SIZING

The DC Metric S fits true to size.

DURABILITY

They weren’t lying. The Metric S showed exceptional durability in the 10 hour wear test. When observing the upper, it’s evident they put a lot of thought into the design. The first layer is a DC’s Super Suede material, and underneath the suede there’s two more layers of protection, including a hot melt underlay and then a mesh material. After 10 hours of skating, abrasion is minimal and hardly noticeable on the upper. The hot melt layer below the suede assures an even longer lifespan once the suede would eventually be worn down. Two positive impacts that prolonged the lifespan of the shoe were the lace protection and strap, which effectively protected the collar lining from ripping as well.

The reason for the low abrasion on the upper are the thick and rigid sidewalls of the sole. This area showed most signs of wear and worked as a first layer of defense that the griptape hit first. Surprisingly, the bottom sole didn’t show any areas of wear and the thread pattern was in good condition for a test duration of 10 hours, while sustaining its grip.

CUSHIONING

The Metric S provided also good cushioning in the heel area. As can be seen in the cross section cut, there is a height difference between the front and heel. The first third of the shoe doesn’t feature any major foam pieces – it only consists of the insole, a strobel board with a thin EVA layer and the white outsole. Within the midfoot and heel area, there’s a wedge shaped foam inlay (which is brown and can be also seen looking at the shoe from the side) which increases the sole’s thickness. This construction enables it to spread forces evenly throughout and absorb even tougher impacts that occur in the heel region. When bailing with impact to the forefoot, the contact is very direct and can be unpleasant, but it’s an unavoidable compromise, in favor of boardfeel.

SHAPE

The Metric S features a rather puffy silhouette, with the widest area around the midfoot area. The upper is very much embedded in the high outsole (in white) and the foam inlay. The toebox tapers to a nice pointy peak and offers outstanding flick and control when doing flip-tricks.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Since the sole was quite thin in the forefoot area, this lead to sole adapting and forming better to the concave of the board and led to a more direct contact between the foot and the board. The Metric S had good boardfeel for a cupsole but the board feel can’t be compared to vulcanized soles.

Similar to boardfeel, the grip needed a couple sessions to fully shine. The outsole was quite thick, so a few hours of skating were needed until the sole became more flexible and the shoe started to develop a solid grip.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

When you first look at the shoe, you wouldn’t imagine an extremely comfortable fit. But after putting them on, the shoe was really lightweight and the padding helped create a soft feeling around the ankle and foot. One point to mention, the breathability of the shoe was weak. Despite using a lot of mesh material for breathability, a look to the cross-section pictures show that the inner lining blocks hot air from even leaving the shoe, so your feet essentially sit in a convection oven.

The heel reinforcements in combination with the strap do provide support and fits snugly with the feet. The whole heel is slightly bent towards the peak of the shoe and the high sidewall of the outsole creates a great heel lock. The upper with its multi material layers kept its stiffness and secure feeling throughout our 10 hour test.

SUMMARY

We were hyped on getting a taste of DC’s newest product, the Metric S. The shoe was solid; it performed great in terms of durability, stability and also boardfeel, especially for a really stable cupsole model. The only thing that could be improved would be better breathability, to maximize the comfort of the shoe.

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If you made it this far, check the review below, and more importantly, stay tuned for our Weartested contest to drop. Starting 2/2, be sure to upload your best ledge trick video on instagram and remember to @Weartested, @DCshoes #LemosLedgeContest to enter! Contest ends 2/12. 10 Days, 5 winners, and Tiago’s judging. Send those clips in!!

Sizing

The DC Tiago Lemos fits true to size.

Durability

The sleek silhouette of the DC Tiago Lemos model is outfitted with two main DC patented technologies when it comes to the shoe’s durability. The research and development team crafted both Super Suede and Super Stitch technology to cover all details of the shoe’s durability. The shoe’s upper is made of the Super Suede technology, which DC boasts to add 50% more durability to the shoe’s toe area. Although we were unsure of how DC measured this internally, we put the shoe to the test and noticed from our 10 hour weartest that the suede did not become extremely floppy. In other shoe’s cases, the suede toecaps would often absorb the foot’s moisture and cause a bit of rippling on the surface of the shoe; this paves way for more direct attack points from the grip tape and results in the shoe tearing open even faster. However, the toecap of the Tiago S held it’s structure throughout the whole weartest and the suede did not rip within the 10 hours of skating. Aside from the tried and true Super Suede technology, DC considered fine details of the shoe’s durability and added in their Super Stitch technology. While most shoes will use a standard cotton strand stitching to hold the shoe panels together, DC created a high tensile thread stitching that makes it much harder for the griptape to wear down. This ultimately prevents the shoe panels from blowouts and increases the lifespan of the shoe. All in all, these two main technologies covered all standard requirements needed for great durability.

