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Project Vulcanized - Vans Geoff Rowley

What began as a push for more board feel has now turned into an industry standard…the vulcanized skate shoe. Quite simply vulcanized is the term used for the process of merging the rubber sole with the shoe’s upper. It first became popular in skateboarding with the Vans lace ups (now called Era), made infamous by the Dog Town crew in the seventies. They favored the boat shoes for their sticky soles and simple style. But in the last ten years skate shoes had been evolving toward a more padded upper, thicker tongues and various complex sole solutions. Now, in the last year or so, simple is making a comeback and we’re seeing vulcanized shoes from every company becoming top sellers.

Here at SKATEDAILY.net we’ve been testing out these latest vulcanized models and have decided to post a series of reviews focused on this ‘old is new again’ skate shoe trend.

Vans Geoff Rowley – Motorhead Model

It seems like only fitting to start with Vans, who gave birth to vulcanized skate shoes, back in the mid sixties. In a return to form Vans released the Geoff Rowley signature shoe in 1999. At the time it was a throw back to the ‘Old School’ design with increased padding and modern materials in order to create a more durable shoe. It was a huge hit and has been a Vans top seller ever since.

The feel of the sole is thin and flexible. While some skate shoes can take time to break in, these Rowelys have flex almost instantly and are broken in right out of the box. When they were first introduced, many said the sole was too thin. It is true that it takes some getting used to if you’ve been skating stiffer product. The upper is fairly light and completely constructed of synthetic nubuck. I’ve been skating these shoes for years and although the upper may not last as long as other some other fabrics, the price makes up for the turn around time and I find the grip, feel and weight worth it in the long run.

This design is the third Rowley / Motorhead collaboration and features a custom side graphic as well as a set of logo printed shoe laces. You can get more info on this model and check out some photos of Lemmy and Geoff on the Vans site.

While there are dozens of new vulcanized shoes flooding the market now, Vans made a great shoe eight years ago…and it’s still one of the best.

- Chris

04/15

07/07 - Old Man Army Body Bag
07/01 - Crimson Skateboards
05/31 - Project Vulcanized - Etnies Shecker 2
05/20 - Project Vulcanized - adidas Super Skate
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