Skateboard Sneakers – How To Pick The Right Kicks For Your Shred – Online

September 5th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Okay... you've got a killer deck, sweet stickers, fast bearings and the hottest wheels that ever kissed the pavement. Your safety gear is hooked up and protecting the vitals, your lid is cocked at just the right rakish tilt, your ripped up jeans have years of asphalt stains around the cuffs and your hoodie sports the logo of some obscure punk band. It's a beautiful Saturday, and there are stairs and railings all the way to the skate park from here. Now there's only one question left: what kicks to shred in??

There are a lot of styles and colors from companies such as DC, Adio, Fallen, Vans, Nike SB, Etnies, Emerica, Globe and Osiris. Some of these companies, such as Vans, have been around from the beginning, providing skate gear to professional and amateur shredders alike. Some companies have jumped into skate gear manufacturing as the sport has grown in popularity. Don't get too hung up on brand name popularity. Regardless of the brand, you'll find certain similarities in all shoes designed for skateboarding and in the end, comfort will be the most important factor. So, what makes a skate shoe different from other shoes?

A good pair of skate shoes will be comfortable, have good support and be very sturdy. Skate shoes differ from other athletic footwear, but have a lot in common with a good pair of tennis shoes. They should have thick, flat soles for gripping the board and grinding on the pavement. Most good skate shoes will have reinforced patches around the toe, side and/or heel for extra protection in the places you most need it. The sole thickness will be more uniform, unlike a running shoe that has a raised heel. Some skate shoes will even have a lace cover. If the ones you want don't have a lace cover, get some strong, thick laces and trim them or tuck them in.

Your shoes are your connection to your deck, so when you go shopping for them, bring your board with you. Put on both shoes and see how it feels to grip the deck. You probably won't be allowed to pull any tricks in the store unless the clerk is very, very cool, but at least you can see how the shoes feel against the board. If you can't bring you're a deck with you, at least make sure to put on both shoes and walk around in them for a few minutes. Jump lightly up and down, imitate the position of skating and generally test them out as much as possible. If it feels good, then you most likely have a winner.

After you find the brand or model that feels comfortable, or you have picked out a few that feel equally good, it's all a matter of personal taste. Most skate shoes come in a variety of flashy colors and styles, and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a pair that looks good. . Just remember, any sneakers look cool when they are upside down and ten feet off the ground!

Now, the most important part-buy you shoes online! Once you found the right sneaker, go online to a store like HouserShoes.com and buy them at discount prices. After all, you need to be saving your money to replace or repair your deck, wheels, gear and of course, broken bones. Now, go grab some air in your new kicks!

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Skateboard Safety Tips

August 28th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Skatboarding is a thrilling sport which is enjoyed not only by youngsters but by people of all age groups. Skateboarding should not be taken lightly and you should always wear proper attire and protective gear as negligence might lead to serious injuries and accidents. A great deal of care needs to be taken while participating in this fast paced sport whether you are practicing alone or with your friends. Falling on a hard surface without safety gear can lead to fractures, sprains, abrasions, etc. Sometimes in extreme cases the injuries might prove to be fatal for the skater. By following the safety tips listed below, you can enjoy skateboarding with minimal injuries:

Wearing safety gear: A protective gear comprises of skateboarding helmet, skateboarding gloves, pads, ankle braces and well fitted skateboard apparel. It is advised to wear a proper safety gear before you go out for skateboarding because it protects you from minor injuries caused by falling.

Examining the place: Knowing the place where you plan to skateboard helps. Skateboarding in a skateboard park is safer than skating in the streets. Examining the place before skateboarding is also essential. Ensure that the surface is smooth, free from holes, bumps, rocks and materials like iron nails or glass as it might lead to a serious injury.

Appropriate time to go skateboarding: Do take care that you always go for skateboarding during daytime because doing it in dark or poorly lit surroundings increases the risk of falls and injuries due to poor vision. Also, avoid going out skateboarding in extremely hot or cold weather conditions because you might get a heat stroke or frost bite. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking water at regular intervals while skateboarding in hot weather. Water not only prevents dehydration and muscle cramps, you also perform better when you are hydrated.

