Can You Skate In Converse Shoe (Answered In Details)

Regular shoes typically don’t provide the grip, durability, and shock absorbency that skate shoes do. People often get confused over converse shoes among various types of skate shoes.

Due to their distinct shape and style, it has the right potential to become a great skating shoe.

But can you skate in converse? That’s what we are going to unravel today.

Let’s begin.

History Of Converses In Skateboarding

Before we discuss a conversation about skateboarding, let’s peek into the game’s history. So, surfing was the first board sport on earth. After its massive popularity came skateboarding to emulate the feeling of surfing, but this time on land.

Back then, it was barefoot skating, just like it’s done in surfing.

For a better grip and control, skaters quickly started to look for a shoe option and soon came to find converse shoes. Because of the high collar and toe protection, conversations become very popular quickly.

At the time of skateboarding’s rising, in the 1980s, there were already so many great shoes offered by converse that came in very handy for skaters.

Converse shoes started journey at 1923. At that time converse all star was a vintage shoe. At the time ankle patch was added to the shoe. Then came the era of1930. The shoe was modified and took a brand look.

Chuck Tailors signature was added at the time on shoe logo. Then in 1949 black and white all star was designed and shoe laces, toe guards and straps was added to the shoe. In 1967 the lowcut oxford version stepped in the product line and the process of modification & rebranding go on.

Still, it wasn’t until 2009 that converse embraced this massive popularity and decided to go for a skating-focused lineup. From that, it was great sailing for converse shoes in the skating industry with many fans worldwide.

Quality & Compatibility Of Converse Shoes

I think the quality and Compatibility go hand in hand when it comes to converse shoes. Converse has massive popularity within the new generation and has always listened to customers.

As a brand always updating with the newest styles and design trends, that’s no surprise.

But in the skating sector, certain benefits make all the difference for converse. Firstly, all different skate shoe designs like a high top, low top, mid top, or slip-on are manufactured to be compatible with skateboarding.

There are high-quality canvas build, toe bumper, winged tongues, and specially designed insole; everything points towards the highest quality and Compatibility for skateboarding.

Can You Skateboard In Converse Shoes

Enough talk about the converse. Now, let’s move on to the burning question of whether you can skateboard in converse shoes.

Instead of answering it directly, I think the best way to demonstrate the answer is to show you the advantages and disadvantages so you can decide for yourself.

Advantages of converse shoes on a skateboard

• The first advantage that comes to mind when we say converse shoes is their fantastic durability and lightweight build. Despite the durability, it’s commendable how they have managed to keep the weight low. The lightweight allows for better breathability, movement, and speed.
• Next, we have the rubber toe cups. In different types of skating, especially in tricks, toes are crucial, and they can easily get hurt without strong toe caps. In that regard, converse shoes have strong stitching and rubber in the toe area to help you out.
• Converse shoes are not only about the material. Converse has put special focus on the traction rubber outsole too. The vulcanizing rubber outsole gives you the utmost comfortability and control for long skating sessions.
• Did you know converse shoes come in different designs? People often believe that converses only come in high and low top. Actually, there are many designs to choose from, like mid-top, slip-on, platform, etc.
• Customizability is a big plus for converse shoes. Skateboarding is a way of representing your style. Different skateboard manufacturers offer customization options, and now you can design your shoes to match the style.
• Many of you guys might not notice it, but converse shoes also excel in stitching with double or triple stitching. Stitching does the job of holding everything together, giving converse a clear upper hand.

Disadvantages of skate shoes in skateboarding

Despite tons of advantages of converse shoes, there are still a few drawbacks to keep in mind. While they shouldn’t be deal-breakers, you should know to make a better decision.

Despite the comfortability of converses, they often result in slightly unstable edges, resulting in less ankle support.

Also, due to the thin construction, converse shoes can wear out with extensive ollie and flip trick sessions.

Features That Make A Skate Shoe Great

Skate shoes are not easy to decide on. Why? Because there are a lot of things that skaters need to think about. Breathability, comfort, durability, and so many other things come into play that makes a skate shoe good.

Below we’ll discuss some characteristics that’ll help us decide whether converses are good for skateboarding.

Shoe Sole

The first thing that a good skate shoe need is a durable sole. The sole basically provides the necessary durability for the shoes. Typically, all the soles are made of rubber, and it has a decent among of durability to offer.

But in terms of sole types, there are two variations, cup sole, and vulcanized soles. Both offer different board feel and durability.

• Cup sole

As the name suggests, cup soles have all the necessary cushioning in a rubber cup. In addition, they usually have multiple layers, so there is more durability and widespread position on the board.

However, that also decreases the flexibility and the board feel.

• Vulcanized sole

Vulcanized shoes fall a bit short in terms of durability or impact resistance.

However, due to thinner construction, they offer a better board feel and extreme flexibility. They are also cheaper than cup sole skate shoes.