Shape

In a day and age where skate shoes are slimming down and becoming more visually basic, the Tiago S is a refreshing take on an old school silhouette. Initially, the shoe looks bulky, and reminds us a bit of the 90’s with the airbag insert in the heel. But the Tiago S is actually everything needed in modern skate technology packed into a simple classic look. The shoe is quite padded from the midfoot to the heel, but tapers into a point significantly in the toecap region. From a bird’s eye view the shoe looks quite wide, but when the feet slip in, they are packed in quite tight from the padding around the heel collar and also sidewalls.

Cushioning

The immediate eye catching cushioning element of the Tiago S is the airbag insert in the shoe’s heel. This is part of DC’s Impact technology series; previously the Nyjah pro model had Impact G technology, the Evan Smith pro model had Impact I, and now Tiago’s specific airbag-cushioning technology is termed as Impact A technology. The airbag itself is made of thermoplastic urethane, which is rigid enough to provide structural support, and flexible enough to absorb impacts. Another highlight of this Impact A airbag is that it reduces the weight of the shoe; the Tiago S is quite light considering the amount of technology and padding added to the shoe. Aside from this airbag, the shoe also features the iconic OrthoLite insole, which is extremely thin and serves more to provide comfort than protection. With that said, the cushioning elements for shock absorption rely mainly on the Impact A technology. Another element of cushioning that helped with the overall performance of the shoe was the padding around the heel collar and sidewalls. When it came to the weartest, the security of the padding and the Impact A heel cushioning kept the feet out of harm’s way when jumping down stair sets and gaps.

Boardfeel and Grip

The boardfeel of the Tiago S was surprisingly better than expected. At first glance, the sole of the shoe, the cushioning elements and the sheer stature led us to believe the shoe was quite bulky with limited boardfeel. But keep in mind, Tiago helped design this shoe, and he’s known for destroying J-Kwon plaza’s ledges with his technical wizardry. As a result, he wouldn’t have designed a shoe that couldn’t handle technical ledge skating. Initially skating the shoe, the boardfeel took us about 1 hour to break in, after that one hour the boardfeel adapted more to the concave of the board and sole of our feet. As for grip, the rubber outsole of the Tiago S features the standard DC pill tread pattern, along with a finer tread pattern in the forefoot and heel. The grip was fine; no blowout spots appeared in our 10-hour weartest.

Comfort and Stability

Impressively, the Tiago S had different technical elements that worked together to create an extremely stable foothold. As aforementioned, the heel collar and sidewalls were heavily padded to ensure a snug fit for the feet. If you look closely at our cross section cut, you’ll notice that the midsole arches upwards, which helps stabilize the midfoot to heel. In addition, the tongue of the shoe is a crucial element in providing both stability and comfort; the tongue features elastic straps to lock the feet in, and is also made of a jacquard style mesh material, which allows heat to escape efficiently. Overall, the shoe was extremely comfortable to wear and the stability was a highlight of the shoe.

Summary

The DC Tiago S is a sleek and technical tank of a shoe; it excels when it comes to durability, stability and cushioning, but could use a bit more for grip and comfort.

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Sizing

The DC Wes Kremer 2 runs a half size big.

