As much as it saddens us to move from our blogger page, it's for the better.
 


Thanks for all the support everyone.
If you want to keep updated with us, just visit www.RippedLaces.com

If you haven't heard by now, Gravis shit the bed.

Well, kinda. 

Fallen Capitol results for weeks 1 to 4 from top to bottom.

       
This year has been an awaking of sorts for select shoe brands. After carefully thinking about this year, we've realized that those pros who have stayed loyal to the game but underground at the same time are finally getting the recognition they deserve. We're talking about the likes of Joey Pepper & Jack Curtin more specifically. People have been waiting for both of them to get a shoe for some time now & thankfully they are. Each of these guys have fallen into that category of "Why the fuck isn't he getting a shoe?".

We're looking to skate the HUF Pepper in the future but for now we'd like to concentrate on Jack Curtin's pro model, the Capitol. We got the chance to try out the Capitol from Fallen footwear & it surprised us more than we expected. With any vulcanized shoe, you have your premonitions about it and sort of set yourself up for disappointment because of it's expected short life span. We're so glad this wasn't the case with Jack's shoe. Throughout the review, you'll hear us reference the Capitol as a "superior vulcanized model" and by the end of it you won't even think about arguing with that statement. For such a thin shoe, it delivered some huge results.

Putting these reviews out is no simple task. It takes diligence, time and long amounts of skating. If you think our responsibilities are strenuous then imagine the hard work and dedication it must take to be a pro. While reviewing the Capitol, we felt the need to get in touch with Jack and pick his brain about all that he has coming up. From what he told us here, none of it sounds easy. In fact, it makes our lives seem like a walk in the park. He let us in on everything from working on his 2nd pro model to other video projects he's working on and a bunch more. The only thing we forgot to ask him was how it felt to get the thumbs up from Henry Sanchez. That must be the best feeling ever.


Jack, what's good with the DGK video? When is it set to come out & how's it going right now?

This skate shoe essential has seen every kind of change & collaboration possible & it keeps getting better with this latest rendition. After 20 years, the Half Cab is now enduring another change reminiscent of its original cutting of the collar. It's now slimmer, lighter and equally as flexible. This take on the legendary shoe is called the "Cab Lite" & it's everything you'd think & more.

If you were ever committed to Half Cabs before, this new slimmed down version is going to re-ignite your love for the shoe even more. The Cab Lite has some obvious differences than its forerunner but it still stays true in its silhouette and outsole design. The main differences that you should be looking forward to are the one piece suede toe cap over the traditional paneled toe and its newly slimmed design. Comparatively, it's night and day between the two shoes. The Cab Lite really is light as hell and you'll immediately feel the difference.

The Cab Lite's are already going through the review process.
We'll have more than enough info on them to come.

For now though, just know the following:

•  When walking in them, you'll feel the awesome-ness of the waffle sole. They feel as though they're broken-in just because of how comfortable it feels. Once you step on the board, that all changes. It'll take some more break-in time for the suede and additional fabric to break-in.

• They feel great in a half size smaller. Every now and then, the Cab Lite will feel snug but overall will stretch over time.

Expect for the review to be out soon.

Alley oop grinds are hard. Essentially, it's just wrong, which is also why they're cool. In the case of this trick, the same rules from high school apply here people.

The Austyn from Habitat Footwear has been one of the more highly anticipated pro models of the year. The demand of the shoe hasn't necessarily been from a promise of groundbreaking technology or a unique take on an already popular silhouette but because of the phenomenal year Austyn Gillette has been having. Much of it has to do with his stellar performance on the board, but what really brought him into heavy pro contention was his QUIK part that was released by the Berrics in collaboration with Quiksilver.

HUF 1984, week 1 to week 4. The end result of 20 hours.

Much like getting a woman to climax, finding a top performance paneled toe to skate is damn near impossible. They are becoming a thing of myth but once in a while, we're intrigued by a few models that catch our attention. As with pleasing women in the sack, these encounters don't happen to often but when they do, we're never going to forget the experience. This HUF 1984 review is clearly that special & its performance during this review will reflect just that. The HUF brand hasn't had a review on RL's in quite sometime & that's a damn shame. Since our last review with HUF, they've rapidly become a staple of every skate shop & boutique worldwide. Ever improving, they also introduced a refreshing team with the likes of Joey Pepper, "Team Handsome" soon-to-be-inductee Brad Cromer & hopefully Jimmy McDonald soon! We've been seeing you skate em' Jimmy.

