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For skateboarding enthusiasts, your board is your weapon while your skate shoes are your armor. Getting the best armor that suits you is just as important as getting the best weapon. Who knows? You might find one from the selection of DC skate shoes.
Nobody wants a twisted ankle after sporting a hobby. Make sure you control your deck with the best skate shoes. Shoes dictate the grip, board-feel, and toe capping which help you do different tricks. Its comfort, support, and durability, on the other hand, protects you from injuries and accidents. Therefore, it is vital that you get the most suitable skate shoes for when you’re on your board.
What Is DC
Damon Way and Ken Block founded Droor’s Clothing more known as DC in 1994. They started as a sports brand focusing on footwear. By 2004, they’ve reached $100 million in sales. This success caught the attention of Quicksilver, who purchased DC Shoes for $87 million and renamed it DC.
DC Skate Shoes
DC has become one of the household names when it comes to shoes for skaters. The footwear company has maintained making excellent skate shoes, ensuring that the quality does not waver. Now, they are continuously innovating by partnering with companies that produce high-quality materials.
The overall price range of DC skate shoes
The overall price range of a pair of shoes from leading brands of skate shoes ranges from $60 to $135. The price varies based on the premium, additional features, and innovative technologies that they incorporate in the footwear.
Best Lines of DC Skate Shoes
Among the 23 lines of DC skate shoes, you may be wondering which are the best. The lines that stood out among the variety of DC skate shoes are the Lynx (a legacy line), the Evan Smith (a signature line), and the Court Graffik (a heavy-duty line).
First, legacy lines like the Lynx consist of re-issued classic designs of DC skate shoes. The primary drive for this collection is nostalgia for old-school skaters. DC also improved the products further as they applied with the current technological advances in shoemaking with the designs’ retro appeal.
Second, signature lines like Evan Smith’s are shoe designs endorsed by famous skateboarders or professional athletes. The signature lines captivate skaters because of the prestige and quality endorsement of the professionals.
Finally, the heavy-duty lines like Court Graffik are perfect for heavy users. Since skateboarding destroys shoes whether you’re an amateur or a professional, there is a demand for heavy-duty quality shoes. It’s for preventing severe injuries and accidents.
DC Lynx
The Lynx is one of the most iconic DC shoe lines from 1998 which Sung Choi originally designed. It may have the classic design and appearance, but it has some upgrades up its sleeve. DC made the modernized Lynx with DC’s very own super suede. The super suede upgrade makes the skate shoes more durable.
Additionally, it has Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), a kind of plastic that makes a product elastic, transparent, and resistant to oil, grease, and abrasion. Lastly, it has an OrthoLite® sock liner combined with a mesh tongue which improves the shoe comfortability. Who doesn’t want a pair of shoes that are durable, easy to maintain and comfortable? A pair of DC Lynx costs between $95 to $105.
LYNX has a RunRepeat corescore of 77 out of 100. According to reviewers, the product does not intend to be a trendsetter or a ground-breaking model. Instead, it’s a reliable and affordable cupsole, which means that it’s designed to be sturdy and stable. Many commend the reliability of the super suede from this line of DC skate shoes, which is also backed by TPU. Despite having holes in the exterior of your footwear, TPU stops the damage from reaching the inside the product. Cupsoles are expected to have minimal board feel, but they claim that this is not the case with this line.
Furthermore, many wearers said that they found the shoes comfortable, and have great padding on the collar and tongue. Still, there are some minor complaints about the footwear being sweaty, and the shoe tongue was wiggly when using. Overall, however, the DC Lynx line has a beautiful retro design coupled with modern technology which makes this an incredible product.
DC Evan Smith
The DC signature collection of Evan Smith features Impact-I technology. It fuses board-feel with impact protection by using inverted cones of a lower durometer rubber. The signature technology minimizes the impact by allowing compression upon landing to protect the foot while maintaining agility and board control.
Moreover, it uses OrthoLite® footbed which is a unique open-cell structure system that manages moisture for a drier and healthier shoe environment. Additionally, the design of this line is a combination of casual and skate-inspired pieces using tie-dye and crystal washes. A pair of DC Evan Smith costs between $75 to $90.
Evan Smith has a RunRepeat corescore of 80 out of 100. According to online reviews, this is remarkable for a vulcanized (vulc) skate shoe. According to them, the rubber toe cap isn’t that impressive, but it gives them a better flick and improves durability than regular Vulc shoes. The Impact-I technology also proves its worth as most reviews claim that it works. Furthermore, some said that even after hours of skating, their feet didn’t hurt at all the day after.
The inverted cones coupled with the OrthoLite® insole provided a lot of impact absorption. However, for those who are used to skate shoes with thick collar padding, this may not be the best option. This product has a minimally padded collar which makes it quite uncomfortable around the ankles. All in all, the DC skate shoes from the Evan Smith Line are lightweight Vulc shoes which combine both flexibility, durability, and impact protection.
DC Court Graffik
The DC Graffik line is the heavy-duty line of DC skate shoes which focuses more on the sturdiness and durability, rather than agility and board-feel. The company made it with leather fabric exterior materials and foam padded tongue and collar for support.
The product also has ventilation holes for improved breathability, and pill pattern embedded on its soles for enhanced board grip. It also features a cupsole construction which makes the shoes firmer providing improved foot and ankle support. A pair of DC Graffik skate shoes ranges from $65 to $70.