Durability

One of DC’s main focus on this shoe was to enhance it’s optimal durability. Although the profile of the shoe looks very simple, clean and almost like a slip-on, the shoe’s been adapted for weeks to months of skating. There’s two main technologies from DC that has contributed to the prolonged lifespan of the shoe, with the first being their Super Suede technology. As DC puts it, it’s a type of suede that has been enhanced to be 50% more durable than regular suede and retains the instant comfort and soft feel of regular suede. DC uses Super Suede in almost every one of their models, but in this case, the suede held up insanely well for over 10 hours of skating and proved to have zero ollie/kickflip holes. Another technology that enhanced the Super Suede was an added high abrasion screen print around the toe cap area to deter abrasion from griptape away from the Super Suede and instead towards the first layer of defense. This is also a similar technology used in the Nike SB Stefan Janoski Premium, which many have seen feature a rubber coated toe cap for durability. With that said, not only does high abrasion screen print look better on the Wes Kremer 2, but was extremely proactive in directing all abrasion towards that first layer of defense, and revealing an untouched layer of Super Suede beneath the print that extended a second life for the shoe. The durability of the vulc was impressive as well, normal abrasion marks were found but there were no tears or loose ends of the vulc as noticed in other skate shoes.

Cushioning

DC has an extensive product line of shoes that feature cushioning technologies part of the Impact series. Nyjah Houston’s first model featured Impact-G, which focused around gel cushioning to prevent heel bruising, while Evan Smith’s Pro model featured Impact-I cushioning where the sole of the shoe featured cone shaped impressions to absorb and distribute impact from landings better. The Wes Kremer 2 however, shares the same Impact-S technology as its predecessor, which focuses on splitting the fore foot and heel area of the insole into two distinct zones of thickness to combat heel bruises and the pain that comes from forefoot strikes. During our weartest period, the cushioning of the DC Wes Kremer 2 was quite satisfactory for a low-top vulcanized model. The shoe itself wears and feels like a slip-on model, but the DC patented Impact S cushioning technology is what differentiates the Wes Kremer 2 from any other slip-on similarities. This shoe is absolutely well protected when it comes to low to medium impacts, but the shock from high impact landings can still be felt in the forefoot and heel.

Shape

The shape of the Wes Kremer 2 is one of the highlights of the shoe. For those who like low top vulcanized models, or even skating in slip ons, this model is the perfect harmony between the two. The sidewalls of the shoe are pushed back along with the shoe’s eyelets, which creates a longer toebox, starting almost halfway through the shoe; this may take a while of getting used to for some. The two shoelace eyelets featured on the shoe also give a bit of a boat shoe resemblance. Moreover, although the shape of the shoe itself seems like a slim vulcanized model, it fits skaters with wider feet quite well.

Boardfeel and grip

The boardfeel of the shoe was good; the Impact – S technology took into mind the boardfeel necessary in the front of the shoe, and limited the amount of cushioning in the forefoot area to provide better boardfeel. It was easy to feel out the concave of the board and set up for flip tricks more accordingly, as opposed to doing so while wearing other skate shoes that focus more on heavy cushioning from forefoot to heel. The vulc of the shoe was quite grippy at first, but after the 10 hr session, the abrasion from flip tricks and ollies smoothed out the diamond-patterned traction of the vulc and molded into one layer between vulc and super suede. This eventually affected the grippiness of the vulc, as with most shoes, but the super suede still held up and provided a different material for abrasion. The outsole of the shoe featured DC shoe’s classic pill pattern grip, which showed no blow-out spots during our 10 – hr test.

Comfort and stability

The Wes Kremer 2 featues an elastic goring that connects the tounge to the sidewalls of the shoe, providing a locked in slip-on feeling. With the addition of two shoelace eyelets, the stability of the shoe is enhanced from slip-on to actual low top vulcanized model, and fits great while skating. The shoe was extremely comfortable to wear while skating, the only drawback of the shoe would be it’s breathability; apart from the couple of holes created for airflow where the end of the tounge meets the toebox, there was no additional feature to let heat escape, and as a result, the Super Suede absorbed moisture and became quite rippled during the 10 hrs of the weartest. With more skating, the suede would probably become more and more wavy, and affect the grip and durability of the shoe. Additionally, the shoe’s heel counter was quite secure, and provided a locked in support system for the heel to rest against.

Summary

The DC Wes Kremer 2 is an extremely comfortable shoe that is the perfect harmony between a low top vulcanized model and a slip-on model. The shoe excels when it comes to durability, stability and boardfeel, but small tweaks to cushioning, breathability and grip can help enhance the performance of the shoe for the better.

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Sizing

The DC Evan Smith S fits true to size.

