HISTORY OF SKATE SHOES - PT 1

You kept everything... including those Vans ankle guards which look pretty cool.
You wore them with a low-cut shoe, because at the time that’s all that was available. This is in the 1976-80 era when Vans were still the dominant shoe, before Nike came out with the Blazer. People used to get a board in the back of the achilles tendon and that would kill. That ankle guard was stupid because it was so cumbersome and horrible to wear, but I guess I had a few in the back of the ankle and it saved me.

Did you ever skate in the Makaha sneakers?
Nah, to be honest, that’s the only pair I have ever seen in real life. The sole was really hard and everyone I knew either rode a very simple boat shoe or a pair of Vans or just bare feet.

Makaha’s advertising slogan was pretty funny, “Break the deck shoe barrier!” Like they were just going to smash Vans?
Hahahaha, great ambition but it never happened.

Another interesting shoe in your collection is the Hobie in the blue with yellow trim. Was that the same company that makes little yachts?
Yeah, I think it was. They diversified, and even made skateboards in the sixties, so they started really early. I think they were from a yachting background so maybe they entered skateboarding through a boat shoe connection? Hobies came out in a low and a high and when I saw guys riding them I thought they were a really good looking shoe.