 With all this momentum, our expectations are high for HUF as they introduce Joey Pepper's pro model in the coming year & continue their global take over. More on that shoe soon, for now, check out their most technical model to date, the 1984.

Interrupting someone while they're putting their blood, sweat and tears into design is never a proper way to start up a conversation. Sure enough though, that's how we managed to get a couple of words in with Fallen footwear designer, Nick Pappas. While having him on the phone, we talked about Fallen's new brand direction and more about this leaked photo from his instagram, the Porter.

Scouring the internet for our daily dose of content has taken a turn for the worse. After innocently checking out Thrasher's latest coverage of KOTR featuring the Creature team and also watching the Krooked vs Kolorado video, we've come to the assumption, if not certifiable fact, that VOX might be on its way out.

"Ripped Laces recommends" is all about highlighting a shoes performance and feel without going through a lengthy, annoying & technical read. It's all about giving you the facts, straight up. This section is mainly dedicated to those shoes we absolutely love to skate on our off time of doing reviews. Now, we'll accept the notion that this sounds fucking ridiculous because: why would anyone need to skate another shoe when you're already reviewing one? The truth of the matter is, sometimes we don't want to collect data & just want to skate a shoe aimlessly and enjoy ourselves, you know....how we use to before we started reviewing & critiquing shoes. You must be thinking "Those poor bastards" & we're glad you don't have to know our pain.

Click to enlarge, then "Right click" and select "View Image" for an even larger photo.

 
Since leaving you off with the sneak peek, we've been dissecting these detailed photos of the upcoming Reynolds shoe obsessively. Emerica has put together their best efforts to give Andrew exactly what he wanted in a shoe and it most definitely shows. Working side by side with Emerica's primary footwear designer August Benzien, Andrew has given just as much of himself in his latest shoe than he ever has before. After meeting up with August, he let us in on every detail there is about the new Reynolds from Emerica.

The Emerica Reynolds has finally been posted to the internet and has already created a ton of buzz. While it's only been a number of hours, there already is an uproar between those who love it & those who are apprehensive. The truth of the matter is that we do understand both sides of the argument.

This Fallen Capitol review is happening because of the overwhelming requests that we've received from you, the reader, via e-mail, social media & so forth. Don't take all the credit though because our curiosity for Fallen footwear has grown since reviewing the Tom Asta shoe earlier this year. The brand that once pigeonholed themselves in their "gnar-hesh-rail-chomper" imagery have since steered clear of that direction in search of a larger & diverse audience. Many can say what they want but since the addition of Jack Curtin & the loss of Chris Cole, Fallen is certainly finding their new following & it seems to be a loyal, conscious & alert one.

Kubota holding a rare pair of Senix MV's.

When we weren't drooling over Kubota's hard work, we were questioning him about it. During this Q&A, we noticed our infatuation with the Fall '12 collection was growing stronger & stronger with every photo. While shooting these photos, I did have a moment of enlightenment. You really start to realize what we've taken for granted for so long was finally out of reach. More than just showcasing this Fall '12 collection, I hope this "Collectors Stash" will serve as an awakening reminder to support those brands you truly love & to reinforce why you should stand behind them.
Enjoy.

A man & his collection. Thanks again Mike K.

By now we could've given up the good fight & stop trying to track down any eS related gems but we're pretty screwed up in the head. Call it brand dedication or just plain old obsession but we just can't let eS' relevancy fade out so quickly. After 16 years in business, no one should forget a brand that made skate shoes specifically for skateboarders. With all the events that have passed, there really isn't any mystery as to why our beloved company went out of business but you can't help but wonder if eS could ever comeback today or even three years from now. The skateboard market is as saturated, commercialized & trending as ever and with those reasons alone, we've answered our own question.

"Why dey have to push the SPV when all we wanted was dem O.G. Rowley's?" - Jada

If you haven't been following us on da gram', we're currently out & on the side lines with a fucked back spasm. It's lame but we're finally getting to some overdue work & emails we've been slacking on. Speaking of which, we've had this Rowley photo for about 2-3 weeks now. What the fuck is wrong with us? It most definitely should've been posted a while back but seeing as how we've been preoccupied with tons of shit, here it is. Now that this photo is out, one question comes to mind: Why is this Rowley reissue coming out in 2013?

We stole this from our own Instagram. That should say something about our work ethic.

By now you know that we feature up to two reviews every month. With the Flauge lace protector review debuting on the first of the month, we're starting to wonder what review we should schedule next? What would you like to see? Most of the time we'll take your feedback into consideration but there are instances where we personify a young dictator & get all 'Stalin' about what's next to come. To follow the consensus of every skater with a brain, we've been feeling cupsoles lately. There's been some heavy consideration on getting a youngin to do vulc reviews for us soon. Could that be you?

