Since then, the Last Resort AB team has released a standout team video on Thrasher titled Doomed From The Jump, featuring creative skating from Dane Brady, Frankie Decker, Chris Milic, and Jesse Alba. They also shared a 30-minute vlog-style skate diary on their YouTube channel, capturing their crew’s sessions in Japan and including footage of Kiki Kakitani, who kicked off Polar Skate Co.’s Everything Is Normal video with an unforgettable part.

Fast forward to this week: Last Resort AB just teased their latest silhouette, the CM002, marking a new addition to their cupsole line. This model takes a step away from their typically simple designs, featuring a layered look that hints at a more technical approach. We were lucky enough to test out a pair before its release, so read on for our full review of how the CM002 performs on the board.

SIZING

The shoe fits slightly small, so we recommend going a half size up. For reference, we typically wear a US9 in Last Resort AB’s vulcanized models, but for the CM002 model, we opted for a US9.5.

DURABILITY

The Last Resort AB CM002 performed well in our 10-hour wear test, proving itself to be a durable shoe. At first glance, the upper—with its multiple material overlays and stitching—may appear to compromise durability. However, its resilience comes from the strategic use of different materials, with the areas in contact with griptape positioned carefully. The combination of stiff leather with a suede panel on top works particularly well to enhance durability. The suede panel, as the first point of contact with griptape, also provides excellent flick. Although some seams ripped, the sturdy materials kept the panels intact, and the mesh showed only minor abrasion. The sole is relatively low and thin in the forefoot, which led to more wear around the kickflip area. 

CUSHIONING

Cupsole constructions generally offer better cushioning than vulcanized soles due to their thicker sole and increased stability. The Last Resort AB CM002 combines its cupsole with an insole, known as “Cloudy Cush,” providing a comfortable and stable feel that absorbs regular impacts well. This design works harmoniously with the shoe’s stability and padded upper to deliver cohesive cushioning. Overall, the CM002 is recommended for medium-impact skating.

SHAPE

The Last Resort AB CM002 introduces a new shape, adding variety to Last Resort AB’s lineup. With its multi-material, layered upper, it’s a fresh departure from the simplicity of the vulcanized models. The CM002 has padding in the heel and tongue, making it slightly bulkier than previous models, though it still has a close fit. The heel and midfoot run parallel, with the toe area narrowing into a nicely rounded toebox. This shape offers excellent flick and control for flip tricks.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Creating a new sole construction for improved stability and cushioning could compromise boardfeel, but the CM002 maintains a great feel for a cupsole. As shown in the cutaway view, the cupsole combines a skeleton pattern with a foam wedge, making the shoe flexible right out of the box without sacrificing stability or cushioning in the heel. The forefoot is thin, with flex grooves that allow the sole to mold to the griptape for maximum contact. In terms of grip, the shoe performs solidly. The sole held up well in our 10-hour test, offering balanced grip that isn’t overly sticky, which some skaters may prefer. 

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

The CM002 is slightly lighter than the CM001 due to the use of mesh materials, which also increase breathability. However, the cutaway reveals an inner lining that somewhat limits ventilation. The tongue isn’t fixed with straps, which allows it to move side to side. On the positive side, the inner lining, heel padding, and tongue all contribute to a comfortable fit.

In terms of stability, the shoe performs well. The high-cut heel, reinforced padding, quality leather, and stable cupsole give the CM002 strong support. The heel design and lining help prevent slippage, even when the shoe becomes slightly damp due to limited ventilation.

SUMMARY

The CM002 is a pleasant addition to Last Resort’s cupsole line, excelling in durability, boardfeel, cushioning, and upper stability. However, there is room for improvement in the shoe’s comfort, specifically breathability, and grip.

The post Last Resort AB CM002 appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

SIZING

The shoe fits slightly smaller so we recommend to go a half size up. As a reference, in the Last Resort AB vulcanized models we had a US9 and for the CM001 model, we chose a US9.5.