Durability And Flexibility

There is no doubt that skating is a demanding sport, especially on your shoes. No matter how good your shoes are, they will eventually wear off after months of use.

However, to ensure it doesn’t happen before that, pick something with the perfect blend of durability and flexibility. Both qualities are essential for skate shoes.

Padding

Though material mostly decides the protection you will get from the shoes, paddings are equally important to protect your feet from bruises or injuries.

They also play a part in the comfortability sector too, Make sure you avoid skates shoes with thin paddings with air pockets.

Material

Materials play a big role in deciding whether the shoe will last long or be compatible with the skating you will do. That’s why considering the material is super important.

Usually, skates shoes are made of three materials, canvas, suede, and leather.

• Canvas

While canvas might look good or lightweight, they are not ideal for its thin construction. In addition, canvas highly lacks the toe and ankle support required for extensive skating.

While the breathability is an advantage, canvas has low impact resistance and can start ripping after a few sessions.

• Suede

Most skateboarders will agree that suede is the best material for skate shoes. This material is durable and flexible, and all the necessary qualities are also present.

In addition, suede skate shoes are usually pretty cheap, and even if it rips, you can easily fix them. The only drawback is that the suede gets dirty easily and lacks ventilation.

• Leather

Leather is more of a luxurious material for skaters with more budget. As leather skate shoes are not available as suede shoes, they lack in terms of design variations.

However, the protection is top-notch, especially on the ankle part.

Ankle Support

Skating is a very demanding sport for your feet, especially ankles. So, good skate shoes must have excellent ankle support to provide relief. Without good ankle support, you can easily get stiff, weak, or sore ankles.

Moreover, ensure the ankle supports don’t obstruct your range of motion.

Shoe Styles

There are various skate shoe styles available on the market. While all of them are compatible with skating, certain qualities make individual styles great for individual skaters.

These are the three most common skate shoe styles.

• High Top

When we talk about converse shoes, the first style that comes to mind is high tops. This particular style is super stylish, which makes it popular among skaters. There are other practical benefits, too, like better ankle support.

You can also customize a design of your own on the huge surface of a high-top skate shoe.

• Mid-Top

As the name suggests, it’s the perfect middle ground between high and low tops. High tops might not be ideal for skaters, especially with lower heights. This particular style offers just the perfect support for the ankle.

However, mid-top skate shoes are not as available as other styles.

• Low Top

I don’t think low-top skate shoes need any further instruction. Whether it’s style, ankle experience, design, or stability, it has the perfect blend of all the features.

Mostly because of the lower height, low tops have better stability and grip suited for longboards. However, the height takes a toll on the control, which can be an issue for new skaters.

Weight And Stitching

The weight of a skate shoe depends on various factors like material, sole, cushioning, and style. No matter what your preferences are, always make sure your skate shoes are lighter.

Lightweight skate shoes are great for swift movement and offer extensive control. As for the stitching, get a skate shoe with multiple layers of stitching for better joints.

Insole

Insoles might not look very important. But it can create a massive difference in board feel and comfortability. So make sure your shoes have removal insoles. As for the material, make sure it’s thick enough to give you the support and comfort.

In case you need more support, there is always the option to buy insoles separately.

Design

Let’s face it, the designs of your skate shoe won’t affect your or the shoe’s performance. However, a good design can easily boost your confidence in the park and help you represent your style.

So make sure the shoes you choose go well with your skating outfit and skateboard.

Grip And Stability

You can get off the skateboard easily without proper grip and stability. Especially for beginners, it can be e great concern.

Good skate shoes always have enhanced grip, traction, and stability, so that no matter what, you can stay balanced on your skateboard.

Find out how to spot fake converse shoes below.

Does Converse Contain All The Features Mentioned Above?

As you have seen above, there are a lot of features that a god skate shoe needs to have. While some are crucial for skating performance, others are secondary features that help improve the design.

Crucial features like durability, solid material, sole, great design suitable style, stitching, and removable insole are present in converse shoes.

The only thing converses shoe seems to miss a bit of ankle support. However, that issue is easily solvable if you get a high-top converse. Other than that, every feature mentioned above is present in converse shoes.

Checkout Some Best Converse Shoes

Converse Shoes For Women

Best Unisex Converse Shoes

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Last Words

If you want a complete skateboarding experience, skate shoes are an essential part of it. Without proper skating shoes, you can get hurt, feel uncomfortable, and that shoes will wear off pretty quickly.

All this can be avoided with a  good pair of skating shoes like converse. Different skaters prefer different shoes depending on skill, height, and skating.

Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of converse for skating, you can easily decide whether it’ll be a suitable choice for your particular needs.

Related Article:

• Turning Techniques On Skateboard
• Skateboarding In Rain
• Paint For Skateboard
• Do Skateboarding Affect Knee

Source:

• converse.au.com