Proper training: You need to practice regularly and undergo proper training to become a good skateboarder. It is essential that beginners know their limitations and do not try to imitate the expert skateboarders as it might lead to serious injuries. Learning the basics is essential to perform difficult skateboarding tricks. Not only do you need to learn to how to skate properly, it is also essential to know how to protect yourself in case of fall. You can start learning from a qualified instructor to make sure that your fundamentals are strong.

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Mastering Your Skateboard – Choosing the Right Skateboard Wheels

August 21st, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Any skater will tell you that there is no thrill in the world that can quite equal that of cruising on a skateboard. Indeed, few things can give you more sense of freedom than gliding at full speed with nothing between you and the earth except your beloved board. Whether you are a budding skater or you and your skateboard have been companions for years, it's important to get to know your board so you can maintain it in the best way possible. Part of your knowledge should be about choosing skateboard wheels. All skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane, a type of hard and durable rubber. Be sure you select the right ones so you can enjoy your skating sessions to the fullest.

The height of the wheel

When it comes to choosing skateboard wheels, there are basically two important things that you should consider. The first one is the diameter. The diameter basically refers to the height of the wheel. The average diameter of most skateboards range from 52 mm to 60 mm. When it comes to selecting the right diameter, take your own height and built into consideration. Children, teenagers as well as shorter and slimmer skaters will fare well with 55 mm maximum. Taller and heavier skaters will skate best with wheels ranging from 56 mm to 60 mm. In fact, 60 mm is usually the most that you should get. Anything over 60 may not be suitable for your average skating parks.

Test the toughness

The second factor that you should consider when choosing skateboard wheels is how hard or tough the wheels are. Just like the height of a wheel, there is a term describing this stat and this is durometer. The average durometer that most skaters need is 99a. If you're a beginner then you should go with softer wheels so you can easily skate without tripping over rocks, etc.

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5 Things to Look For When Buying New Skate Shoes

August 18th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

1) FIT : You want to get the very best fit possible when buying yourself a new pair of skate shoes. The best time for shoe shopping is at night because your feet actually swell during the day (or after a good skate session) due to heat. For size you need about 1/2 inch between the big toe and the end of the shoe. Also make sure the heel of your foot rests comfortably at the back of the shoe.

2) GRIP : A pattered sole give you a sure grip on your board. Brands like DC and Vans have excellent grip on their soles. The last thing any skater wants is slippery feet when skating. So make sure whatever shoe you go with it has an excellent grip and pattered sole.

3) FLEX : You need a durable shoe that is also lightweight and provides a really great flex. Brands like Adio have special "Flex grooves" which give you maximum flexibility while maintaining total comfort. Flex is very important. Who wants to feel like they are wearing ridged hard shoes when skating? Not us.

4) DURABILITY : If you spend alot of time skating then you are going to need a tough skate shoe. One that will stand up to punishment from your board and from the street!Look for leather sides for good wear and tear, a rubber toe and even lace protectors. All will add to the life of your shoes. Some shoes now feature internal "lace hiders" which keep them totally out of the way. Nobody wants to deal with unruly laces while skating. Also look for a thick and durable sole.

5) STYLE : You gotta love them if you're going to skate in them every day!So be sure to grab something that you think looks cool and fits your style. At the end of the day functionality is important but if you don't love how they look on you then chances are they will see more dust then skate parks. With such a mind blowing selection of skate shoes out today finding something to meet your skating and style needs has never been easier. Follow our tips and you will do just fine.

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Skate Shoes – Fallen

August 18th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Fallen Footwear was started by pro skater, Jamie Thomas,A.K.A., "The Chief," in 2004. Fallen was, at first, to be a partnership between Thomas and DC Shoes. But when DC was acquired by Quick Silver, in late 2004, Thomas decided to move the project to his company, Black Box Distribution.