DURABILITY

The Last Resort CM001 withstands our 10-hours wear test very well and has proven to be a durable shoe. Let’s look into the details, starting with the material selection of both, leather and suede. It is basically a leather upper with a suede panel in the Ollie- and Kickflip area, which helps immensely for flicks. The thought behind the construction worked. The leather made the shoe stable and durable, whereas the suede worked as the main point of  grip for flicking flip tricks. Although the position of the suede piece is risky, it still withstood the wear and did not show too much abrasion. Another plus was that the seams also didn’t rip. The sole is rather low and thin in the forefoot area, which resulted in more abrasion, especially around the kickflip area. The areas which showed most signs of wear are typical to Last Resort AB wear tests from the past. The seams connecting the main upper piece with the eyelet reinforcement ripped after 4-5 hours of skating. With that said, this was more of a visual issue as opposed to a durability issue.

CUSHIONING

Cupsole constructions tend to have better cushioning capabilities compared to vulcanized soles. For the Last Resort AB CM001, this is true when comparing it to their VM-series. The cushioning construction is a combination of the the insole, which is called “Cloudy Cush” and the actual cupsole. It absorbs regular impact very well and it plays well together with the shoe’s stability and padded upper, to create a cohesive cushioning feeling. Overall, the CM001 is definitely recommended for medium-impact skating.

SHAPE

The Last Resort AB CM001 is definitely a slim-fitting silhouette. This leads to a shoe that is cut very close to the foot, especially in the heel and forefoot area, while the midfoot area is slightly roomier. The heel and midfoot area run parallel and the shape starts narrowing in the toe area to end in a rather square toebox. The shoe offered a great flick and allows plenty of control while doing flip tricks. The leather and suede materials also helped to hold the rigidity of the shoe throughout the 10-hour test.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Creating a new sole construction to improve stability and cushioning could lead to reducing boardfeel. But, the boardfeel of the CM001 is very good for a cupsole. As shown in the cutted picture, the cupsole has a special combination of a skeleton pattern and a foam wedge. This makes the shoe flexible right out the box without sacrificing stability and cushioning in the heel. The sole and insole are thin in the forefoot and due to its flex grooves, the sole can mold onto the griptape for maximal surface contact. 

When it comes to grip, the shoe performs solid. The sole held up extremely well during our 10 hour wear test and the grip feels balanced but is not really sticky, which some skaters prefer. In that regard, positioning your foot comes easier than with some of the very sticky vulcanized models.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

The CM001 has some flaws when it comes to comfort. Firstly, the shoe is a bit more on the heavy side and despite its great stability function, the leather is not giving much room for ventilation. Also, the tongue is not fixed by straps, which leads to a lot of side to side movement with the tongue. On the positive side of things, the lining, the padding in the heel area and the tongue work well together for a comfortable feeling.

The stability of the shoe is extremely good. The high cut heel area in combination with heel reinforcements, along with the the rigid quality leather and stable cupsole, help the CM001 shine. The heel design also helps to prevent a slippage feeling occur, even when the shoe got became a bit moist with the lack of ventilation. Although the shoe is slim fitting, the midfoot area felt a bit too roomy.

SUMMARY

Last Resort AB’s first cupsole model has excellent durability, along with great boardfeel and stability. The shoe is well suited for medium impact skating. The model showed flaws on the comfort and grip side. Overall, it’s a fun model to skate and a great offering in terms of price and value.

The post Last Resort AB CM001 appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

SIZING

The shoe fits slightly bigger so we recommend going half a size down.

DURABILITY

The most dominant features of the new Last Resort AB VM004 model are both the T-shape toe cap and the sole’s foxing tape. Both features uphold the clean-cut design of the silhouette, and highlight the shoe’s overall durability. If you take a look at the critical-wear areas, you can see that the shoe performed excellent after ten hours of skating. The seams connecting the main upper piece with the eyelet reinforcement and toe piece did not rip during the wear test. This is a huge benefit because when seams do rip, a shoe tends to lose their shape and structure. The VM004 kept its shape and protected the seams due to the stable vulcanized construction with a high foxing tape. The sole is really protecting the upper from abrasion and is actually the most noticeable area with signs of wear. The eyelets for the laces are also positioned higher up and closer to each other. This minimizes the surface area of contact, which helped protect the laces extremely well. The areas which showed most signs of wear was the top of the eyelet reinforcement where the stitching ripped actually already after the first session. Also, the sole’s profile started to run down in the forefoot area after 10 hours of skating. Nevertheless, the overall durability of the VM004 is good.

