Watching Reynolds grow over the years has felt personal. From going sober to raising a daughter, his journey has been public and inspiring. And while many of his peers from that era have faded into the background, The Boss is still out there – pushing, progressing, and setting the gold standard for what a long pro skate career can look like. When New Balance Numeric added him to the team in 2022, it felt like a new chapter was starting. A pro model was inevitable.

True to form, Reynolds didn’t just slap his name on a shoe, he obsessed over it. Known for his “Madness” (a ritual of doing three things three times before committing), he brought that same precision to designing the New Balance 933. The result? A shoe that blends the aesthetics of a runner with the tech of a basketball shoe – engineered specifically for skateboarding.

Built in collaboration with Jeff Mikut, the 933 is a culmination of years of experience, style and meticulous design. For an in-depth look at the process, check out Shredz’s interview with Reynolds – it’s a wild dive into just how hands-on he got and also cut up the shoes in Weartested style. We got our hands on a pair and put them to the test. Read on to see how they held up.

SIZING

The Reynolds 933 fits true to size with a snug feel, so we recommend trying them on at your local skate shop.

DURABILITY

Overall, the Reynolds 933 delivers solid durability, let’s break it down. The upper features multiple layered panels throughout, which stiffen the structure and help the shoe retain its shape over the course of our 10-hour test. The tradeoff with this construction is the abundance of stitched seams, which can be easy targets for grip tape abrasion. In the case of the 933, most seams and leather panels held up impressively well, with the exception of the toe panel, as it’s the highest wear zone. The ollie and kickflip areas showed the most damage, with most of the triple stitching in that section torn. However, the leather kept its shape, preventing any major tearing or deformation.

The sidewalls of the sole, another common wear point, held up excellently, offering solid protection for the toe area. The outsole’s tread pattern also stayed in great shape, showing minimal signs of wear.

CUSHIONING

The sole construction of the Reynolds 933 is key to its cushioning performance. Designed as a cupsole, the outsole is made up of multiple layers that work together to stabilize and support the shoe’s main cushioning element. It’s a green foam insert visible through both a cutout window and the translucent rubber outsole. New Balance Numeric refers to this as the ABZORB midsole, engineered to absorb impact through a combination of cushioning and compression resistance.

Compression resistance is a standout feature of the ABZORB foam used here. The material feels notably firm, which enhances its ability to withstand repeated impacts without bottoming out or deforming over time. On top of that, the shoe has a molded insole that adds a nice layer of step-in comfort. Together, these elements create a stable, consistent, and protective cushioning experience.

SHAPE

The Reynolds 933 has a distinctive and well-considered shape. Viewed from the top, it runs parallel through the midfoot before tapering into a clean, rounded toe. From the side, the silhouette shows a noticeable amount of volume, giving the shoe a bold presence. The heel is slim and sits at a comfortable height, while the padding around the tongue and collar is well balanced – providing support without feeling bulky, whether you’re wearing or skating in them. As mentioned earlier, the layered upper reinforces the structure, helping the shoe maintain its form and resist collapsing over time.

BOARDFEELI&IGRIP

Boardfeel is where the Reynolds 933 falls short. The combination of a firm sole and a reinforced upper makes for a stiff ride out of the box, requiring a few sessions to break in. While the sole and midsole do soften slightly over time, the boardfeel remains average. Despite efforts to thin out the material layers in the forefoot, the cupsole construction still feels thick and unresponsive compared to more flexible models.

With regards to the grip, the Reynolds 933 is good, providing a grippy feeling out of the box. In addition, the rubber outsole used held up well during the 10-hour wear test.

COMFORTI&ISTABILITY

One of the standout strengths of the Reynolds 933 is its dialed-in comfort and rock-solid stability. Lightweight with a performance driven fit, the shoe achieves a locked-in feel through a smart combination of design elements. The padding of the heel area and tongue helps to lock the foot and ankle into a deep, supportive pocket, contributing to the shoe’s secure fit. Elastic straps anchor the tongue in place, keeping everything centered and secure during intense sessions.

The upper’s material mix is equally well-engineered. Durable leather in high-wear zones for durability, while breathable mesh panels cut weight and improve airflow. Stability, often overlooked in skate shoes, truly shines here. Over 10 hours of wear testing, the structure held firm with minimal deformation, a clear sign that this shoe is built to last.

SUMMARY

The Reynolds 933 excels in stability, comfort, and impact cushioning, with a snug, supportive fit and a well-engineered sole that holds its structure even after extended wear. While durability is solid overall,  boardfeel and grip land in the average range, with a stiff sole that takes time to break in.

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Sizing

The Emerica Reynolds G6 fits true to size.