Originally ,Fallen was to be called,"Armee," but due to hassles with the U.S. Army.that name was dropped and Fallen was born. The company's slogan is, "Rise with the Fallen" or RxWxTxF, in attempts to make the image less negative. Fallen makes some really excellent, top of the line skate shoes, and as Jamie Thomas puts it, "The brand is a symbol of the quality and tradition that all my footwear products have always stood for. Fallen footwear is designed purely for skateboarding."

Fallen Shoes are only found in select stores and Skate shops. Killer style blended with excellent function makes these shoes a constant top choice for skaters around the world. They make great skate shoes for serious skateboarding.

Jamie Thomas has been skateboarding since the age of 11 and got his start in the industry after moving to Southern California and filming for Laban Pheidas company "Invisible" back in the day.

Fallen footwear's 1st full-length skate video, is "Ride the Sky," and is due out in the Spring of 2008. Be sure to check it out and enjoy the Fallen skate team rip it up. Next time you're out looking for new footwear be sure to check out Fallen.

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The Changing of a Shoe – The Skateboard Shoe

August 17th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Remember when skateboarding was just another trend and our parents wished it would just go away? I do. And, skateboarding didn't go away. Now the activity is as much a part of American popular culture as baseball and football. When I was an adolescent and skating just hit my town, me and my friends would go skateboarding every day after school. During those days, there was not a lot of marketing surrounding the fade. Because of that, we just had our skateboards and that's all anyone cared about. Of course, that has all changed. Now, there are lines of clothes and shoes for every taste.

When I first started skate boarding footwear wasn't really a concern. I'd just strap on any old pair of casual shoes I had laying around. Some of my friends would even skate in their sandals or boots, I always thought they were crazy. Of course, there weren't any real choices then. As the years passed by several types of shoes specifically made for skateboarding have since come and gone and now we have several types to choose from.

For a long time I used canvas shoes. This may have been in part, due to the fact that I used to play a lot of hacky sack. And canvas footwear was the way to go for kicking the bean bag around. And, who wants to think about having to get a separate pair of shoes when you already have a perfectly good pair in the closet. Canvas shoes were good skateboarding shoes in the beginning because all you really needed was a flat sole so your foot would have as much contact space with the board and road as possible. But as skateboarding grew and became increasingly more popular people started doing new things on their boards. People started to skate on half pipes, empty swimming pools and constructed skate parks. As the diversity of the activity expanded the shoe need to do the same. Now the canvas shoe began to show some weaknesses. The first thing that begins to be seen is the obvious wear. Because of the tricks done with the skateboard the canvas begins to wear down on the outside of the foot around the small toe and the outer ridge of the foot. This may be the first flaw noticed with the canvas shoes, partly because it is visually noticed. The second major issue with canvas footwear is the lack of support provided, not always noticed right away because it come with time. A good skate shoe needs to provide ankle support while still allowing for full mobility. Most canvas shoes don't have aches in the sole or heal support. For the most part the shoe is just a sole, some canvas, and shoes strings.

The solution to this came along in the form of a low cut shoe with ache support, reinforced heal and toe, suede shoe leather and a thick sole. Because skateboarding has become such a diverse activity the shoe needed for it had to become more suitable for the activity.

Skateboarding past through being a fad or a trend. The activity has become a household word and is quite often some ones hobby within the household. I still think about picking up skateboard and strapping on good skate shoes and hitting the streets. Perhaps, I'll see you out there.

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Skate Shoes – DC Shoes 2008 Winter Collection

August 13th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

DC has some great new skate shoes for the coming 2008 holiday season! I'm going to give a brief run down of the new series and let you in on which ones are my favorites and why.

The winter collection has 11 killer new shoes to chose from. Some with a more old school look and feel to them. Super Suede seems to be the material of choice. Along with light materials, bold color combinations and simple clean graphics. The collection has a number of mid- hi tops like the Mantrca 3 MID s. Overall some really cool shoes to choose from and probably has something for every skater.