Durability

Evan Smith’s new pro model is also DC’s rendition of their first rubber toe-cap model to enter the product line. As we know, the durability with rubber toe caps is exceptional and this past year companies have realized that many skaters are moving away from technical models and instead gravitating towards slim profile vulcanized shoes with durable rubber toe caps. During our 10 hours of skating, the rubber toe cap itself held relatively well, but was found to wear thin much quicker than other models. With that in consideration, DC had also outfitted the shoe with their Super Suede and Super Canvas material, ensuring that even if the toe cap wears out, the shoe’s lifespan is still prolonged with an extra layer of suede underneath. The super suede material did not rip during our 10 hours of weartest, and the silhouette of the shoe seemed to drive abrasion more towards the toe cap itself and away from the ollie-hole area. Overall, durability was favorable and held up well during our 10 hours of weartest.

Cushioning

Initially, when looking at the shoe’s insole, it did not seem like there would be much to be done for cushioning. Only 7mm thick of Ortholite, the insole seems ridiculously thin to most other insoles on the market nowadays. But that is exactly where there is more than meets the eye. DC has marketed this shoe with Impact – I technology, where they’ve added cone shaped impressions into the sole to absorb and disperse impacts from landings. When wearing the shoe, the cushioning is quite surprising. It’s well padded, and the heel of the shoe has larger cone impressions that absorb medium impact landings very well. As you run closer to the toe, the cone shaped impressions are much smaller and shallower, allowing more boardfeel for the shoe. Overall, the cushioning of the shoe was quite satisfactory for low to medium impact skating.

Shape

As a rubber to cap model, the toebox of the shoe held up very well, and it’s structure held up fine the whole time skating. As a low-profile vulcanized model, there wasn’t much added support in the heel and/or side panels of the shoe to hold structure after 10 hours of skating. Initially, the shoe’s structure was quite sturdy out of the box, but with more skating, the sidewalls and the toebox got much more flimsy since there was a lot of moisture from heat that couldn’t escape from the shoe. As is the case with the Evan Smith, shoes that don’t have a one piece toe-cap have a tongue that directly travels down to connect with the top of the toe-cap piece. This can cause waves in the suede either from tying your shoe laces a bit tighter than usual, or if sweat from your feet gets soaked up into the suede. In this case, waves appeared in the frontal part of the shoe and affected the rigidity of the shoe when flexing.

Boardfeel and grip

The boardfeel of this shoe was exceptional. As stated earlier, The Impact – I technology has larger and deeper cone impressions in the heel area, but as it moves on towards the toe area, the cone impressions get smaller and more shallow. In fact, it is around the midfoot area of the sole, where close contact boardfeel starts. The grip of the shoe was also extremely impressive. A lot of rubber toe-cap shoe models cover a larger amount of surface area of the toe, with the rubber toe cap almost covering up to half of the front area’s surface. Those models take a much longer time of skating to reach optimal grip, somewhere in between brand new and 2 sessions of skating. However, with this model, the rubber toe cap’s grip felt well-proportioned, optimal and well adjusted to skate right out of the box. Because the heel area had a lot of cone impressions, there was less surface area for the back part of the shoe to provide grip, and instead, more abrasion was directed towards the frontal part of the shoe’s sole. As a result, the sole of the shoe proved to wear out very easily after a few sessions.

Comfort and stability

With comfort, cushioning and grip in mind, the DC Evan Smith S was ready to skate right out of the box. The shoe was very flexible and the rubber toe cap was at optimal grip after an hour of skating. The Impact-I technology along with the Ortholiner cushioning was extremely surprising for the feet, making the after-session experience less sore. One thing there was not very comfortable was the limited breathability in the design of the shoe. There were only two holes on the inner side panel of each shoe to allow for air flow to exit through. The metal eyelets around these holes also proved to be very easy to rub off and destroy, which rubbed the inside of the foot a bit during skating. There wasn’t much support for the sock collar, with very minimal padding added around the area. Moreover, the tongue of the shoe would easily move around, since there were no lock in straps or bands inside the shoe to stabilize the tongue. The sidewalls of the model were made of Super Canvas, and held up fine during the 10 hours of skating.

