Sizing

The HUF Dylan Slip On fits true to size.

Durability

The HUF Dylan Slip On features an all suede upper that lasted incredibly during the whole 10 hour test period, despite a small hole appearing in the Ollie-area. The durability of the shoe is definitely good; the quality of suede that HUF chose to use for this shoe is no doubt one of the better quality suedes we have skated. Moreover, the toebox area consists of a rather large panel, which held up very well against the abuse of the griptape. The stitching used to hold the panels together are located in the sidewall area where it is well protected from griptape abuse.

Cushioning

The cushioning of the HUF Dylan Slip On is minimalistic. The cut clearly shows that it is a combination of a thin sole construction, combined with a thick foam insole. The sole itself is still too thin though, which decreases its cushioning abilities. To counter that, HUF uses a thicker foam insole, which increases in thickness as it tapers towards the heel. This design does improve cushioning, but still, all the stair jumpers will be left without much protection.

Shape

Shape is a crucial design element for the HUF Dylan Slip On. The shoe fits how it looks; it is very tight and long. Its entry area is really slim as well, but the shoe does widen out towards the mid-foot-area. The toebox itself is slim and pointy; overall, people with slim feet will enjoy this model much more.

Boardfeel and grip

Since the shoe doesn’t over-do it when it comes to cushioning, the boardfeel of the shoe shines. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which in combination with its great grip, leads to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our 10-hr test. The sole features a special HUF sole pattern which is very flexible so the shoe can really cover a large surface area on the griptape which increases grip.

Comfort and stability

The HUF Dylan Slip On leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to comfort. Since it is slim cut, it fits your foot very well. The inner construction of the slip on is minimalistic, which helps that there are no pressure points. Regarding stability, the Dylan Slip On performed average. Although, HUF has used high quality suede that holds up the shoe’s shape and structure very well, the heel area lacks a bit of support.

Summary

The classic silhouette of the HUF Dylan Slip On has a strong focus on boardfeel and grip,  and the durability of the shoe was extremely positive, but the construction falls a bit short on heel stability and cushioning.

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Here’s how we at Weartested broke the shoe down. Enjoy.

Sizing

The HUF Gillette fits rather small, so we would advise you to try it on in the skateshop of your choice.

Durability

The HUF Gillette is exceptionally durable. Its whole toebox and general front foot area is lacking any major seams and made of extremely durable nubuck leather. This is perfectly designed for durability since most skateboard-related signs of use can first be seen in those areas. The seam which connects the toe area upper with the mid and heel section upper is sewn in the interior so there is no open seam which can be destroyed by the griptape. Since there are no critical seams around that area, ollie holes or other openings were fully prevented. Although the nubuck leather showed signs of wear, only the first layer wore down, in the case of our colorway the actual light brown area. Don’t get irritated by the black spot in the kickflip area, it developed within the first two sessions but there was no signs of a hole. The eylets for the laces are rather wide up and close to each other, which means the laces are protected pretty good as well.

Cushioning

The cushioning abilities of Austyn Gillette’s pro model are below average. The profile picture clearly shows a sole that is higher in the heel and lower in the toe area. The sole itself is still too thin though, which decreases its cushioning abilities. To counter that, HUF uses a thicker molded PU insole, which improves cushioning, but still, all the 10 stair jumpers will be left without much protection.

Shape

Shape is an important design element for the HUF Gillette. It is very slim and tight. In the beginning the shoe might feel a bit hard and stiff, but it gets softer after 2-3 sessions and the shoe adapts really well to the foot. The toe area is rather slim, but the model gets wider towards the mid-foot-area. The toebox itself is slim and pointy; overall, people with slimmer feet will especially enjoy this model.

Boardfeel and grip

Since the shoe features basic cushioning qualities, boardfeel is good and above average. 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 can be evaluated as good. Then again, the sole does not feature any special structuring or grooves to increase flex. Shape and design are more influential on flex, which decreases from toe to heel. By the way, the heel of the sole is elevated higher than the sole, but is not noticeable when skating.

Comfort and stability

The Gillette leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to stability. Since it is slim cut, it fits your foot very well. With that said, this slim silhouette also has its negative points; it’s pretty easy to get blisters on your toes, depending on the shape of your foot. The shoe is really hard in the beginning, gets softer, but maintains its strength throughout the whole time skating since the model has been designed with stable form in mind. The heel is very hard, which adds to the support but is also very thin. This can be noticed when your board hits you in the heel area. Regarding comfort, the Gillette performs below average. The design of the shoe itself proves some disadvantages when regarding comfort. No padding in a skateshoe takes some time to get used to.