It's clear as day that Etnies is on top of their game. If you don't think so, here's your reality check. They've got an amazing amount of materials, technology & models coming up for 2013 that we absolutely cannot wait to cover. If you've been following our coverage, you'll know that every guy & girl is already creaming their pants for the new Sheckler shoe that's scheduled to release for Fall '13. As much as we're looking forward to it, we can't let some other models fall beneath it's popular shadow.

Flauge Lace Protectors after 2 hours of skating. (additional photos below)

The Axis from Gravis footwear.

    
While every footwear brand has recently traded in some of their vulcanized shoes for an army of cupsoles, Gravis seems to have missed the memo. It's really not a big deal but considering how "trendy" cupsoles have become, we just thought the most "trendy" brand of them all would be on board with a variety of cupsoles in their arsenal. Don't be mistaken, they've absolutely tried in the past. Gravis early on had Arto's Viking shoe, both in a high & low but since then nothing has surfaced. While checking out their product for 2013, we saw quality travel bags, a bottle of Hennessy & a cupsole. We nearly shat ourselves…a cupsole? I expected the Hennessy more than I did a cupsole. All things aside though, we've been hyping this model up as if it were Jake Johnson's pro shoe even though it technically isn't but with all things considered, it might as well be. He won't be caught in those damn club shoes.

RippedLaces Arto Review from Jeremy on Vimeo.

BA's in all White.

     
1 in every 20 skateboarders were smart enough to save a collection of their beloved skate shoes or decks from their youth. As simple as the task may sound, it's in our natural instinct to unfortunately destroy something we love instead of thinking it over for a sec & saying "Shit, this might be worth something one day". Featured today is a homie of ours who did just that. His alias on Instagram is Chocolate_Gears & he was nice enough to show us his collection of Savier footwear he's been saving up over the past few years. If you're unfamiliar with Savier, they were Nikes second attempt to penetrate the skateboarding market & died out after less than three years. Their first attempt was with Bam. For more on Savier, their ad's & more, check out skately's bio page on them.

The new Ka-One Vulc, due out SP '13.

Converse has been going through some massive fucking changes. The recent resurgence of the brand is thanks to some re-organizing of ambassadors and priorities on the brand side of things. After all, there was a huge drop in popularity after a lack of marketing on behalf of select members of their illustrious team. They simply weren't getting enough coverage and as a result, it left most of us, if not all, disappointed = Translation: We needed more Fowler 360 flips footage. With the recent addition of Jason Jessee & Mike Anderson, the momentum that Converse once had should resurface, if not double, so long as those dudes put out some quality footage or a full length video somewhere down the line. As for now, Converse does seem stronger than ever especially after announcing to us that they are strictly a skateboarding brand. All of their endorsed athletes from their Basketball history have since found a home with Nike with the exception of Dr. J & now Converse is dedicating their program fully to skateboarders. In few words, that's just fucking awesome.

Our Picks: These two colorways are must buys, whether you skate or not. The Linden on the left & the BB3 is on the right.

After all the debauchery and drinks stop flowing, we can comfortably crawl back to the keyboard and keep you guys up to date with whats to come. As blurry as our memory is, we couldn't forget what we saw at the Lakai booth. This year, there's a sick amount of new styles to look forward to as well as distinguishing colorways to complement each model. In this Brand Sneak Peek, we'll be highlighting one model we're absolutely fired up about and show you the rest of the catalog to feed your need.

DC skateboarding is practically bringing everything they've got to the table with the release of their Spring '13 catalog. We're still waiting on the Nyjah pro model but in the meantime we'll have the chance to be in complete awe of the new Mike Mo pro model, due to release in the Spring of 2013. Mike Mo has been seen in countless places rocking his newly developed pro model, Street League, the B.A.T.B. games & lastly, Walmart just to name a few.

DC's Centric S. Week 1 to Week 4. (top to bottom)

SKATEJAWN VIDJAWN from Skate Jawn on Vimeo.
Last night I missed out on a very impromptu Skate Jawn video premiere. To say the least, I'm bummed but just because I missed out on it doesn't mean you should. Much of my homies can be found fucking shit up in this video and had I not been busy writing reviews, I probably would've tried to get a front nose in this video or something. With the recent uproar of independent film makers, this Skate Jawn video can please everyones musical & skating pallet. It's got everything from The Who to Cam'Ron & anything else you can imagine in it. Watch this & go roll, it's a perfect way to start this week.