Summary

The Evan Smith S is DC’s rendition of a rubber toe cap model, and besides grip, it performs exceptionally well when it comes to boardfeel, cushioning and right out of the box comfort. With that said, the grip of the sole could be improved and the limited breathability affected the shape and comfort of the shoe after a few sessions.

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Throughout the course of their history, DC Shoes has released a plethora of iconic models that have each defined a period in skateboarding. One of those models, or THE model is the DC Lynx. The Lynx is inseparably connected to Love Park and Josh Kalis, who even called it “DC´s most iconic skateshoe“, and backed by heavy hitting skaters like Stevie Williams, Brian Wenning, AVE and Chris Cole. Still, if you checked out the best selling shoes now and compared it today’s standards, the classic Lynx would inevitably rot on skateshop-shelves around the world. However, celebrating their 20-year anniversary, DC decided to give the Lynx model a reconstructive facelift that fits with modern standards without losing its iconic silhouette. Whether this facelift actually succeeded is something we skated to find out.

Sizing

The DC Lynx S fits true to size.

Durability

The original DC Lynx featured seams all over the shoe, especially in the frontal and lateral areas. However, DC´s designers decided to go with today’s standard and refitted the Lynx with a seamless toe-box. The stitching is purely for aesthetics; it imitates the original design of the shoe and provides set-up points when hitting flip-tricks. DC´s Super Suede once again proves that it’s no gimmick. Durability is above average and surely one of the strengths of this model. Its iconic lacing system remains the same, so don’t trip on ripped laces. The sole’s sidewalls proved to be stable and durable, with hardly any wear after our 10h testing time, much like the bottom sole as well.

Cushioning

As a cupsole model, the Lynx S features fantastic cushioning, much better than your average cupsole. As shown in our cut, the sole in the heel area is rather thick with a hex-pattern, protecting your foot from harsh impacts, as well as a thickly supported middle area. This in combination with the insole provides ideal skating comfort.

Shape

The silhouette of the new DC Lynx S is rather wide but still cut snugly to the foot. This is due to the implementation of a padded tongue and shoe-in-shoe technology. The toe box’s shape combined with grippy suede makes for precise flip-tricks.

Boardfeel and grip

Many cupsole models improve their grip after some wear, mostly due to the increasing flex of their soles. The Lynx S provides average grip during the initial period of skating, improves over time but fails to reach its potential unlike other cupsole models and vulcanized models. Boardfeel is surprisingly good, especially due to the thin sole in the toe-area and the increasing flex of the outsole in general.

Comfort and stability

Thanks to the cozy construction on the inside and the shoe’s impeccable ventilation, your feet will feel at home in the DC Lynx S. It features shoe-in-shoe technology, which means the inner part of the shoe is similar to a sock without seams, and helps fit the shoe snug to your feet. Mesh material, perforations and a mesh tongue improve ventilation and prevent heat accumulation. The weight of the Lynx S is slightly above average for modern standards, but hardly noticeable. Stability is great as well, despite the shoe’s low profile feature. The great fit and shape stability provide a great low-profile cupsole choice.

Summary

The DC Lynx S is a modern cupsole model which excels in terms of stability and durability. Minor flaws like average grip are smoothed out by the shoe’s excellent comfort.

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High Quality PDF file: DC Mike Mo review

„I basically wanted it to fit like a running shoe“. These were the words spoken of Mike Mo Capaldi as he described his new DC Pro-model shoe; proven to be quite fitting in more ways than one. Technology-wise, shoes from other sport disciplines seem to be light-years ahead of skateboarding. This may be partly due to the skeptical nature skateboarders have towards innovations, at least when it comes down to equipment.

But this barrier seems to be crumbling. The tech-revival is coming, but this time with more finesse, subtle features and slimmer silhouettes. Spearheading this trend is DC´s new model, the Mike Mo, which features a sock-like inner shoe and a fused upper. Whether or not it can compete with the comfort of running shoes and its overall performance can be read in the following article.

Sizing

The DC Mike Mo fits rather small due to its slim fit; people with wide feet should go up half a size.

Durability

When observing the upper material of the DC Mike Mo, it’s evident they put a lot of thought into the design. The layers are fused instead of sewn together.

This results in an upper with superior durability due to the lack of stitching. After 10 hours of skating, abrasion is minimal with hardly any noticeable and the TPU layer below the suede assures an even longer lifespan once the upper is worn down.