Summary

The HUF Gillette features not only one of the most developed designs in the skateboard industry, it also excels when it comes down to durability, which is far beyond industry standards. Boardfeel, grip and stability are the strength’s of the shoe as well. Its below average cushioning and comfort, were some elements we were not too fond of.

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High quality pdf: HUF Dylan Weartested

Sizing

The HUF Dylan fits rather small (see the chapter about shape), so we would advise you to try it on in the skateshop of your choice.

Durability

The HUF Dylan is exceptionally durable. Its whole toebox and general front foot area is lacking any major seams and made of extremely durable suede. This makes sense since most skateboard-related signs of use can first be seen in those areas. The suede revealed hardly any signs of wear, and the leather did not even show the usual slight grooves caused by griptape contact. Since there are no critical seams around that area, ollie holes or other openings were fully prevented. The eylets for the laces are rather wide up and close to each other, which means the laces are protected pretty good as well. Even the rubber around the usual flick area showed hardly any signs of wear.

Cushioning

The cushioning abilities of the HUF Dylan are rather average. The cut clearly shows that a combination of traditional sole construction combined with some innovative design elements were used. The sole itself features a slightly higher heel than its frontal area, which leads to a nice fit and protection of the heel. The sole itself is still too thin though, which decreases its cushioning abilities. To counter that, HUF uses a thicker foam insole, which gets thicker towards the heel. It improves cushioning, but still, all the stair jumpers will be left without much protection.

Shape

Shape is a crucial design element for the HUF Dylan. It is very tight and long. Its entry area is really slim as well, but the shoe gets wider towards the mid-foot-area. The toebox itself is slim and pointy; overall, people with slimmer feet will enjoy this model much more.

Boardfeel and grip

Since the shoe features basic qualities when it comes to cushioning, boardfeel is rather good. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is really thin, which in combination with its great grip, leads to great contact with the board. Grip did not decrease throughout our 10-hr test. Then again, the sole does not feature any special structure or grooves to increase flex. Shape and design are more influential on flex, which decreases from toe to heel.

Comfort and stability

The Dylan leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to comfort and stability. Since it is slim cut, it fits your foot very well. This slim silhouette also has its negative points; it’s pretty easy to get blisters on your toes, depending on the shape of your foot. However, apart from that, one can’t complain, since the HUF Dylan feels extremely light and reliable. Stability feels great as well, even though at first the sole seems to be a little off-putting. But after walking in it, it can be quickly realized that the wider parts of the sole provide exceptional stability, especially in combination with the shoe’s slim shape and cut, and its high quality leather. Moreover, the cut of the shoe lead to another surprise: The sole in the heel area hides about a 2 cm wide and 10 cm long metal plate, to improve stiffness and shape stability there. Very interesting approach.

Summary

The HUF Dylan does not only feature a very interesting and bold design, it also excels when it comes down to durability, which is far beyond industry standard. Boardfeel, grip and stability are great as well. However, its really slim shape and average (at best) cushioning, were some elements we were not too fond of.

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HUF has grown out of the former shop in San Francisco and has earned their stripes in the skateboard world; not only with their clothes, but also with a shoe collection. Not only the brand grows from year to year, but also the team that has been expanded with the likes of Austyn Gillette and Dylan Rieder last year. Thus, HUF has released several new models in 2014, including the Galaxy. The Galaxy fits with its simple design perfectly in the balanced shoe collection from HUF as well as to the style of the team riders. We have tested the shoe to find out how it skates.

Sizing

Durability

The toecap of the HUF Galaxy is made out of one suede piece, which helps to increase the durability in this area. The transition from the toecap to the lateral area is held together by a solid seam that is stitched from the inside. Thus, the seam holds up really well und there are no signs of holes in this usually critical zone. Therefore, the shoe offers almost no targets for abrasion and the suede contributes to the good durability as well. The perforated “H” can be highlighted as a successful design element. It is important for the design of the shoe and yet offers no possibility for abrasion, making it stylish and practical. The lateral outsole is very thick, thus increasing the durability, significantly in the kickflip area. Unfortunately, the longevity of the bottom sole is average. Although the sole pattern are coarse designed, it showed after 10 hours testing bare areas, whereby it is assumable the grip will decrease with further use.