Now, without hesitation here are my favorite picks from the new 2008 DC Shoes Winter Series!

GALLANT S SE This is the long awaited new signature shoe series from DC and Plan B pro Ryan Gallant. They come is a striking light blue color and feature Super Suede Plus, which is a super re enforced suede that while tough keeps a great look and feel. They of course come with a lot of the great features you would expect from DC breathable materials,foam padded collar and elastic tongue holders. I realy love these shoes for the great color and supreme grip sole.

PREMIER S This is a serious skate shoe and my favorite from this new collection. The Premier S features clean graphics, awesome colors a TPR toe guard and an innovative, shock absorption heel airbag system.

These shoes are on the cutting edge of what's on the market today.

MANTECA 3 M S These for me are all about the color and style. They have a killer retro mid hi look and come in some sick color combos such as Black and Gold and Blue and Orange. A scratch and tear resistant sticky sole, elastic tongue holders and reinforced upper makes them a fuctional skate shoe and not just a good looking one!

SMITH 2.0 SSE Check out the newest shoe series from pro skater Ryan Smith. These shoes have a sort of matte fadded suade look and come in all one solid color. Black or Dark Chocolate. Both are very nice. Like most of Dc's Shoes the Smith 2.0 SSE feature excellent cupsole construction, foam padded tongue and collar along with awesome grip and flex. If you want a smooth, classy look then these are the skate shoes for you.

Well that about wraps it up for my review of the New DC Winter line for men. I think its a great series with something to match all your skating needs.

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How To Choose The Best Skateboarding Shoes For A Great Skateboard Experience

August 13th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Skateboarding is one of the United States most famous sports today. Many years have already passed and those who thought it wouldnt last were wrong and the others were right. Even though skateboarding is nice it is dangerous as well. You should be careful when you start riding a skateboard.

Skateboarding is going to be a good thing for years to come because it only requires a skateboard and a paved surface. For safety many skateboarders wear pads and helmets but many do not and therefore they get hurt.

Many people would think that any sport shoes would go good for skateboarding. This however is wrong; when you skateboard you need ankle protection and foot protection so you are going to need a good sturdy shoe.

When you are buying skate shoes you need to be aware of a couple of things including grip fit and protection.

The most important thing right now is protection over the boarder. The shoes have to be able to withstand a lot of force and should be flexible to meet the boarders standards. Skateboarding shoes should give protection and should have a lot of grip for the boarder and board.

Just like any other type of shoe skateboarding shoes should feel good on your feet. They should give you stability and should feel good on the heels and sole of your foot. Shoes that dont provide a comfort will cause blisters and sores on your feet and will cause you to not be able to skateboard for a certain amount of time.

Skateboarding shoes need special laces that dont rip apart very easy. A normal pair of shoe laces would rip off after probably an hour of continuous skateboarding with a good skateboarder. These laces should be more durable than other types of shoelaces because of the grip on a skateboard is made if sandpaper. So they will just simply shred when a good rider does his tricks all day everyday.

The skateboarding shoes grip should be able to grip to the board good so that the rider can do as he wants and doesnt lose the board. Shoes that the rider isnt used to might cause him to slip off as well with shoes that are brand new and just dont have any grip at all. The sole of the shoe should provide the foot to be able to grip the shoe to give the boarder room to do his tricks.

Even though some of these types of skateboarding shoes are expensive and pricey they are the only type of shoe for the job of skateboarding. If you do not have a pair of skateboarding shoes and you skateboard you need to get a pair before you hurt yourself.

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Element Skate Boards – A Brief History

August 6th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

The Element Skate Boards company was created in 1992 by Johnny Schilereff. Coming from a troubled childhood, he aspired to develop a company that intertwined his passion for skateboarding with a positive influence on today's youth. The company was started when Johnny was given the opportunity to take over the failing company, Underworld Element, for which he was currently employed. He viewed the opportunity, as his chance to turn his dream into a reality. With consistent, positive, hard work, he turned the failing company around, and made it what it is today.

