Carla Fowler discusses her skate shoe preferences and needs in 3 sentences: She prefers shoes that are very comfortable since skating puts pressure on the balls of the feet, have durable soles and grip well on the skateboard, and she likes mid-top shoes that provide ankle support to prevent injuries. Many of her shoes only last 2-4 months before wearing through due to the intense wear of skateboarding. Finding the right skate shoes is important for performance and preventing foot injuries.

1. Skate Feet!
Carla Fowler!

2. Project Summary!

3. Culture!

4. Style!

5. “the bottom of my right “… flat on the bottom, really
foot, which is my foot comfortable, quicker for turns,
breaking foot, all worn and you have to make sure
out, and the bottom of that they’re good for when
this foot is starting to something happens you can
wear out too from where step off, and that you don’t
I turn on the grip.” have to worry about anything.”
“it has to be real
comfortable, because
when you’re constantly “When I’m slowing down, its
kicking, you’re right on the taking off half of my shoe.”
ball of your foot and after
a while the tension builds “I tie my laces on the inside so
up and it hurts, so if you’re that way they don’t flop
just starting to skate, you around or get caught or stuck
have to have really in the wheels.”
comfortable shoes
or just get used to the
pain.” “I wasn’t really good at skating
when I bought them, so after I
“they get torn up, ripped up, had them for a whole summer
shredded to pieces.” it started to wear, but I didn’t
“They have to grip well on
really care, because it’s kind of
the board.” cool to have a shoe that is like
‘oh cool, lat at me, I skate
“ I burnt through these
shoes in like three
really good,’ even though I
months just riding around didn’t, because my shoes
on the board.”
were worn in.
Problems!

6. “Yeah, it kind of sucks… “If I’m skateboarding I wear flat
it used to last like four shoes.”
months, but now its two.”
“The part that you hit
“Most important part of the
shoe would be comfort, the most gets worn
and sole… they don’t last
that long.” down very easily… this is
maybe an eighth of an inch away from
“I have a favorite pair I use, my foot”
just not brand new ones so I
don’t feel bad wearing them
out.” “Stitching on the toe lets you
know if it’s going to last”
“I switch a little bit, but I
don’t have one specific “Snug fit is a big one for me. I
pair of skate shoes and hate feeling like I have
one specific pair of going enormous shoes on. Kills the
out shoes, just like feel. “
‘whatever’ shoes, because
then you have to buy “My favorite thing about all
skate shoes all the time, these she’s is that they are mid
and this way I swap them high, and it protects your ankle
out back and forth and bone… you don’t have to worry
they wear at the same about that getting hurt, and it
time.” gives you more support on
your ankle.”
“They wore through in one
skate session.”
“When I was skating at a race,
“They wear too much I fell and it wore straight
through into
to be a functional my foot and I have a cut on my
foot.”
shoe.”
Problems!

7. Design Criteria!

8. Conclusion!