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A shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body, and has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and climatic conditions. Together with the proprioceptive system, it is what makes possible balance and ambulation.

Most of the time there have been people, most people have not worn shoes. Until recent years, shoes were not worn by most of the world's population—largely because they could not afford them. Only with the advent of mass production, making available for the first time the cheap flip-flop-type sandal, for example, has shoe-wearing become predominant.

Appearance and design have varied enormously through time, and from culture to culture. They may, for example, have very high heels or no heels at all. Contemporary footwear varies in style, complexity and cost, from the most basic sandal, via high fashion shoes for women sometimes costing thousands of dollars a pair, through to complex boots specially designed for mountaineering or skiing. Shoes have traditionally been made from leather, wood or canvas, but are increasingly made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical-derived materials.

Skate Shoes[]

Skate shoes are shoes specially designed and manufactured for use in skateboarding. While many non-skaters choose to wear skate shoes, the design of the skate shoe includes many features designed for use in skating. These features almost invariably include a flat sole made of rubber or polyurethane, a suede or leather composition, and double or triple stitching.

Features[]

Skate shoe companies have integrated a number of special features into their shoes. These innovations have a number of functions including preventing heel bruises, increasing "board Feel" through increased flexibility, and enhancing grip.

These include but are not limited to:

  • Cup Soles
  • Vulcanized rubber soles
  • Air pockets in the heels
  • Shoelace protectors
  • DGT (DC Shoes)
  • Super Suede (DC Shoes)
  • System G2 Cushioning (etnies, Emerica, éS)[1]
  • STI foam (etnies, Emerica, éS)[2]
  • Lace Loops that "hide" shoelaces
  • 'Action Leather'
  • Thermoplastic Toe Box Reinforcement(Vox)
  • EVA Mid Sole
  • Fusion Grip Rubber Outsole
  • Asymmetric stabilizer
  • Silicon Rubber makes shoes last longer(SiRC)
  • Stash Pockets (under sole) (DVS)

Many features of the Skate Shoe are designed to increase its durability. The Skate Shoe is subjected to the abrasiveness of a skateboard's grip tape on a regular basis when worn by skaters. This is why skaters tend to go through shoes quickly. Super Suede, Action Leather, and plastic underlying the toe cap help to increase the durability of a skate shoe. Lace loops and protectors are designed to prevent laces from shredding by shielding the most common areas that contact with grip tape.

Other common features include: Triple stitching with thicker treads to prevent ripping, more width so that there is more contact with the board with thicker tongues and sides to compensate, and deep sole patterns for grip.

Skate shoe brands[]

.Quicksilver

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