CUSHIONING

The cushioning abilities of the VM004 model have improved, compared to previous Last Resort AB models. The reason is the newly introduced and removable insole called Cloudy Cush. The picture of the shoe’s profile shows that the yellow insole is higher in the heel and lower in the toe area, which offers more cushioning in the critical heel area. The sole itself is still very thin and the foam insole does its job of creating a good step-in feeling while providing decent cushioning abilities. Overall, Last Resort AB stands true to their direction of creating boardfeel orientated shoes by taking advantage of their start-up mentality to listen to consumer feedback and offering relevant improvements with every drop.

SHAPE

Shape is an important element of the VM004. The shoe is slim, tight and functionally designed for high durability (as you can see from the raised eyelets intended for lace protection). The shape also felt like a impactful improvement. Previous models tended to feel a bit loose on the foot when first worn and needed time to wear in, but not the VM004. The shoe felt like it had an improved upper and from the first session, the shoe felt close to the feet and quite stable. An advantage of the T-shape toe cap was to also increase structure and overall stiffness. The heel and midfoot area run parallel and the shape starts narrowing in the toe area to end in a nice pointy toebox. 

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Creating a new insole to improve cushioning could lead to reducing boardfeel. However, in the case of the VM004, the boardfeel was still excellent. Last Resort AB emphasized a lot on the sole pattern design, with the pattern running rather wide to avoid small stones getting stuck in the sole, which is also complemented by a finer sole pattern in the area where grip is most needed. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which lead to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our 10-hour weartest and it performed very well. Boardfeel of the shoe was good; the insole flattens out much more in the first third of the shoe and the midsole itself is fairly thin, which provided for a responsive board feel for the feet.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

As a vulcanized model, the VM004 features adequate stability, but still can’t be compared to the stability of a cupsole model. The heel is soft, but the brown leather material chosen for the heel construction grips the ankle really well, preventing a slippage feeling. The inner construction is very simple, with almost no overlaying materials, which helps reduces the risk of pressure points.

SUMMARY

The Last Resort AB VM004 features premium quality materials and stands out with its impressive durability, boardfeel and grip, solidifying its status as one of the top vulcanized skateboard shoes on the market. The previously mentioned flaws of Last Resort AB’s cushioning has definitely improved, however the shoe’s stability is still not meant to jump down big sets of stairs.

The post Last Resort AB VM004 appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

SIZING

The shoe fits lightly bigger so we recommend going half a size down.

DURABILITY

Last Resort simplified their previous model VM002 and introduced the VM003, without the toe cap and in canvas. Both features are important in helping increase durability so this section of the review was particularly important to see how the VM003 performed in the 10 hour wear test. In summary, the VM003, for a canvas vulcanized model has pretty solid durability. The areas which showed most signs of wear was the sidewall area and the frontal part of the shoe, where a hole in the canvas appeared. More often than not, skating a canvas shoe usually leads to holes, rips through the sock and leads to bleeding feet. When it came to the VM003, there was an additional material layer under the canvas, which was made out of a durable and soft material that helped increase the lifespan of the shoe. The VM003 also kept its shape and protected the seams of the shoe, thanks to the very stable vulcanized construction and high foxing tape. This feature also helped protect the shoe’s upper from abrasion; the height of the sole and the foxing tape helped to withstand all 10 hours of skating with plenty of life left in it. The eyelets for the laces are also positioned higher up and closer to each other, minimizing the surface area of contact, which helped protect the laces well.

CUSHIONING

When talking about the Last Resort AB shoes, Pontus Alv recently mentioned in an interview in Solo Skateboard Magazine that “these shoes are not constructed to jump down big gaps”. At least he’s honest. With that said, the cushioning abilities of the Last Resort AB VM003 model were definitely average. The sole itself is very thin, which decreases its cushioning abilities. The picture of the shoe’s profile shows a glued in insole  (all Last Resort models’ insole are glued in) that is higher in the heel and lower in the toe area. This slightly thicker molded PU insole is made out of two foam hardness which creates a nice step-in and walking feeling, but it still can’t keep up with skating big gaps.