Cushioning

The cushioning of vulcanized soles are known for not being as good as the likes of cupsoles. The HUF Galaxy confirms this, but possesses nevertheless a sufficient balance between cushioning and board feel. As seen in the cross-section, the heel area is slightly thicker than the toe area. The honeycomb structure around the heel creates a cushioning effect, so to speak, a “crumple zone”. However, since it is not so high it can only absorb impacts up to a certain degree. In addition, the sockliner also creates a slightly absorbing feeling.

Shape

The HUF Galaxy has a slim silhouette. Due to the narrow cut of the shoe, it moulds very close to the foot, which creates a direct contact with the board. The slim side panels taper from the front third to a rounded point. The model provides a very good flick and flip tricks can be controlled with ease through the direct contact between board and shoe as well as the tapered shape.

Boardfeel and grip

Overall, the Galaxy has a rather low height difference from the heel to the toe cap area. The sole design is very thin in the first third, making it possible for a direct, sufficient board feeling. In addition, the entire sole is extremely flexible, allowing it to adapt well to the concave.  A flexible sole typically improves the grip of the shoe. This stands true to the HUF Galaxy. The model has a balanced grip without sticking too much to the griptape. As already mentioned in the durability chapter, the bottom of the sole is showing signs of abrasion but the grip has not been as affected as first suspected. However, it is likely that the grip will decrease with further use.

Comfort and stability

The good grip and the slim silhouette are very comfortable. Since the shoe, especially in the heel area, fits very close to the foot it creates a comfortable fit. The nearly seam-free interior in combination with a good overall quality, further enhances comfort. Weight and ventilation are not strengths of HUF Galaxy, but they are also not considered as weaknesses. The weight is for a vulcanized shoe in midfield. Although the shoe has two ventilation holes, it is not enough that the warm air can circulate from inside to outside. Additionally, a high-cut heel makes sure that the shoe fits close to the foot. This also increases the stability and results in a secure feeling. The shape stability has been recognized as very positive. The forefoot is reinforced with additional seams, thus the suede gets no waves and keeps its form. The side panels and the heel have also kept their stiffness over the test period of 10 hours.

Summary

The HUF Galaxy proves that a skate shoe does not have to be unnecessarily complicated. Apart from minor weaknesses such as the durability of the sole patterns and rather average cushioning, the Galaxy is completely convincing, particularly through its general durability, its flick and very good form stability.

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Etnies

Etnies revealed at the Bright Tradeshow a mix of both very technical and classical models. Etnies has extended the Marana “Bloodline” with the introduction of a vulcanized Marana version, as well as an even more technical Marana model.

Emerica

After Emerica’s perpetual streak of releasing new models in the last two years, it was deemed time to facelift a model, or two. Righteously so, the Reynolds and the popular Bryan Herman Pro Model “G6” have been updated with a classic vulcanized sole. Thus, the Emerica collection has broadened even more and the #HigherQuality campaign starts this year in the next round.

HUF

HUF has outgrown the small shop in San Francisco for several years now and has earned their place in the skateboard universe with not only their clothes, but also their shoe collection. Last year, the team has expanded with the addition of Austyn Gillette and Dylan Rieder. Dylan is known for his extravagant shoe and clothing style, most notably after the release of his model with pre-HUF sponsor, Gravis. HUF was not afraid to back Dylan’s style and has helped design him another unconventional model. In addition, HUF showcased new colors for the already established shoe models and new additions to their clothing collection.

Vans

Vans had one of the largest booths and focused, like many other companies at Bright, on already established models for fall 2014. Our focuses were mainly on the Chima Pro and the recently released Gilbert Crocket Pro model. However, a new model that will be introduced this year will be the AV Classic, an Anthony van Engelen signature shoe. The model features a classic design with a lot of hidden technological attributes such as a Duracap element in the typical ollie-hole area.

DVS

DVS is fully back and that will continue in 2014. They were one of the few companies that presented several new models, including a new model for Chocolate Pro, Chico Brenes. Likewise, Torey Pudwill will get a shoe that comes with a Velcro closure which is aimed to protect the laces and also improve the stability.

Part 2 coming soon…

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High Quality PDF file: Gravis Dylan Slip On review

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