Element skate boards are now carried by dealers all around the globe. The products can be found at nearly any skateshop in the United States. There is even Element stores with locations in Honolulu, New York, and even Sydney, Australia. The company has developed many products beyond just skateboards. They have a clothing line for both males and females, a shoe line, and an array of various specialty products. Many products are available from various dealers online, as well. The company has even created a website exclusively for girls, with the entire site being dedicated more to the fashion of the skateboarding life style rather than the skating itself.

Since becoming one of the top companies in the skateboarding industry, Element has created the Element Advocates. The group is made up of people that have the passion for skateboarding, and the positive attitude to mentor the younger generations of the world. Along with being a positive influence to kids across the United States, the group aims to spread the knowledge and meaning of the skateboarding community to the rest of the world, in hopes of developing a greater understanding of the skateboarding life style.

In coalition with the YMCA, Element Skate Boards has created a skate camp for the youths of America. The camps run through the summer months, lasting an average of five days per session. The camp gives children the opportunity to meet some of skateboarding's biggest names. The children are also taught tips and tricks to improve their skate boarding skills. They are given use of top of the line facilities, and are able to make new friends who share the same interests and hobbies. The only requirements for the camp are that the kids are between the ages of eight and seventeen, and must have all their own personal supplies and skating equipment, including safety gear.

Element skate boards also sponsors a wide variety of events throughout the year. With concerts, skate tours, team signings, barbeque contests, and skate demos being presented over the next few months alone, it is obvious that this company is doing its best to give communities a safe, healthy, and entertaining form of socialization....which is what the skateboarding world is all about.

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Buying Skateboard Accessories

August 6th, 2008 Posted in SkateShoe Tips No Comments »

Accessories are essential to complete any sports gear. Numerous skateboard accessories are available at online stores and in market which not only enhance your skateboarding experience but also help in protecting you from injuries. Skateboard accessories also help in making the skateboards attractive. The funky skateboard clothing is very popular amongst skateboarders. Some skateboard accessories are optional while it is important to buy others. Lots of top brands are manufacturing and marketing skateboard accessories at affordable and competitive prices. Here are some accessories which are really popular:

Skateboard Logos and Decals: The logos and decals are used extensively by skateboarders for decorating their skateboards. Skateboard logos and decals are available in various shapes, sizes, and colors and these can be placed anywhere on the skateboard. You can also go for customized designs to suit your personality. Some of the leading brands that offer skateboard logos are Baker, Alien Workshop, Black Label, Bones, Destructo, etc.

Protective Gear: A protective gear is mandatory to protect you from minor injuries and accidents. Whenever you go out for skateboarding, do take care that you are never without your protective gear. A skateboard safety gear includes ankle brace, skateboarding gloves, skateboarding helmet and skateboarding pads. The protective gear is helpful in case of falls and helps in protecting a skater from cuts, bruises, sprains, and abrasions.

Skateboard Apparel: Dressing up in proper skateboard clothing is essential to enjoy skateboarding comfortably. It is also a style statement in itself to dress up in funky skateboard clothing. You can impress your friends and other skateboarders with your colorful skateboard apparel. Skateboard apparel comprises skateboarding hats, T-shirts, jackets, sweat shirts, shorts, trousers, etc. Various top brands like Alien Workshop, Fourstar, World Industries, Habitat and many more manufacturers appealing apparel for skateboarders.

Skateboard Maintenance Accessories: Maintenance of a skateboard is equally important to enjoy a safe and smooth ride. Periodic maintenance of skateboard is essential for optimum performance. Various skateboard maintenance kits and accessories are available to help you in maintaining your skateboard. Some of these are skate tools, skateboard bearing lube, skateboard rails and skateboard wax. Skate tools can be used to replace the non working or worn out components of your skateboard. Bearing lube can be used for cleaning and lubricating the bearings whereas skateboard wax can be used for lubrication purposes.

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