Coming this week, The DC Centric S review & coincidentally a blast into the past.

Pros & managers are releasing sneak peeks at an alarming rate on instagram. With that said, expect to see these "insta-gratification" articles more & more each week in case you can't keep up with your insta-feed. Although pros are always likely to promote themselves & their product, this time around it was sole tech's own @Don_Brown who released this photo onto da 'gram. If all goes well & falls into place, we'll be bringing you an exclusive review on this mysterious new pro model that everyone has been talking about down the line. For now, we'll bring you the info that has surfaced due to our investigative journalism & the fact that we're just as pathetically in love with Shecks just as much as this man. Future team handsome inductee anyone?

Flauge Lace Protectors display

While the DC Centric S review is coming out this month, we've had the time to develop an awesome relationship with the shoe for up to three weeks now. It's treated us great in every sense of the word with one exception.

Details about the G6. (click to enlarge)

Originally, this sneak peek was intended to be an "insta-gratification" article but we've got more than just a filtered instagram photo this time around. After some heavy digging through the scary depths of the internet, we bring you this Emerica G6 exclusive sneak peek. From an insiders point of view, suspense has been building up for quite sometime regarding whats next to come from Emerica. After sitting on a reliable set of models like the Reynolds 3, Hsu 1's & more recently, the G-Code, you've definitely asked yourself: Where's that new hot fire from Emerica? 

When asked about his favorite shoe on the board, Michael Bloomberg simply said "Accels baby, Accels."

Admittingly, we've know about this eS eBay store for about two weeks now. It was in our best interest to try & buy everything before posting & promoting it here but we ain't caking' it that hard right now. Unfortunately, RLs came short on the forbes list this year but we'll get em' next year. Surprisingly though, Mexico is on top of their game, while the closest Billionaire in our vicinity is in twentieth place. You think MB has a special place in his heart for nostalgic, limited skateboarding footwear? If so, he needs to come through and invest because I predict a huge turn over for eS memorabilia 5 years down the line. Invest, triple OG OG OG. Btw, seen his pro model yet?

Jake & Sammy - VX is dead from Gravis Footwear on Vimeo.

Skateboarding can't be measured in points. If this was the case, everyone would be doing double or triple kickflips because a regular kickflip would be the lesser of the two, making it lame. What can be measured is the height and degree of difficulty in a certain trick considering the number of obstacles you have to go through just to get that single trick. Jake's back 50 on the Waverly rail is straight up fucked. It's a spot located in Yonkers, NY.

Habitat Footwear Austyn, out for July '12. Waxed Suede Model.

 Austyn Gillette's first pro model is schedule to hit skate shops on the first of July. With the anticipation leading up, we've got an advance pair to test out from Habitat and we plan on giving you a full review by the time they hit skate shops. We've already started skating it and it's nothing but good news so far.

You might be surprised to find this review here. What would the number 1 brand in skateboarding footwear, among other categories like basketball & baseball, need from a shoe review site like us? Nothing. They've got an unchallenged and superior hold on the market that's contributed by their team of designers, resources and talent.

Regardless, whether their products merit review or not, it's been our position, since day one, to review those products that people are weary and/ or skeptical towards purchasing. Consumers & devoted Nike SB connoisseurs were disappointed by Omar's first attempt so this question surfaced: why would they want his second shoe?

Cold method of stretching shoes

   
While reviewing the Nike SB Omar Salazar LR, we stumbled upon one crucial problem that prolonged the reviewing process. The shoe was too tight. Strangely enough our foot grew. Now don't be alarmed. I promise you, we went through puberty a long time ago and I can assure you, this isn't some teenager behind this keyboard. The fact of the matter is that even in our old age, people have experienced growth spurts. It's been proven that long-time smokers and vegan/ vegetarians slow down their full growing process due to their choice of lifestyle. This delay of growth is due to their lack of nutrients & other essential vitamins from leading such diets. Not to get too far off course, we were vegan/ vegetarian for about 9 years. Before this review, we started eating meat & sure as shit our foot grew a half inch larger. With the review already started, we knew we had to finish it but the Omar's were far too tight. During the first week of review, our toes were swollen.

From Week 1 to Week 4.

We've all aspired to skate like Mike Carroll at one time or another. The sad truth is that it'll never happen. The closest we got to feeling like MC was skating & reviewing his latest pro model. Aside from that, Sebo Walker has been making them look more appealing than ever by appearing in every one of his ads with them. This pushed us over the edge & we just had to review them!

The Shifter Low in Dark Brown, coming Winter '12.

