Their lineup so far has been simple: durable, no-nonsense skate shoes that get the job done. But their latest drop, the Leggerezza FB, digs deeper into the brand’s archives. It’s a mash-up rooted in vintage football shoes, originally inspired by 90s handball models. (Fun fact: handball started outdoors before moving indoors, which explains the blend of traction and style.) The result? A leather silhouette that merges grippy court function with old-school football flair.

A few months back, Asics Skateboarding dropped a sleek New York edit featuring Gino Iannucci, Sully Cormier, Victor Campillo, and Mark Humienik cruising the city in the Leggerezza. The video had that raw-yet-polished vibe that made the shoes and the skating look effortlessly smooth. Honestly, upon first impression the shoes gave off serious Busenitz energy, which only made us more curious. So, of course, we had to grab a pair and put them through a proper weartest. Read on to see if Asics’ football-meets-handball hybrid actually holds up on a board.

SIZING

The Asics Leggerezza fits true to size.

DURABILITY

The Asics Leggerezza, despite its clean and minimal look, proved to be impressively durable for several reasons, chief among them, the one-piece toebox. With no separate panels or stitching that could tear apart, this design eliminates potential weak spots in high-wear zones. After testing, no holes were observed in the upper’s toe area, and the Ollie zone, where the toebox connects to the midfoot, remained solid and intact.

Another key factor behind the shoe’s toughness is its cupsole construction. While the sidewalls aren’t especially tall, the junction between the upper and the sole held up remarkably well. The most visible wear appeared in the kickflip zone, but even there, the damage was minimal. The outsole’s wide and deep tread pattern also contributed to its longevity; after roughly ten hours of skating, the sole still retained significant depth and traction, even in the areas that took the most abuse.

CUSHIONING

The Asics Leggerezza focuses on boardfeel but still offers surprisingly good cushioning for such a thin cupsole. The sole construction is quite interesting. It uses a slim cupsole that contains two layers of foam, one firm for stability and one soft for shock absorption, with an additional glued in foam insole on top for extra comfort.

During our 10 hour wear test, the sole handled small to medium impacts with ease, effectively absorbing shock without feeling bulky. Overall, for such a thin cupsole, the Asics Leggerezza stands out with an impressive balance of board control and cushioning performance.

SHAPE

The Asics Leggerezza has a slim silhouette that fits closely around the foot in every area. Its clean, pointed shape provides excellent flick and plenty of control during flip tricks. The leather also feels thicker than expected, helping the shoe maintain its structure and support throughout the 10 hour wear test.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

The Asics Leggerezza’s cupsole does not quite match the grip of vulcanized shoes, but the soft and flexible sole still creates enough friction to keep the feet securely planted. The grip benefits from the sole’s flexibility, which adapts well to the concave and maximizes contact between the shoe and the deck. Overall, the sole offers a moderate level of grip.

The thin sole design also enhances boardfeel. The sole requires no break-in time and feels ready to skate straight out of the box, thanks to its natural flexibility. The shoe delivers a very direct connection to the board, something rarely found in cupsole models. With minimal material between the foot and the deck at the front, the boardfeel is exceptional. In the end, the Asics Leggerezza’s boardfeel easily competes with, and in some ways surpasses, many vulcanized soles, giving it a distinct and refined feel on the board.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

The Asics Leggerezza is a comfortable shoe. Its minimalist design and thin sole make it very light on the feet. The tongue centering straps, along with the padding in the heel, tongue, and forefoot, as well as the dual density foam midsole, all contribute to a pleasant fit and smooth skating experience.

Cupsole shoes usually provide more support than vulcanized models, and for such a thin cupsole, the Asics Leggerezza offers solid stability. The close fit around the foot adds to that secure feeling. A standout detail is the padding in the toe area, which feels surprisingly protective despite the slim appearance, while still keeping enough softness for a clean flick. The heel support also enhances the sense of stability. Overall, the shoe delivers a light, comfortable ride with a level of support and control that goes beyond expectations.

SUMMARY

Asics surprised us once again. The Asics Leggerezza stands out with its durability, comfort, and great boardfeel, all while offering solid cushioning. Grip is its weakest aspect, but it still performs at a respectable level overall.

The post Asics Leggerezza appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.

