wait sorry i just read this part.

you do realize that ALL companies give pro riders travelling expenses and salaries right?

OK then...now explain why the laces don't need to be tied..(RunDMC style)...my son plays sports...and I buy shoes for that...but these BIG SHOES with the laces loose...I don't like it....

outside of orchid and lotek , all those companies invest money into other things that are outside of skateboarding which is what those companies originated on. while it is true that nike pays out to basketball players and other athletes, its also due to those sports bring in way more revenue than skateboarding does.

the fact that nike held 2 jams last year should be looked at as a positive, they are getting coverage for the respective sports. as for the wondering if people would ride nikes if just for flow, i think the answer is yes. its seems as if half the kids in arizona are getting flowed by nike. infact at my old shop, more kids are flowed by nike than all the other shoe companies combined. flowing product produces new up and comers in skateboarding because you are helping cut the expensive cost of skateboarding. i used rip any shoe to threads within a week of getting them and at $60+ a pair, thats a lot of money to expect a kid or his/her parents to come up with.

Al Bundy?....cause you're awful shoe sensitive:D

oh im quite familiar with it but as an example, a lot of other companies are cramming as many people as possible into a hotel room, nike is giving every rider their own room.

chalba was talking about how his checks from nike was more than other, more marketable skaters were making off of their pro-model shoes.

dont tell anyone :p

yes true about the other companies actually - Orchid and Lotek stay true but Etnies and Adio and the others are really huge companies but for the most part the money doesn't go outside of the realm of alternative sports (or Extreme sports but i hate that term).
DC made a huge skate plaza which i'm sure prolly cost at least $350,000.
Time will tell if NIKE will start putting real money into the sport. They prolly will.

About NIKE flow. What I meant was that nobody would ride for NIKE for flow IF they could ride for another company and get paid, so NIKE really has to pay. Sorry i didnt make that thought very clear.

Oh well thats pretty cool. If they treat people like that, which they should cuz they have so much money, then people will really want to ride for them.


I find that hard to believe unless your shoe doesn't sell very well. But i don't know so i'll give the benefit of the doubt.

dc also made that mountain lab thing for snowboaring which is probably the coolest thing ive ever seen.

i agree with you on the riding nike flow, if i was ever in the situation of getting the same benefits from one of the smaller and more skate-focused companies i would do the same and not ride for nike. never liked how the soles felt for gripping a board anyways.

NIKE is so fucking huge that they should put on a DEW TOUR or a comp with big money prizes like LG or Redbull.

Morgan Wade won 1st place at the LG contest last year and took home a check for $30,000.
If Nike held a comp they could give away so much money and it would be sure to be televised which would be great publicity too.

On another note about getting old Shasta. Does your son wear skinny jeans or baggy jeans? There are basically 2 camps right now. Skinny jeans and fitted shirts and kids who wear baggy jeans and x-large shirts. If your son wears skinny jeans he might start using a shoelaces as a belt. I refuse to do it but that's the latest trend.

Just thought you should know just in case he falls into the skinny jeans category. :D

Just hope he doesn't start asking to shop at the GAP to buy girl's jeans. That's only one of the worst trends ever.