Ripped Laces: August 2010

First and Foremost let me apologize for the delay of this review, I recently had a family member pass and really haven't been able to get it together to write this review but I've been checking in on our stats and we have been getting so much love and support from everyone so thank you.

Secondly, I also took the liberty of coming up with a solid system for every review. I'm adding a points system from 1 to 10 based on different categories for each shoe.

Seeing as how I have a full time job and not a lot of time, I tested the Trapasso's an hour everyday, for 5 days, for a month so you can be expecting 4 weeks of The "CONS Trapasso" review. Here's week 1 and 2.
Enjoy!

Week 1

Boardfeel:
The gum sole seems to have thicker padding concentrated in the foot bed section and heel section, making it really helpful for added comfort and impact support. It's not too thick and not to thin, they got it just right. (Photo Below)

Boardfeel Grading: 8

Week 2

Comfort/Support:
A huge feature and staple of the Cons brand is it's "gel-like" memory-foam. They've incorporated it into practically everyone of their shoes, including the Trapasso's. The memory-foam is in the tongue and collar area. Again, helping mold to your foot for added comfort and support. Along with this feature come the "PU Insole with Heel Shank" (Photo Below) for those unwanted heel bruises and a molded heel counter, keeping you foot aligned and in check.

Comfort/Support Grading: 8

The next post will finish off the review of the "CONS Trapasso", it will include reviews for durability, grip and etc. I just need some time to determine how well this shoe ranks in those catagories but please check back for updates and new features on the site including interviews and video.

Silas Baxter Neal just dropped his pro model shoe for Adidas and from what I've seen/heard most people aren't to excited about it...

This shoe specifically has an interesting backround because the overall approach towards a pro shoe is something that describes the pro, all without sacrificing looks, comfort and while still thinking...

"Hey, are these kids going to be into this?"

I personally think Silas Baxter Neal said "Fuck this, Imma do me." Although I couldn't possibly imagine him saying that, I could only imagine how funny it sounds coming from him.

Rather than playing it safe and continuing with the "Pro skater formula" (you know...? All black shoe, with some suddle details and a white sole)(and yes I enjoy it too) but just like the air in the woods that Silas Baxter Neal ventures through daily to catch some fresh water fish, this shoe is a breath of fresh air. This is a new approach towards a pro shoe, all while staying true to himself.

Silas wanted something that he could easily skate a nice gap/handrail in and still reminded him of that fresh water fishing he enjoys so much, just as much as a steezy back tail.

I spent more than 2 weeks with this shoe but did a 4 day review based on all day sessions. The photos ultimately speak for themselves so heres your break down.

Overall look and Durability:

Rubber Sole:
Again, I know that most skaters aren't feeling the look but as far as skating goes it's gets the job done. After awhile of skating, I was feeling the colorway, I got my "Beef and Broccoli" look on real quick.The Silas have that instant break-in feeling with no running or walking necessary. The board feel is good for what most people would think is a bulky shoe and it is pretty grippy as well. This is thanks to the type of rubber cupsole Adidas used. The rubber cupsole is much stranger (in a good way) compared to most skate shoes, it has a hard but flexible rubber. For a shoe with such flexiblity in its sole it has an even better durablity feature. In the photos above, you could easily see that the rubber is holding up considerbly well. Kickflips and all I'd have to say that the suede takes most of the beating, the rubber doesn't even flake at all. The only negative feature of this rubber cupsole is that it's a two piece rubber sole. Meaning, the bottom portion of the shoe and side portion, where most of the flicking will be taking place, are not a whole piece. In a positive outlook it just means that the shoe won't sag over easily but more negatively this means that their is a better chance of the shoe to start talking. (Photos Below)

Suede and Lace Protection:
The suede with the double stitched feature held up pretty well and I could see how Silas was trying to involve the whole "Trail walks and Fishing" idea into the shoe. With the leather laying directly under the suede, It's more or less there, not for looks but for the idea that you'll actually get em' wet from walking down muddy trails and such. The suede has a really smooth finish and sheds away nicely, no large gunks or anything. Although, if you happen to screw up on a couple 360 flips or any other kickflip variations beware, it will probably gouge the very tip of the shoe (Photos Below) but not the side so thats the least of your worries. Adidas tried to promote some lace protection with this shoe, they called it "Recessed Eyelets" which is basically the extra layer of suede before the laces. This suede is not to prevent any abrasion against the laces but to prolong it so you don't have to switch out the laces so quickly but thats bull, the laces ripped in 2 days. Adidas knows that they're going to rip, thats why they give you another pair of cream laces. NICE!

Cushioning:
I've been looking forward to write about the cushioning features for the Silas. I really enjoy some of the different areas of cushioning, especially the "Geofit Collar Lining" which is the extra padding around the ankle area. (Photos Below) This extra padding prevents the annoying effect of your heel falling out of your shoe, either from just kicking down the street or from just walking. Even more importantly, it is made to protect some unforeseen ankle rolling or atleast make it less painful. The insole is nothing fancy, just your typical Adidas rubber insole, nothing different than what you would find in a Campus vulc or Busenitz. Unless you really enjoy looking at the Jason mask design everytime you lace up,(I know I do) I guess thats the only added bonus.

Photobucket

Summary:
I had a really good time skating the Adidas Silas, I have to say though, I had some false pretenses about it when I first started this review. I didn't think it would skate as good as it did and I also thought to myself how risky it was reviewing this shoe. I thought, "Well if people are instantly not feeling it, why review it?" But that in itself was the answer. That's basically what Ripped Laces is all about, about reviewing the shoes that most people want to buy and spend their hard earned money on but just don't know whether it's worth it or not and I had to remind myself of that.

With this just being my 2nd review I did realized this: Some shoes aren't instantly going to be your favorite and this shoe happens to fall into that catagory. This is one of those shoes that you'll skate, hate and throw them in the closet. Months later you'll find them, give em' another try and be like "Wow, I'm a fucking idiot, these are great." and then you'll love em' OR you'll do like I did and realize that good things come in the long haul. It took me 2 days until I really enjoyed the shoe to its full potential and could review it fairly. I hope that the review was as informative as I wanted it to be and if so you'll find yourself looking at that Jason mask before skating soon enough.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

CONS Trapasso

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Ripped Laces on Facebook

Monday, August 9, 2010

Coming Up: Cons "Trapasso"

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Adidas "Silas" shoe review