With managerial issues on his mind rather than the next hammer he has to film, Heath Kirchart is busier than ever. He's taking on the tasks that few others can handle with a straight face, without clenching his fists & while keeping his cool demeanor. Dealing with skateboarders is no simple task, (just ask law enforcement) so naturally managing them is hell but with Heath, it seems the other way around. From the countless times we've seen him torture his fellow teammates to the uncomfortable questions he's asked newly added ams, it seems as though the team has more to worry about than Heath.

Week 1 to Week 3

It's easy to look over the Fallen team and continue to see that rail chomper image embedded in your head but you should know one thing before continuing to think that way, they're working on it. Fallen has taken a deep initiative to change things up without any fear towards the next step. With rumors of new silhouettes such as a skateable runner, a tech high top & a soccer inspired model coming in the near future, they seem to be taking an initiative to broaden their direction and as a result, their market. Recently, core brands have been getting the reputation of not being able to keep up with the financial capabilities of those companies with larger pockets. This may certainly be the case but the undeniable fact of the matter is that their materials haven't suffered as a consequence. When reading this review, you'll notice our praise for Fallen's new direction, new technology and more so, the durability of the Seventy Six from Tom Asta.

Habitat's catalog was recently published online to share some of the upcoming product that they have for Spring 12. We're going to take it a step further and show you what they have in store for Winter 12.

Let's face it. You could get through life a whole lot easier if you're good looking. This is fact. I know this because I'm behind a keyboard and not on a runway strip ready to strut my stuff for a inconceivable amount of money just for walking. Everyone on Gravis is good looking and that's probably one of the attributes needed to just get on flow. Just sayin ranting... 

 Writing about shoes can get stale at times so it's always good to write something for ourselves every now and then. With that segue out of the way, I can talk about some much needed art that I have been fiending for. Even better, I'm supporting a fellow friend that goes by the name of Dedleg.

At an attempt to reach and appeal to the "Quick Strike" audience that has undeniably taken over skateboarding, Adidas is releasing a special edition Busenitz titled "The Blusenitz". Nothing too original but it's their first go at this (with the Busenitz) so we'll cut them some slack.
It's being released to certain independently owned skate shops and comes with a limited edition sticker pack with each purchase. As far as the colorway goes, it's nothing to go crazy about. Seeing this special addition colorway actually gives me a new found respect for the quick strike team over at Nike SB. It certainly can't be that easy to come up with colorways and catchy names to match.


I mean, what would this colorway be dubbed..? Perhaps the macaw? I searched google images for items that were blue & yellow and this was the majority of what showed up. I have no idea what love Dennis Busenitz has for the tropical bird; perhaps their is a back story missing. Whatever the case may be, if you're interested in these at all, be sure to call your local skate shop and ask if their one of the lucky ones getting them. They're due to be released on 5/1 and Adidas even had Dennis sign a shitload of commemorative soccer balls to shop owners. Truthfully though, with my experience, I've noticed most shop owners don't give a shit about this kind of memorabilia so if you're not too timid or at least a friend of the shop, try and negotiate a couple of more bucks to get your hands on that ball. It could go for big bucks on eBay.

Today's post was meant to be about Half Cabs. I can't say to what degree but it's about Half Cabs. Turns out this simple post turned into a chaotic, lengthy article and will be postponed until further notice. On the other hand, we still come bearing gifts. We can't leave you completely unfulfilled, it's just not in our nature, so with that said...enjoy.

Thanks Ryan Gee for providing this photo.

Working hard at the RL's offices.

Normally we had a stronghold over keeping this blog updated on an every other day basis. If not that, we would at least do about 2-4 posts a week.

Well, blame the weather, that & life. Yeah, we hate life....

No worries though, we're coming back with some new material this week. The posts have also taken a break because we've been working on building our website. Anyone who specializes in this medium is more than welcomed to come forth and will be rewarded with as much KFC and old issues of TWS, Thrasher and some Canadian skate magazines I have lying around in storage. Seriously.

This was just an update for you guys who question whether we were dead or not...not yet.

Good news for you & us this Friday,
peace.

Week 1 to Week 4, top to bottom.

Van Half Cab with Steve Cab original artwork. Available Aug '12.

20th Anniversary Half Cabs Detail. Due June '12.

Kerry's first ad for Habitat Footwear. Available Summer '12.

The "Choice" in Brown/Blk & Navy/Tan. The "Clarence" in Military/Brown.

                  IT'S VALENTIMES!




Here's to hoping your day goes less like this:




and more like this:



Huf part 2 sneak peek tomorrow
<3 Ashley-tron