Skateboarding began in the United States around the 1940s, but the sport really began to take off in the 1970s when pioneering skaters began to ply their trades at the first skate parks. It was at this time that sneaker companies began targeting them and their sport. There are the shoes that have defined the sport over the last 50+ years.
Vans Style 95
The Van Doran Rubber Company began in Anaheim, California in 1966 and Vans soon became among the most revered names in the sport. The Vans Style 95, also called the Vans Era, was designed by iconic skaters Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva when they were still teenagers.
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Chuck Taylor All-Stars were first developed for basketball and then became a casual favorite. But skaters soon realized they had a lot to offer them including fun colors, a grippy sole that hung tight to boards and a toe cap that would protect them if a trick went wrong.
Vans Style 36
This shoe was initially released in 1977 as the Style 36, but it would eventually become recognized as the Old Skool. Vans founder Paul Van Doren was sketching one day and drew what he called a jazz stripe. He would incorporate this into the Style 36 creating an easily recognized brand logo.
Vans Slip-On
The Vans Slip-On could be use for skateboarding but probably shouldn’t be. Still, the shoe stands as an icon in the skating world, thanks in large part to Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli wearing them throughout Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Vans’ sales reportedly doubled after the film was released.
Air Jordan 1
Just because a shoe is iconic in one sport doesn’t mean that it can’t crossover to another. The Air Jordan 1 become very popular in skating circles after Bones Brigade members Tommy Guerrero, Mike McGill, Steve Caballero and Lance Mountain were seen wearing them in a The Search for Animal Chin.
Nike Blazer
The Nike Blazer was released as a basketball shoe in the early 1970s and was worn by the iconic George Gervin. As tricks became more difficult, boarders began to look for more protective high tops and the Blazer was commonly seen at skateparks.
Vans Caballero
World Champion Steve Caballero became an incredibly important figure in the skating world throughout the 1980s. Vans not only made him a signature shoe, they also let him help design it and that would eventually lead to the famed Half Cab.
Etnies Natas
At the same time Vans and Caballero were collaborating on a shoe, new shaking company Etnies was working on a shoe with Lithuanian skater Natas Kaupas. As with Caballero and Vans, Kaupus had plenty of input on his footwear and the shoes became a hit.
Airwalk The One
Airwalk was formed as a company in the mid-80s and would become one of most popular brands in the skating world. The company got so big that Malcolm Gladwell called them out in his book, The Tipping Point. The brand has largely dissapeared, but the name still resonates.
Es Sal 23
Sal Barbier was considered one of the best skateboarders in the world in the early 90s and was known for his technical prowess. Like many skaters of the day, Barbier didn’t feel he had a shoe that met his needs and he helped the Sal 23 merge comfort and performance.
DuFFS
Made by World Industries, DuFF sneakers came on strong in the early 90s with eye-catching shoes and a strong ad campaign. The sneakers became among the most sought after of the era thought the compay would eventually fade away.
Es Accel
The Etnies Accel is considered by many to be the greatest skateboarding shoe of all time. How good was it? So good that Nike sponsored athlete Bam Margera would wear Accel’s with Nike swooshes glued on the sides of them.
Airwalk Jason Lee
Today people know Jason Lee as the guy from Kevin Smith movies or My Name is Earl. But before he became a very successful actor, he was a very successful skateboarder. So big in fact that he signed with major brand Airwalk and had a signature shoe in 1995.
Airwalk Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk has long been acknowledged as the best skater in the world but for many years, he resisted having his own signature shoe, feeling it could come off as corny. Hawk finally relented in the mid 1990s and had a shoe released by Airwalk.
Etnies Sheep Shoes
With high-end skating shoes coming in at a high price point, the makers of Etnies wanted to offer consumers a lower cost option and the Sheep shoes were born. The sneakers didn’t quite make it, though, as high import and materials costs kept them from being too much of a bargain.
Globe Rodney Mullen 1
Iconic Australian skater Rodney Mullen is credited with creating the kickflip and he helped to found the footwear company Globe with his brother Chet Thomas. The company would go on to release several models for both brothers.
Vans Rowley
A star from Liverpool, England, skater Geoff Rowley moved to California in 1994 and was soon at the top of the skate scene. Upon signing with Vans, Rowley had the chance to design his own shoe and said he did it to design the perfect shoe for himself, but plenty others loved it and it became an iconic shoe.
Es Koston
Eric Koston was such a great skater that he was often referred to as the Michael Jordan of the sport. His first signaure shoe with Etnies, the Koston 1, is often considered to be among the best skate shoes of all-time.
Emerica Reynolds
Emerica, short for Etnies America, released their first shoe in 1998 and it was one that considered among the greatest of all time, the Emerica Reynolds. Skater Andrew Reynolds would have 13 signature shoes with the company before leaving in 2019.
Axion Guy Mariano
Axion Shoe company first came out in 1998 and boasted skaters such as Kareem Campbell, Brian Anderson and Gino Iannuci. The team also included Guy Mariano and his signature shoe was considred to be the best of the line.
Es Creager
Etnies released this shoe, backed by technical street skater Rodney Creager in 1998 and it was an immediate hit was skaters. The shoe would become iconic within the industry and just recently had a rerelase from the company in 2023.
Osiris D3 2001
Osiris was founded by a group that included Swedish skater Tony Magnusson in 1996. The D3 shoe was developed by founder Brian Reid and skater Drew Mayhew. Considered to be cuting edge and attractive, the company has sold a ton of pairs.
DC Kalis
A srar in the street skateboarding world, Josh Kalis had prominent partnerships with Alien Workshop and DC Shoe Co. Kalis first shoe, which was released in 2000, was puffy and well padded, making it a good fit for street-style skating.
adidas Busenitz Pro
While they came late to the game, adidas was eager to make a splash in the skating world. The company tabbed star skater Dennis Busenitz to be the first skater to get a signature shoe and the 2006 release is still considered to be an outstanding sneaker.
Supra Skytop
The Supra Skytop was released in 2007 with the backing of skating legend Chad Muska. The sneaker got a huge boost when they were worn by Jay Z. The Skytop easily went past skating circles and was seen on the feet of sneakerheads everywhere.
Nike SB Janoski
Nike had used Dunks and Jordans to make its way into thte skating world but didn’t have a hit shoe until 2009 when the company released the Zoom SB Janoski. Stefan Janoski helped deisgn the shoe with a back-to-basics look that made it an immediate hit.
New Balance Numeric
New Balance came into the skating world way later than many other shoe companies, but they did it smartly with the backing of Andrew Reynolds, Brandon Westgate and Jaime Foy. The initial offering the Numeric, released in 2012, has been a massive hit.
Nike SB Nyjah Pro
Still only 30 years-old, Nyjah Huston is already considered to be on of the greatest skateboarders of all-time. Nike was quick to sign Huston when he was young and his Nyjah Pro, released in 2018 is already considered to be a new classic.