Best cheap skate shoes in 2021 (Under $60)
There are loads of reviews and guides about trucks, wheels, and boards. But only a handful for shoes. This is crazy because it’s an important part of your skating.
Having the right skate shoe can help improve your skating by a surprising amount. It might even be the reason why you might not be improving as fast as you can. This is why companies like Nike spend so much money on R&D for the shoes alone.
In today’s article, I will be going over the factors that make up the best cheap skate shoes and I quickly review some of them for you.
Table of Contents
Adidas Men’s Skateboarding The Busenitz Sneaker
Click Here for Pricing, Pictures, and Reviews on Amazon.com.
This shoe features some unique skate shoe technology and utilizes durable materials. All this adds up to a great skate shoe that lasts a long time.
It comes with the classic 3 Adidas stripes, giving it a timeless and stylish look. Features a one-piece toe cap – a seamless transition from the outsole to the upper part of the shoe. This allows it to be even more resistant to wear and keeps the shoe and sole in shape protected from ripping, even after a lot of use.
With this shoe, there are loads of color and materials options to choose from. Allowing you to get the color plus material that works best for you.
A lot of people say the shoes are bulky and that they need a little break in period before they will work perfectly. These offer a generous amount of features but still come in at an affordable price.
Osiris Men’s Lumin Skate Shoe
Click Here for Pricing, Pictures, and Reviews on Amazon.com.
This is a synthetic/leather skate shoe from Osiris. Nothing fancy, just the basic features and good material. It uses a rubber sole and synthetic materials to increase the durability and to reinforce areas where abrasion occurs easily. What you get is a decent skate shoe that is lightweight and inexpensive.
The shoe is thicker to increase durability, but this makes it feel bulky for some people. The sole is vulcanized so you can expect great board feel. With loads of color and options to pick from, it’s easy to get a combo that works for you. However, they don’t last as long as other shoes, so I would not recommend them to someone who skates every day.
Globe Men’s Motley Skate Shoe
Click Here for Pricing, Pictures, and Reviews on Amazon.com.
They are the most affordable option on the list and because they are cheap, you get what you pay for.
They are pretty basic and don’t provide that much protection from the effects of skating. This is a problem if you are planning to skate in them. However, I would recommend these to beginners or to people who won’t really do a lot of flip tricks. If you like cruising or longboarding, these are perfect. Also if you just want a stylish skater type of shoe.
They do feature a vulcanized sole, maximizing board feel and flexibility. With many options to choose from, you can get leather, suede in different colors and patterns. Makes it easy to get your own pair of inexpensive suede skate shoes.
Picking the right shoes
When you are buying your shoes, make sure they are something that you think looks good and that they are appropriate for your skate style.The materials and construction affect how a shoe feels, performs, its shock absorption capabilities, its grip, and its durability. We look deeper into this topic below:
Pay attention to the material!
Some materials are more durable and better suited for skating than others. The shoe material is most vulnerable when you are doing tricks that have you flick your shoe across the grip tape. It requires a material that will slide across the grip without catching.
Some good materials are suede, leather and bad ones are canvas (tears easy).
They each vary in grip and how they feel when you flick the board; the leather is not grippy, the suede and the canvas are.
Imho, leather is the best skate shoe material cause it lasts the longest. It’s all up to personal preference though …
Construction matters!
A seamless (one-piece) toe cap an almost fundamental feature. This makes them last longer and keeps the shoe and the soles stitches protected. There are also different types of soles available. The Vulcanised sole is thinner and aims to maximize board feel (like the Converse all-star) but lacks shock absorption. Whilst a cup sole (like most Vans skate shoes) aims to provide comfort and shock protection but lacks flexibility.
Shoe technology is getting a bit better and now shoes have better shock protection whilst still having decent flexibility.
Cost & Making them last longer
Some skate shoes are expensive and that might tempt you to buy a cheaper pair. Cheap can be expensive, and cheap shoes won’t last. However, look out for the materials and the construction so you can be sure you’re getting cheap durable skate shoes.
To make them last longer – use shoe goo. It’s a popular glue that is used to patch up skate shoes. When applied, the glue hardens and protects/holds together whichever surface it was applied on. They can make your ruined shoes work well again, and boost their life for a few more weeks. Shoe goo is the REAL MVP.
The best skate shoes?
A skate shoe is a very personal thing, there is nothing like the best overall skate shoe. You gotta find what materials and construction work well for you, and once you do it will make skating that much easier and that much more fun. Using our guide its easy to achieve that.
If you are undecided about which shoe to get, the Adidas Busenitz is a good place to start. Affordable and durable, they will also teach you a lot about how shoes affect your skate game.
