or the Lords of Dogtown film? We only took notice of what was happening around us in the present moment and because there was so much going on and new to discover, it was enough. But it is nice to show the kids how it all started and where the different influences came from. Especially with the crazy stuff people were skating back then, the boards, wheels and tricks and how close it has been for skateboarding several times to die forever. There are not many sports that started barefooted and today we have high-tech supershoes next to ramps that look like huge ski jumps.

Can you explain the significance of the wheels evolving from metal to clay to urethane?
The change from metal to clay to urethane is a whole story for itself. But to keep it short, the main significance is that the urethane provides the skater with grip, shock absorption and cushioning and not to forget, a lot of speed. Urethane opened the door for today’s skateboarding, suddenly you could do all the moves and skate every terrain in a limitless manner.