Unlike other brands flooding the market, ASICS is taking a measured approach. Their skate lineup remains tight—just three to five models depending on your region—anchored by the Vickka Pro and Japan Pro. Rather than chasing hype, they’re focused on authenticity, planting roots in the skate scene the right way.

With that philosophy in mind, we got our hands on the ASICS VIC NBD. While it looked like a low-profile silhouette in clips, in person, the shoe revealed a ton of thoughtful design details we couldn’t wait to test. Interestingly, the VIC NBD draws inspiration from the outsole of the 1989 GEL-EXTREME, a high-performance basketball shoe that’s now considered retro gold. ASICS Skateboarding has taken that legacy and reengineered it—boosting its cushioning and durability to meet the demands of modern skating. Naturally, we had to see for ourselves. Read on to find out how they held up.

SIZING

The Asics Vic NBD  fits true to size.

DURABILITY

The ASICS Vic NBD features an intriguing mix of materials in its upper construction, with one side crafted from durable suede and the other from lightweight, breathable mesh. A reinforced suede toe cap adds extra protection in a high-wear area. Over the course of our 10-hour wear test, the suede toe cap showed some signs of abrasion, but the rest of the upper remained virtually untouched—a testament to the thoughtful material choices.

Much of the shoe’s durability comes from its robust sole construction. The outsole is notably thick and made from a harder rubber compound that proved highly resistant to wear, most likely inspired by the retro basketball days. While this contributes to impressive longevity, it does come with a trade-off: the hard outsole material made it noticeably harder to flick during flip tricks, which may be a drawback for more technical skaters.

CUSHIONING

The cushioning on the ASICS Vic NBD strikes a well-balanced feel. Its construction features a thin cupsole, a foam wedge made from ASICS’ FF BLAST material, and a cushioned foam insole. The foam wedge is the primary source of impact protection in the midfoot and heel, but the high sidewalls of the outsole also play a key role—they allow the foot to sink slightly into the shoe, offering not just underfoot cushioning but also added lateral support and containment. Overall, this setup performed well in our wear test, effectively absorbing medium-impact landings while maintaining board feel and stability.

SHAPE

The ASICS Vic NBD has a unique shape with two distinct visual impressions. From a top-down view, the shoe features a slim, snug-fitting upper paired with a relatively wide sole—an element that actually helps provide added protection against ankle rolls. However, from the side or in photos, the shoe appears bulkier, largely due to the thicker-looking sole construction. Despite this visual contrast, the fit while skating feels tight and secure across the entire foot. The silhouette runs parallel through the midfoot and tapers into a nicely pointed toe, giving it a precise, responsive feel on the board.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

From a sole construction standpoint, the ASICS Vic NBD checks all the boxes for solid boardfeel. The forefoot is thin, with minimal material between the foot and the board, allowing for precise contact. However, the boardfeel took a few sessions to fully develop, as the outsole was initially quite stiff and needed time to break in. After about three sessions, the shoe began to mold to the griptape, and the boardfeel improved noticeably—remaining consistently sharp from that point on.

That said, the trade-off for the outsole’s impressive durability is a slight compromise in grip. The harder, more abrasion-resistant rubber sacrifices some stickiness compared to softer outsoles, which typically offer better grip but wear down faster. As a result, the Vic NBD’s grip lands at an average level for a cupsole—not bad, but not exceptional either.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

The ASICS Vic NBD stands out for its comfort, thanks to a combination of thoughtful design choices. First, the padded tongue and collar offer a snug yet comfortable fit, minimizing unwanted foot movement inside the shoe. Second, the tongue is secured with internal straps that keep it firmly in place during sessions. Third, the mixed-material upper—featuring suede on one side and lightweight mesh on the other—helps reduce overall weight, especially considering the shoe’s robust sole.

Stability is another strong suit of the Vic NBD. The wide, stable sole combined with the slim-fitting upper creates a locked-in, confident feel while skating. The heel area is particularly well-reinforced, with multiple structural layers that help the shoe maintain its shape even after 10 hours of wear testing. However, one trade-off comes in the form of the large mesh panel: while it enhances breathability and comfort, it slightly reduces upper stability compared to a full-suede or leather construction.

SUMMARY

The ASICS Vic NBD delivers standout stability, durability, and boardfeel, with grip and flick performance that may take a bit more time to dial in.

The post Asics Vic NBD appeared first on Weartested - detailed skate shoe reviews.