SHAPE

Shape is an important design element of the VM003. The shoe is very slim, tight and functionally designed to protect the laces. When first worn, the shoe feels extremely flexible. The heel and midfoot area run parallel and the shape starts narrowing in the toe area to end in a nice pointy toebox. One important thing to mention that was specifically noticed on the VM003 is the comparison of the first step in and how the shoe developed after 2-3 sessions: at the beginning the model may feel a bit loose on the foot, but don’ trust that first feeling! Once broken in, the comfort and the shape really adapt to the feet and the shape of the shoe hugs the feet closely.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Since the shoe features basic cushioning qualities, the boardfeel is excellent. Last Resort AB emphasized a lot on the sole pattern design, with the pattern running rather wide to avoid small stones getting stuck in the sole, which is also complemented by a finer sole pattern in the area where grip is most needed. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which leads to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our 10-hour weartest and it performed very well with a lot of life left in them for future sessions. Boardfeel of the shoe was good; the thin insole flattens out much more in the first third of the shoe and the midsole itself is fairly thin, which provided for a responsive board feel for the feet.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

As a canvas model, the VM003 features adequate stability, but still can’t be compared to stability of a vulcanized suede or even a cupsole model. Since the shoe is slim and has a rather low cut, it fits to your foot very well after two to three sessions. The shoe does not have many elements of support, so it is quite soft but feels also broken in from the beginning. The heel is quite soft, but the material choice for the heel construction grips the ankle, preventing the feeling of slippage when skating and walking. The inner construction is very simple, almost no overlaying materials which helps reduces the risk of pressure points.

SUMMARY

The Last Resort AB VM003 is the most simple silhouette offered from their three models. With that, the shoe features incredible boardfeel and grip, as well as solid durability, for a vulcanized canvas model. The only flaw noticed were the shoe’s cushioning features and the stability. Overall, the VM003 is designed for the skaters who like the close feel of their board and a well balanced grip!

The post Last Resort AB VM003 appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

Sizing

The shoe fits lightly bigger so we recommend to go half a size down.

Durability

The most dominant features of the new Last Resort AB VM002 model are both the toe cap and the sole’s foxing tape. Both features uphold the clean-cut design of the silhouette, and highlight the shoe’s overall durability. If you take a look at the in the critical-wear areas of the shoe, you can see that the shoe performed excellent after ten hours of skating. The seams connecting the main upper piece with the suede eyelet reinforcement and the seams connecting to the toe piece did not rip during the weartest, which helped prolong the lifespan of the shoe. This is a huge benefit because when seams do rip, the shoes tend to lose their shape and structure. The VM002 also kept its shape and protected the seams due to the very stable vulcanized construction with a high foxing tape. The sole is protecting the upper from abrasion and is actually the most noticeable area with signs of wear. Nevertheless, the height of the sole and the foxing tape helped to withstand all ten hours of skating and the shoe would had plenty of life left in it. The eyelets for the laces are also positioned higher up and closer to each other, minimizing the surface area of contact, which helped protect the laces extremely well. The areas which showed most signs of wear was the sidewall area, where a hole in the suede appeared, and the suede heel collar got some wear. Nevertheless, the overall durability of the VM002 is very good.

Cushioning

The cushioning abilities of the Last Resort AB VM002 model are average. The sole itself is very thin, which decreases its cushioning abilities. The picture of the shoe’s profile shows an insole that is higher in the heel and lower in the toe area. This slightly thicker molded PU insole is made out of two foam hardnesses which creates a nice step-in and walking feeling, however, it cannot keep up with skating big gaps.

Shape

Shape is an important design element of the VM002. The shoe is very slim, tight and functionally designed to increase durability and protect the laces. When first worn, the shoe feels flexible right away, and after 2-3 sessions, the construction breaks in more softly and adapts really well to the foot, especially due to the tight lacing. The most impressive characteristic of the shoe was that it kept its shape the whole time due to the high quality material choices. No soggy sidewalls and no rippled suede toe pieces came up. The heel and midfoot area run parallel and the shape starts narrowing in the toe area to end in a nice pointy toebox.

Board FeelI&IGrip

Since the shoe features basic cushioning qualities, the boardfeel is excellent. Last Resort AB emphasized a lot on the sole pattern design, with the pattern is running rather wide to avoid small stones getting stuck in the sole, but also featuring a finer sole pattern in the area where grip is most needed. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which lead to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our ten hour weartest and it performed very well with a lot of life left in them for future sessions. Boardfeel of the shoe was good; the thin insole flattens out much more in the first third of the shoe and the midsole itself is fairly thin, which provided for a responsive board feel for the feet.

