The History And Evolution Of Longboard Shoes
Even though the longboard shoes look just like your ordinary canvas shoes but they are different. And not only that, they have an interesting history of evolution as well. While you choose the best longboard shoes, learn about their history and evolution.
The History Of Longboard Shoes
The 1950s And 60s: It was primarily the skateboards that ruled the market until the late 50s when longboards got first introduced in the market. During this time people didn’t bother much about what shoes they wore during skating.
During the 1960s skateboards were hugely popular and longboards were just grabbing the attention of the market. Different magazines had front covers that showed people skating or longboarding either barefoot or wearing very thin shoes.
In 1965, the Randolph Rubber Company introduced the first skateboard shoes called the Randy 720 Skateboard Sneaker. It had tough rubber at the heels and toe. It was the perfect shoe for skateboarding and longboarding. These shoes were so lightweight that they made it easier to do spins and turns.
On March 15, 1966, in Anaheim California, a rubber company named Van Doren began customizing their shoes turning them into boat deck shoes appropriate for skating and longboarding.
The 1970s And 80s: In 1972, polyurethane wheels got introduced for longboards which allowed better control and tricks to be performed by longboarders. Looking at the increasing demand in the market for longboards in 1976, Tony Alva, Stacey Peralta, and Vans brought further developed longboarding shoes.
Gradually, brands like Adidas, Nike, and Converse started developing longboard shoes. In 1978, Allen Ollie Gelfand brought into the market the Ollie shoes that removed thin shoes from the market.
In 1986, AIRWALK shoes were introduced by Etnics footwear. It looked similar to Converse and Van shoes and gained immense popularity. In 1987 Nike, Jordan 1, and Vans kept the market captured by their longboarding shoes and they frequently introduced commercials for the shoes too.
During the year 1989, the very iconic NATAS shoes came out in the market, and soon Caballero Vans shoes followed too. both these brands brought high-top shoes which also became a fashion statement for longboarders.
1990s And 2000s: By the 90s longboards have turned more advanced. In 1992, Steve Caballero collaborates with Vans and introduces the official half-cab Vans shoes for longboarders. It instantly became a huge success attracting street longboarders as their prime buyers. This has been the longest-running longboarding shoe in history and in 2022 Half Cab Shoes celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.
From 1993 to 2000 multiple brands of longboarding shoes came up and became popular too such as DUFFS, DC shoes, Sheep Shoes, VOX, Supra, and multiple other brands. During these years longboarding too became a mainstream sport and so both amateurs and professionals began to buy their favorite longboard shoes more.
The 2010s: From this year some of the top brands of shoes such as Nike, SB, Huf footwear, Nora Pro, and many others began to make more fashionable longboarding shoes for both men and women. In these recent years, fewer skateboard shoes are manufactured and more longboard shoes are made having different types and various pro models too. A variation in protective gear such as helmets and many other gears is brought out regularly too.
I’m Tami Thompson, the founder of HIR Adventure, my team and I are passionate about outdoor adventure sports. We’re committed to offering you the finest skateboards, longboards, and snowboards.
