Sizing

The shoe fits true to size.

Durability

The Nyjah 2’s upper is a 360 construction featuring a sandblasted rubber compound and added mesh panels; the shoe’s durability was extremely surprising. At first glance, the rubber compound that surrounds the shoe seems a bit skeptical for the suede/canvas shoe skater, but Nike and Nyjah chose the rubber compound specifically to enhance the durability of the model and extend the shoe’s lifespan. After ten hours of skating, it was obvious that the upper held up very well with no signs of wear; and seemed that the only element of the shoe that would give out first would be a gradual tear through the lining between the shoe’s outsole and rubber compound. The sandblasted rubber compound extends through all possible flick points of the shoe, and is fused together, instead of stitched together, which leaves almost no critical points of stitching open for the grippe to break through. One great design feature is the first pair of hidden eyelets beneath the rubber compound, that prevents your shoelaces from ripping after doing higher ollies/kickflips that require more dragging on the griptape. The durability of the shoe was one of the biggest highlights of skating the Nyjah 2’s.

Cushioning

The shoe features a cupsole construction and is designed to withstand the huge impacts that Nyjah himself faces when skating big handrails and sets. A lot of skate shoes add impact support in the sockliner, as it’s the most direct-to-foot layer of the sole. However after pulling out the Nyjah 2’s sockliner, we were stunned as to how extremely thin it was. After skating a few sets and medium gaps, the cushioning of the shoe did very well, with no impact to the heels whatsoever. The Nyjah 2’s cushioning support is focused around the midsole of the shoe, which features a similar Nike SB “Tristar” midsole found in the Nyjah 1. The Nyjah 2’s midsole actually has a thick separately wedged out component made from Nike Free technology, which is visible from the medial angle. The Tristar midsole absorbs the majority of impacts, which allows the thin sockliner to provide better boardfeel when skating.

Shape

It’s quite interesting to find a skate shoe that has a technical upper similar to running shoes, but adapted with a flat sole, naturally found with skate shoes. At first glance, the slim silhouette shape of the Nyjah 2 seems narrow, and when you look down at the shoe, it looks like it’s an athletic shoe with a pointed toebox. After putting on the shoes, we found that the shoe was quite spacious, even for those with wider feet.

Board Feel & Grip

As mentioned earlier, the shoe’s sockliner was extremely thin, which served more as an element to enhance the boardfeel of the shoe. The Tristar midsole wedge also ends where the forefoot starts, so the compound used in the forefoot area is more compact and direct, allowing the foot to gauge the concave of the board better. For those used to skating suede shoes, the grip of the Nyjah 2 will take some time getting used to. The rubber compound will seem a bit slick at first, but does break in better when combined with the grip of the outsole for flip tricks. The sole of the shoe also features the signature Tristar tread, and has added traction support in certain critical areas, where other areas are focused more for flex.

Comfort and Stability

The comfort of the Nyjah 2 was above average. The inner construction of the shoe features a padded heel collar and neoprene lining, that helps wick away sweat and almost provides a bit of a cooling effect for the feet. We always complain about the breathability of shoes as well, but the Nyjah 2’s overall design showcased the importance of breathability as an element of comfort when skating. The shoe features elongated mesh panels on the forefoot that allow heat to escape from the tops of your feet. It seemed a bit daunting to leave the top of your feet exposed, but the mesh panels didn’t sacrifice structural stability, and helped immensely to let hot air escape when skating during the summer. The rubber upper of the shoe and heel area of the shoe held up very well during the weartest, providing structure and support when pushing and landing tricks. The design elements of the shoe’s upper also helped reduce the weight of the shoe, which made the Nyah 2 a light, and flexible shoe to skate in.

Summary

Priced at almost a 100 bucks, the Nyjah 2 is absolutely a shoe that gives you what you pay for. The shoe is exceptional in terms of durability, board feel and comfort, but grip, shape and cushioning could use some more tweaks for the perfect model.

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DC

After its hiatus in mediocrety in recent years and after probably the best footwear-brand-comback ever, DC keeps going strong. New models for fall 13 include Nyjah Huston’s first signature style, a solid cupsole that keeps it simple, but doesn’t look boring. Wes Kremer will receive a pro model as well (not pictured) that is vulcanised and nothing too exciting. The key styles of the DC line, the Cole Lite S, the recently released and soon to be reviewed Mike Mo, as well as the Mikey Taylor model got dipped in color and will come for example in fresh blue/yellow combos. Overall DC’s line features a lot of cupsole models, a noticeable trend for 2013.

The Cole lite S (top) and the new Nyjah Huston pro model (bottom).

The Mike Mo Capaldi signature shoe in some bold colorways.

Vans

Vans exhibited two of the trade show’s personal highlights, the Alien Workshop collaboration and the Chima Ferguson pro model. Additionally they presented Old Skools colored by Tyler the Creator infront of a larger-than-life wall print. Overall they will offer a more than solid line-up with revised classics and new silhouettes. The apparel looked very appealing as well with the upcoming AVE denim that is “made in USA” as the flagship of the collection.

Alien Workshop teamed up with Vans for a capsule collection. Dill’s Chukka boot features a tiny alien pattern and looks amazing.

Not sure who this guy is, but he colored some Old Skools for Vans.

The Chima Ferguson pro model. They are mostly canvas, but it’s TPU reinforced, which will improve durability up to usual skate shoe life time. The navy one is a personal favourite.

Emerica

Not sure what happened, but Emerica is doing things right lately. Both new Andrew Reynolds models, the high-top dropping in spring and the low in fall, are bullet-prof gap killers that seem highly capable of taking a beating. The Colin Provost model (not pictured) looks like a Reynolds Cruiser on first sight, but has a few smart features under the hood aka in the sole. The Heritic on the other hand is straight forward technical, but it’s still wrapped into a subtle design. The sole seemed a little stiff and bulky though. Breathability seems to be the new boundary to push for many brands, and Emerica is definitely at the peak of this new trend with the G6, the Reynolds and also the Heritic at first sight.

The Reynolds high-top, release is sceduled for spring 2013.

The new Heritic

The Reynolds low, fall 2013

Other Highlights:

Sweet Skateboards from Sweden had a booth with pick-and-mix candy and well-designed board graphics, you don’t need that much more.

For more behind the scenes pictures, the Nike SB 10 years exhibition opening as well as pictures of the “House of VANS” party, have a look at our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram (@weartested).

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