HISTORY OF SKATE SHOES - PT 1

What do you regard as the first real skate shoe?
For me, Vans were the first recognisable skate shoe.

Before that though, there was Randy’s. I love the ad you brought in for their 720 shoes, what a rare find. Steve Van Doren (son of Vans founder, Paul Van Doren) mentioned in an interview that his father originally worked at Randy’s.
Yeah they look the same don’t they, classic boat shoes. I guess he knew that the Randy’s shoes worked – don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. As you look through the era of skate shoes, they have always had a flat sole and it’s always been simple. The last fifteen years have become more technical but the flat sole is still really functional, and that’s why a lot of guys today are still skating in Vans. 

That ad says the shoes have ‘Randyprene’... It has to be the earliest marketing jargon for the skate footwear industry.
Definitely. There was nothing else as far as footwear specifically for skaters at that time. As you can see from the photos, it’s either barefoot or Randy’s.