The lower three eyelets are slightly recessed compared to the rest of the eyestay. This proved to be an effective counter measurement against lace breakage. However, the remaining eyelets are quite exposed to griptape abrasion and ripped through several time during the test.  Another noteworthy detail is the thicker, bulky shaft-area, which helps protect the lining and the mesh-tongue when doing heelflips. One of the few weak points of the shoe is the lack of durability of the soft sidewalls of the sole. It provides amazing flick, but also wears down fast. The bottom sole didn´t show any completely worn down areas. The complete thread pattern is in good condition for a test duration of 10 hours and sustained its grip.

Cushioning

The foamed „Unilite“ midsole of the DC Mike Mo provides great cushioning in the heel area. It is able to dampen most landings and bails quite good. However, the midsole in the frontal part of the shoe is rather thin, which provides great boardfeel but compromises cushion dampening.

As a result, forefoot bails can still cause a fair amount of pain, but all in all the cushioning the DC Mike Mo is still superior to most other skate shoes.

Shape

The DC Mike Mo fits snug and tight, thanks to the almost sock-like inner shoe. It features a slim and low silhouette, with the widest area around the lower eyelets. The toebox tapers to a quite pointy peak and offers outstanding flick and control when doing flip-tricks.

Boardfeel and Grip

Due to the very thin sole in the forefoot area, the Mike Mo provides great boardfeel that can be compared to most vulc models available right now. The gaps in the midsole layer that can be seen in the cross-section lead to better adaption of the sole to the concave and cause a more direct contact between the foot and the board.

The grip is very good as well. The new DC thread pattern that features the improved grooved pillow design offers great traction right out of the box and is furthermore quite durable. The mentioned flexibility of the outsole is increasing the traction further by ensuring a large area of contact between sole and deck.

Comfort and Stability

DC´s goal to develop a comfortable skate shoe is undoubtedly reached. One of the main reasons is the „shoe in shoe“ concept. The upper material is essentially wrapped around an inner sock, which offers superior comfort compared to a standard lining design. The tongue is sewn to the sidewalls and thereby centering straps are unnecessary. As a result the step in comfort is majorly increased. Great importance was also attached to breathability.

The tongue is made of a very open, breathable mesh and the thin padding of the inside is additionally perforated. Moreover, major parts of the medial sidewall and parts of the toebox features perforations, which are stamped through the whole upper and TPU layer. As a result, hot air and moisture are actually able to leave the shoe. Another smart detail is the soft cutout around the Achilles tendon on the highest point of the collar. It prevents blisters and allows more freedom of movement.

The heel reinforcement of the Mike Mo provides great support and fits snugly. The whole heel is slightly bent towards the peak of the shoe, which causes great heel lock. Even though it features a rather low cut, the Mike Mo is able to provide a stable and secure feeling.

Summary

The DC Mike Mo shows hardly any weaknesses and provides good boardfeel, durability, comfort and breathability.

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High Quality PDF file: DC Cole Lite S review

Intro

DC is focusing on skateboarding again. The recent reintroduction of the skate division with the “Rediscover” campaign managed to end a few years of meritocracy. With new team additions of big names like Chris Cole, Mike Mo Capaldi, Nyjah Huston and Mikey Taylor they have the potential to conquer their old position in no time. But team additions and marketing campaigns aside, at the end of the day the product itself needs to match the expectations, too. The DC Cole Lite S was chosen because it’s a statement of what DC is capable of regarding technical skate shoes in 2012. If it managed to live up to the high expectations during the daily grind can be read in the following review.

The DC Cole Lite S fits true to size.

Durability

The Cole Lite S features a one-piece toebox design combined with a vertical panel in the ollie area. The toebox material proved to be quite durable. The use of DC’s super suede seems to improve the durability with only minor areas of abrasion appearing. A weak spot of the design is the connecting area between toebox and sidewall panel. The triple stitching does not completely ensure that the layers stay attached to each other and the wear was focused in the connection area of the slim vertical panel that the first two laceholes  go through. A minor hole appeared, but this didn’t go through all layers of the upper material and didn’t increase noticeably in size.

