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Made for Skate: The Illustrated History of Skateboard Footwear
The addition of 200 new pages of content bring this already massive tome up to date with tons of new photos, illustrations and text.
In the skateboard universe the evolution of riding technique, skateboard decks, graphics and art are well documented. Until now, however, skateboard shoes have received little attention. Made for Skate tells the story of skateboard footwear as seen through the eyes of those who lived it. Along with the classics by companies such as Vans, Airwalk, Etnies, and Duffs it features hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind shoes that emerged throughout almost five decades of skate history all photographed superlatively.
This book provides an exhaustive overview of the history and styles of skate shoes and is based on the collection of the Museum of Skateboard History in Stuttgart, Germany. Discover, for instance, why the legendary Bones Brigade had to scrounge for shoes at the height of their fame and how key design features such as the lace saver provided protection and functionality. Skate personalities we meet include Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Natas Kaupas, Don Brown, Paul Rodriguez, Chad Muska, Mike Vallely, Adrian Lopez, Mark Gonzalez, Tim Gavin, and many more. Shoe designers featured include James Arizumi, Jeremy Fish, Andy Howell and Todd Bratrud.
In the skateboard universe the evolution of riding technique, skateboard decks, graphics and art are well documented. Until now, however, skateboard shoes have received little attention. Made for Skate tells the story of skateboard footwear as seen through the eyes of those who lived it. Along with the classics by companies such as Vans, Airwalk, Etnies, and Duffs it features hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind shoes that emerged throughout almost five decades of skate history all photographed superlatively.
This book provides an exhaustive overview of the history and styles of skate shoes and is based on the collection of the Museum of Skateboard History in Stuttgart, Germany. Discover, for instance, why the legendary Bones Brigade had to scrounge for shoes at the height of their fame and how key design features such as the lace saver provided protection and functionality. Skate personalities we meet include Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Natas Kaupas, Don Brown, Paul Rodriguez, Chad Muska, Mike Vallely, Adrian Lopez, Mark Gonzalez, Tim Gavin, and many more. Shoe designers featured include James Arizumi, Jeremy Fish, Andy Howell and Todd Bratrud.
634 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 29, 2023
Exhaustive and impressive presentation that starts strong with a solid documentation of early skate footwear, then does its best to compile an impossible amount of content from the past 30 or so years. Several brands featured here could easily have their own 500-page coffee table books, so MFS took on a huge task.
Have to say though that I’m a little bummed on the quality of the writing… there are quite a few generalizations throughout the narrative and lots of bad jokes and repetitive language that make for awkward reading. Not to mention lots of spelling errors and embarrassing misprints, especially in the ‘New Century’ section. (At the very least, you gotta get skaters’ names spelled right.)
Could also be helpful for the next edition to have more captions and credits mixed in with all the great ads and photos. Having to reach to the index for those was not ideal.
Have to say though that I’m a little bummed on the quality of the writing… there are quite a few generalizations throughout the narrative and lots of bad jokes and repetitive language that make for awkward reading. Not to mention lots of spelling errors and embarrassing misprints, especially in the ‘New Century’ section. (At the very least, you gotta get skaters’ names spelled right.)
Could also be helpful for the next edition to have more captions and credits mixed in with all the great ads and photos. Having to reach to the index for those was not ideal.
July 19, 2022
Excellent curation!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews