Ripped Laces Shoe Reviews: The Widow with Alex Figueroa from Ripped Laces Video on Vimeo.

Its the 2nd time that C1RCA has been featured on Ripped Laces and we've got nothing but love for them. They've been backing us since the beginning and that why it's even more of a pleasure to have them be a part of our first video review. This video review is something I've been yearning to do since we first launched and I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by good people who happen to be amazing skaters. My tester, Alex Figueroa, is an OG from the 2nd Nature clan and has been skating like it's his last day on earth since I've met him. He skates fast, eats shit and loves it all.

Testing info:
Alex skated this shoe for approximately 2-3 weeks using our "1 hour-a-day/5-day work week" data system. Assuming that everyone has a job/life and sometimes can only find 1 hour per day to skate, we've compiled the tests to simulate around your work week. Alex went far and beyond our expectations and skated the Widow for 2 hour sessions each day, for 5 days a week. The shoes in the video review are the result of skating for over 20-30 hours/2-3 week test.

C1RCA Widow details:

• Vulcanized skate shoe
• One-piece toe cap with a reinforced ollie toe box for extended durability
• High-grade abrasion suede
• Fusion Grip outsole
• Dura-Lock insole for extra protection featuring a shank heel insert.

Sizing and Style:
The C1RCA Widow by Peter Ramondetta is a true to size skate shoe, so you'll have no trouble picking these out from your local skate shop or conveniently getting them online. The style of the shoe itself is very traditional but, with a twist for more originality. With each C1RCA Widow, you can expect intricate colorways and some new looks that need introducing. The model that Fig' skated in the video is the Black/White Hackey colorway, it seems limited because I haven't been able to find it anywhere online so make sure if you see them to scoop em' quick. The industry has been running with color trends that have been getting a bit old recently so I'm really glad to see these "Drug Rug" Widows.


Sizing grading: True to size
Style grading: 10, It's the simple black and white skate shoe that we all want, with some drug rug detail.



Comfort, Cushion and Support:
As I'll probably say over and over again in this review, the Widow is a simple, put on and go skate shoe. The comfort is that of a slip on, but with light padding and thick suede so you won't have that exposed and scared feeling when the board may comeback to hit your feet after your kickflip has betrayed you. It's simplicity is something that I plan on highlighting because very few shoes can come in such a straight forward package and deliver top performance. Normally, when you compare a shoes feel to that of a slip-on, it can be taken somewhat back-handed, not with these. I mention the fact that they have a slight resemblance to a slip-on to mention it's accommodating insole. This Dura-Lock insole will provide the protection you need throughout the heel and will get slimmer towards your toes. Dura-Lock insoles are on the slim side but offer some advantages as far as arch support and heel support. The heel area is surrounded with a hard plastic, aka "shank", to keep the heel of your insole in place for higher grades of protection from heel bruises and blistering.

Shoe padding grading: 7
Insole grading: 7

Boardfeel and Grip:
This section of the review is going to be easy to explain because as we mentioned before, Fusion Grip has been tested before and impressed us thoroughly. The Widows were skated right out of the box, meaning the boardfeel was their from start to finish, no question about it. The Fusion Grip will obviously stand the test of time and it's durability rates as one of our highest. It's herringbone tread continues to complement the shoes simplicity and classic design.


Boardfeel grading: 10
Grip grading: 10



Durability:
If you check out the video, you'll be just as impressed as I am about the Widows durability. Fig' skated on and off camera for approximately 20-30 hours combined and the shoe was still in one piece. It's durability is credited to it's high abrasion suede throughout the shoe and it's one-piece toe cap. The reinforce ollie patch/toe box is just an added bonus, along with the perforated holes in the toe cap, when slipping on the Widows.

Suede grading: 10
Fusion Grip grading: 9

Summary:
Most of the time, I'm just as worried about a shoes performance before putting it through testing. Vulcanized shoes can only last so long nowadays, which would explain the high pattern in performance cup soles showing up more often. If you're going to continue to want to skate a vulcanized shoe and are looking for the suede and outsole to die out together and not one before the other, I'd recommend the C1RCA Widows. It's a self-explanatory shoe with no gimmicks or bullshit. When you try them on, you'll know if they're for you or not. I'm more than confident to say that they'd last another 2-3 weeks.

Special thanks to Alex Figueroa for skating and testing the Widows for us, Whatdup Fig-adonna!? His interview is coming later in the week. And a major shout out to Mario and Holli over at C1RCA for supporting our testing.

Thanks guys.