Hard On Shoes:
So far, while relearning to skateboard I have completely burned out a pair of Sketchers, very nearly ruined a pair of New Balance running shoes, and almost destroyed a pair of Airwalk skate shoes. It’s no secret – skateboarding is freaking hard on shoes. It’s mainly from your feet rubbing up and down on the grip tape while attempting tricks (imagine constantly rubbing sandpaper on your shoes a few hours every day). For my most recent pair, I grabbed some Airwalks at a local Payless Store. After burning through the other two I felt like I needed a proper pair of skate shoes, but I didn’t want to drop $60 quite yet. I remembered Airwalks from when I used to skate back in the 80’s and 90’s. Even then, I knew the quality and durability was certainly below the more expensive brands, but hey, they’ll do in a pinch – and the price was right. I’ve always referred to Airwalk as “the poor man’s Van’s”. Anyway, I burned some pretty decent holes in these a lot faster than I expected. I tried the good old fashioned Duct Tape method – wrapping it around the front and side of the shoes. This was fairly effective, but I had to replace it every few days and it’s a bit messy to work with too (leaves a sticky residue all over).
Re-acquainted With That Wonderful Goo:
I found myself remembering a great product they had back in the 80’s and 90’s called Shoe Goo. I remember using it with great results back then. This led me to do an internet search, and sure enough, the product still exists today. How can I describe it – it’s basically like model builders glue but a tad thicker, and is more flexible when it dries. You put it on your shoes, filling in the holes and ripped areas, and any other areas you want to rebuild or protect, then leave it to dry for about 24 hours. It dries to a very hard rubbery consistency that is solid enough to stand up to some serious grip tape punishment. One application lasted a couple of weeks as opposed to the duct tape every few days. A 1oz. tube lasts for about 3.5 applications – so do the math and you end up with a few more months on those ripped up Airwalks. It certainly isn’t pretty – in fact it’s downright ugly, but it works great! Here’s a shot of my shoes with a fresh application.
Shoe Goo application on a my pair of Airwalk skate shoes. It ain’t pretty, but it does the job. Gives them a few months of extended life.
Back On Board 