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.

Since the release of QUIK, everyone has viewed Habitat Footwear in a completely different light and have been giving them the admiration & respect they deserve. Their team consists of some of the most talented skateboarders to ever exist so in all likelihood, they should have shoes that can keep up with their pro's standards. These Austyn's certainly delivered that message, amongst other things.

Habitat Austyn after 15 hours of review.

If you're looking to try Habitat Austyn's, expect a number of elements to help your skating instead of hinder it. Personally, we enjoyed how Habitat Footwear was willing to manipulate & test out this "Oiled Suede" they used on the popular Black and Grey colorway. Testing different oils can go either way in the footwear industry but somehow Habitat seemed to get the correct formula to make the Austyn work. Even during testing, as said by Larry himself, it was a bit slippery at first but quickly converts into a grippy & durable suede. Without a doubt, the oiled suede extends the durability by far but does take some adjusting.

Habitat Austyn's Toe after countless sessions.

 
For anyone expecting the sides to blow out, you have every right to be concerned. This was one of our concerns too during review but after a word with Habitat footwear designers, we found out that the side stitching has been strongly reinforced. Fuck yes. Even if they hadn't told us, we found out the best way, by shredding them. The side stitching did tend to open up a bit but nothing too crazy to blow out the shoe.

If you didn't get it from the video, the shoe really does mold perfectly to your foot. It's made skating in the Austyn's a pleasure. It'll easily conform to any type of skating you put it through because of how flexible it is. The style of the shoe is something that not everyone can pull off but for those that can, they'll enjoy the hell out of it. The signature Habitat outsole held up plenty good and had just the right amount of boardfeel needed. That PU insole is a thing of beauty; anything else would've had us bummed, sore and icing our feet after a long session.

Outsole wear after 15 hours.

Possibly the best thing about the Habitat Austyn's is its reasonable price point. While everyone else is going broke paying $80 & up, the Austyn's are priced at an affordable $65. It's affordable, durable and stylish as the man himself. If you're looking to try these out, get to a local skate shoe & try them on yourself. If your local skate shop doesn't have em', do the next best thing and check out our boys over at BH for a great deal.

You broke? Parent's ain't budging to give you money? Check back Tuesday for details on our Habitat giveaway and get a chance to get these Austyn's for free.

Vimeo version.