Graffik has a RunRepeat corescore of 92 out of 100. Some reviewers claim that the arch support of DC Graffik is insufficient and that it takes a while to break-in. In addition to that, they observed that because of the thick outsoles, this product has poor board-feel. However, a lot of the users were amazed at the high-quality materials of the sneakers.
Also, those who do hard-hitting tricks and thrashers praised the product’s robust elements and sturdy outsole. Additionally, it has superior cushioning and padding that provides the feet excellent comfort and extra support from an impact.
The Review Process
To review the products thoroughly, we researched several websites about skate shoes. We looked for the best skate shoes for avid skateboarders. In addition to that, we analyzed the reviews and opinions of customers, users, and skateboarding enthusiasts for authenticity.
After picking out several lines and collections of skate shoes in the market, we then compared the DC skate shoes to its leading competitors.
Lines of DC Skate Shoes Versus Other Lines of Leading Brands
We chose three lines of shoes from the competitors that are comparable to the ones mentioned above. Below are the best ones that could compete with the collection of DC skate shoes.
Vans Old Skool Line
Vans is known for its simple yet practical designs for skateboarding. Their legacy line debuted in 1977, which they used to call Style 36, and featured the iconic Vans side stripe formerly known as the jazz stripe. Today, we see this line as The Old Skool.
The Old Skool line is a set of low-top style skate shoes that have incorporated leather panels in its design. Aside from the jazz stripe, another characteristic of Vans Shoes is their customizability and diversity of patterns and colors. The Old Skool line is no exception to this. It may still retain its original shoe design since Style 36, but the assortment of styles is far and wide. A pair of Vans Old Skool ranges from $65 to $90.
Old Skool has a RunRepeat corescore of 70 out of 100. According to the product users of Vans, they noticed that this line of shoes tends to rub against the back of the foot when used straight out of the box. Given that this is a Vulc style of skate shoes, some skaters say that the line lacks protection when they are flying off the ramp.
On the other hand, some skaters mentioned that these shoes offer a lot of board-feel, and these perform well for simple maneuvering and trick techniques. When doing 50 kickflips, toe bumpers, and stitchings, Old Skool did not rip off quickly. Upon reaching 100, the toe bumpers protected the users’ feet, but have gotten smoothened out. The exterior is made of thick and durable canvas to offer protection. They also said that the textile and suede together, allow for improved breathability.
Nike Stefan Janoski
The signature line of skateboarder Stefan Janoski is one of Nike SB’s most versatile skate shoes. They’re typically low-cut with ultra-thin soles for improved board-feel.
Moreso, plush foam and visible Air max are included in the interiors of the shoes to keep you comfortable and lessen the impact. Nike used breathable textiles that surround the sneakers to make sure that they’re lightweight and flexible. The price ranges from $75 to $135.
Stefan Janoski has a corescore of 80 out of 100. A lot of Nike fans enjoyed the line’s comfortable fit — even if they wore the shoes for long hours. Skaters claimed that the footwear has incredible grip because of the deep herringbone pattern on its soles. Furthermore, the ultra-thin outsole provides exceptional board-feel and flick.
Few users, however, complained about the durability of the suede and the heel of the shoes. Stefan’s style in skateboarding is that he prefers the best control over support and comfort, but Nike still did a great job adding comfort by using Zoom Air insoles.
Etnies Marana
To be heavy-duty enough, Etnies Marana partnered up with one of the best manufacturers of rubber — Michelin. Michelin created a unique outsole that is three times as durable as the outsoles of regular Etnies shoes, and its tire-inspired tread also improves the sneaker’s board grip.
Moreso, the Marana line is a cupshoe that focuses on durability and grip, which is unlike vulcanized ones whose focus is on lightweight and control. Etnies incorporated hidden lace loops to prevent it from getting ripped. Marana has a padded tongue and collar infused with Pro Foam 1 Polyurethane Insole for comfort and protection. The company used STI EVOLUTION® Foam for its midsole which is a lightweight yet long-lasting material that can absorb high-impacts from skating. Their price ranges from $60 to $90.
Marana has a RunRepeat corescore of 80 out of 100. Some customers complained that the shoes felt heavy with some issues on breathability. A reviewer also said that while most parts of the sneakers are durable, the laces ripped only after five hours of skating. Other users, however, commended the excellent durability because of the Michelin outsoles. There were minimal abrasions in the treading even after more than 20 hours of skating.
Additionally, they said that it has an incredible grip that works on any surface and activity. The customers were also impressed with the cushioning and padding on the interior of the shoes which provided excellent comfort and protection. Even the insoles and midsoles of the sneakers have a superior shock-absorption that amazed them. There may be minimal board-feel, but that is normal for a high-performing cupshoe.
Best Skate Shoes for Skateboarding Enthusiasts
DC skate shoes’ Lynx and Evan Smith outweigh the competing brands. The DC Lynx is a better heritage line than Vans Old Skool because of its features. DC Evan Smith outperformed Nike’s Stefan Janoski because it’s more durable, comfortable, and it has more support while the latter is merely good in outsoles. Etnies Marana, however, surpassed DC Graffik in three aspects: better all-around support, comfortability, and lightness.
Among the skate shoes, we believe that Etnies Marana stood out most. First, Etnies has extraordinary durability, an impressive grip capacity, and is lightweight, comfortable, and supportive. Lastly, the technologies Pro Foam 1 Polyurethane for cushion and protection and STI EVOLUTION® Foam midsole shock absorption made it the overall best skate shoes among the crop.