ComfortI&IStability

The VM002 has a solid stability. Since the shoe is slim and high cut, it fits to your foot very well. The shoe doesn’t have too many elements of support, but due to its slim shape and the strength of the materials, it hugs the foot closely and leaves a very secure feeling. Although the shoe becomes softer over time, it does maintain its structural strength throughout the whole time skating as it was designed with a stable construction in mind. The heel is rather soft, but the material choice for the heel construction grips the ankle, preventing the feeling of slippage when skating and walking.

Summary

The Last Resort AB VM002 features premium quality materials and stands out with its impressive durability, boardfeel and grip, solidifying its status as one of the top vulcanized skateboard shoes on the market. The only flaw noticed were the shoe’s cushioning features, but then again, who’s really out there skating El Toro every session?

The post Last Resort AB VM002 appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

Sizing

The shoe fits lightly bigger so we recommend to go half a size down.

Durability

The clean-cut design of the VM001 Hi silhouette is the true highlight of the shoe’s overall durability, but don’t mistake simplicity as a weakness. Last Resort AB has added a bunch of details and features to further improve the shoe’s performance and lifespan. The most notable feature of the shoe is the one piece upper made out of a high quality and very thick suede which did not show any signs of wear after our 10 hour test, except for typical lights spots on black suede where the griptape contact is the strongest. The seam connecting the upper with the suede eyelet reinforcement element ripped, but since the suede was thicker than usual, both elements stayed in shape. The VM001 Hi features a very stable vulcanized construction.  The sole is protecting the upper from abrasion and is actually the most noticeable area with signs of  wear. Nevertheless, the height of the sole and the foxing tape helped to withstand all 10 hours of skating and the shoe would had plenty of life left in it. The eyelets for the laces are also positioned higher up and closer to each other, minimizing the surface area of contact, which helped protect the laces extremely well. Overall the durability of the VM001 Hi is very good.

Cushioning

The cushioning abilities of the Last Resort AB VM001 model are average. The sole itself is very thin, which decreases its cushioning abilities. The picture of the shoe’s profile shows an insole that is higher in the heel and lower in the toe area. This slightly thicker molded PU insole is made out of two foam hardnesses which creates a nice step-in feeling, but even so, those habitual 10 stair skaters will still be left without much protection.

Shape

Shape is an important design element for the VM001. The shoe is very slim, tight and functionally designed to increase durability and protect the laces. When first worn, the shoe feels quite flexible, and after 2-3 sessions, the construction breaks in more softly and adapts really well to the foot. The most impressive characteristic of the shoe was that it kept its shape the whole time due to the high quality material choices. The heel and midfoot area run parallel and the shape starts narrowing in the toe area to end in a nice pointy toebox.

Board FeelI&IGrip

Since the shoe features basic cushioning qualities, the boardfeel is excellent. Last Resort AB emphasized a lot on the sole pattern design, with the pattern is running rather wide to avoid small stones getting stuck in the sole, but also featuring a finer sole pattern in the area where grip is most needed. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which leads to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our 10-hr test and performed very well with a lot of life left in them for future sessions. Boardfeel of the shoe was good; the thin insole flattens out much more in the first third of the shoe and the midsole itself is fairly thin, which provided for a responsive board feel for the feet.

ComfortI&IStability

The VM001 Hi satisfies when it comes to stability. Since the shoe is slim and high cut, it fits to your foot very well. The shoe doesn’t have too many elements of support, but because it is slim fit and the strength of the materials, it hugs the foot closely and leaves a very secure feeling. Although the shoe becomes softer over time, it does maintain its structural strength throughout the whole time skating as it was designed with a stable construction in mind. The heel is rather soft, but the material choice for the heel construction grips the ankle, preventing a slippage feeling.

Summary

The Last Resort AB VM001 HI features premium quality materials and stands out with its impressive durability, boardfeel and grip, solidifying its status as one of the top vulcanized skateboard shoes on the market. The only flaw noticed were the shoe’s cushioning features, but then again, who’s really out there skating El Toro every session?

The post Last Resort AB VM001 Hi appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.