The side of the sole offers average to good durability. After the test duration of 10 hours, the edge between upper and sole was worn out in the key areas and the first grooves are visible. The bottom of the sole showed some wear, but there are no flat areas and the remaining profile is still able to provide the necessary grip. A useful feature would be the construction of the slim panel with a two-layer design, providing the option for hidden laces. With the current design, the laces only last for an average length of time. The heel area was barely affected by the griptape abuse. The rubberized DC logo, as well as the reduction of mesh panels and overhanging inner material, resulted in a durable sidewall and heel.

The overall durability of the Cole Lite S is good. Apart from a few weak spots due to the paneling, it provides an average lifespan for a cupsole, mainly due to the thick and durable super suede.

Cushion

The foam midsole feels very comfortable. It features certain spring-like properties and its cushioning properties can be felt when you are just pushing or walking around. It is able to dampen most landings and bails and help prevents heel bruises with its thick heel design. In the front, it is noticeably thinner but still offers superior cushioning to basically every vulc model and is therefore much more suited and recommended for high-impact skating.

Breathability

The breathability of the shoe is only average. At first sight, the Cole Lite S features several areas that should allow air exchange, but only the tongue, with its roughly structured mesh, is breathable. Unfortunately, the perforated sidewalls are just punched through one layer. As such, it fails to make the most of a potentially really good air-exchange system.

Boardfeeling

Like many recent cupsole models, the Cole Lite S features a well balanced boardfeel. Direct contact with the board is enabled by the thinner front area, where only a thin removable insole and the sole’s red foam come between foot and deck. In the heel area, where cushioning is mainly needed, the thickness of the red foam increases greatly. This means it’s possible to feel the board while still being protected from bails and harsh landings.

Grip

The Cole Light S features a very grippy sole unit, which, as with the boardfeel, is well balanced. The gip doesn’t offer the “stickiness” of vulcanized soles but it lasts for longer. The main reason for the grip is the extreme flexibility of the sole, which adapts perfectly to the concave of the board. The roughly structured profile – a combination of herringbone and diamond pattern – contributes to the longevity of the grip, too.

Shape

The toebox shape can be described as arrow shaped and flat with a rounded peak. The area where the laces start is as wide as the rest of the shoe but it quickly tapers  towards the tip, which is mildly curved. The toebox area is a bit shorter compared to many other current models, which some skaters might prefer. Overall, the model features a typical cupsole silhouette with a slightly bulky heel while fitting very close to the foot.

Comfort

The lightness of the Cole Lite S is immediately noticeable. The reason for this is mainly the replacement of heavy rubber with lighter foam – the red areas of the tested colourway. This does not affect just the weight but also the overall comfort. The shoe is very pleasant to walk and skate in because of the aforementioned cushioning.

A minor flaw is the position of the tongue-centering straps. They tend to feel slightly unpleasant, especially at the beginning of every session. Furthermore, the inner lining is not completely streamlined and some stitching and overlapping material might cause hot spots. Overall, the Cole Lite S features very well executed craftsmanship. The perfect heel lock is also a positive point, thanks to the slightly higher heel cut. It bends slightly towards the tongue and ensures that the foot stays perfectly in place.

Support

Supportive shoes have been rare to come by in recent years, as the trend moves increasingly towards thin, light and boardfeel-oriented shoes. The DC Cole Lite S is able to combine all these features. It’s a sturdy, protective model that is locked to the foot but still doesn’t feel bulky in any way.

The thicker sidewalls, made from nubuck leather, and the un-stretchable inner material result in a stable shoe that keeps his shape very well compared with most other models. The not-so-low cut around the ankle provides a secure feeling while skating without compromising freedom of movement or flexibility. The heel doesn’t interfere with the ankle or Achilles tendon, just ensures a snug fit. All those positive properties, like great support and a certain rigidness, normally cause a boot-like shoe, but the Cole Lite S manages to be thin and light, which makes it exceptional to a certain degree. It is highly recommended for people who are looking for a supportive low-top skate shoe that can take a beating and offers a secure feeling most vulcanized models can’t provide.

Summary

The DC Cole Lite S is a light, heavy-duty cupsole model with average durability, good grip, boardfeel and support and a highly cushioned sole construction that makes it suitable for heavy-impact skating.

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