Durability

There’s no doubt about it, the Emerica Higher Quality slogan resonates strongly when it comes to durability; the durability of the shoe remained very good all throughout our ten hours of skating. The toe area of the shoe was the most impressive. Although there were a lot of attacks points from grip tape, the construction of the toe featured not only double stitching around the toe panel, but also a thermal welded hot melt that helped bond the panels together. Even with a few points of stitching torn apart, the hot melt ensured that the toe held it’s structure and durability throughout our weartest. The sidewalls didn’t have much wear to them, which happens a lot with other shoes from ollies and heelflips. The sole was in good condition as well, with no blow out spots or instant smearing of the rubber. With that said, the laces did rip apart quite fast, which isn’t the biggest deal since most shoes face that problem. But if the laces were positioned higher and away from the usual attacking points, the lifespan would be increased and be a good design feature to elevate the durability features.

Shape

At first glace, the Emerica Reynolds G6 pays a bit of nostalgic tribute to the Reynolds 1 and 2, which we all know were quite bulky shoes as the 90’s ended and 00’s began. As time passed on, the overall shape of the shoe became slimmer to better fit the trends and progression of skateboarding. But now, the Reynolds G6 design knows where to put the bulk and where to leave it slim, thus creating the perfect balance between a puffy and slim shape. The shape of the shoe tapers off a bit near the toe area, making it pointier than round. The actually quality of the shape was impressive. Since there was a bit of padding near the sidewalls, we initially thought that the shape of the shoe would falter and become soft from excessive wear. Yet, during our weartest, the whole shoe held up quite strongly, and did not become soft at all. The reinforcement in the sidewalls was designed to hold up the structure no matter how much the shoe would bend and twist, but also provided a bit of protection as well. The heel area topped it off, since it featured a bit more cushioning that helped lock in the heel for a good fit.

Cushioning

As a cupsole model, the Reynolds G6 was designed to have cushioning as a top priority. It features a “pour in” poly-urethane G6 midsole, which in its manufacturing process, involves the actual PU foam in a liquid state being poured on top of the cupsole. This helps the foam mold better to the actual sole and maximizes the shoe’s cushioning effect from hard impacts. While this sounds nice and fancy, when it came to the actual weartest, the cushioning was good, but didn’t impress us that much. The toe area of the shoe was actually quite thin compared to other G6 models, so boardfeel shined more than the actual cushioning. The heel area is usually where the most cushioning will be centered on since heel bruising is a common injury for those who like skating sets. The G6 midsole performed well in that area when it came to hucking down gaps and sets, but still left us feeling like there could have been a bit more. The midfoot cushioning was nice and balanced; there was an adequate amount of cushioning there that left enough room for boardfeel so skating hubbas or ledges was extremely comfortable. With that said, this is Reynold’s shoe, so we’re sure that the G6 cushioning technology was meant to be a technical highlight that was suitable for small to mid gaps.

Boardfeel and Grip

Now as a cupsole model, boardfeel is usually compromised due to a bigger focus on cushioning, and not the highlight of the shoe. As we mentioned earlier, the toe area of the shoe lacked a bit of cushioning, but helped a lot when it came to boardfeel. Even though ledge skating was fine with the shoe, we still think that boardfeel was one of the weakest elements. The overall balance between cushioning and boardfeel was a bit off; it seemed that both elements were to be highlights, which proved to be more of a drawback than a convenience. The grip of the shoe was very good, the rubber composite used held up well during our weartest and provided a good abrasive flick. The sole of the shoe also featured Emerica’s fine sole tread pattern. This was a highlight since no blowout spots appeared and the grip of the sole proved to hold it down during the test. As a cupsole model, it is clear that the main focus of the shoe’s design feature is centered on cushioning. As a result, both boardfeel and grip were a bit sacrificed, and Emerica’s product line has better vulcanized models to choose from if you’re looking for a shoe that excels in boardfeel and grip .

Comfort and Stability

The Emerica Reynolds G6 is an extremely comfortable shoe. They put padding in all the right places and as a result, the shoe is comfortable and the feet are stabilized. The surface area of the sole is actually wider than the upper, so this creates a stable platform for the feet and decreases the probability of rolling your ankles. As aforementioned, the heel is well padded and creates a nice pocket for the back of your foot to be stabilized. The tongue of the shoe is also padded, so it works along with the heel tab to ensure the feet are well stabilized and prevents any slippage from occurring. Moreover, the tongue features side straps that help secure the feet even more. While the whole shoe’s breathability was average, there was one design feature that didn’t leave the notion of breathability behind. The sidewalls had no perforations for hot air to escape, but Emerica equipped their lycra-spandex tongue with perforations to allow heat escape from the dorsal side of your feet. This helped a lot and proved that the tongue was extremely pivotal in both the comfort and stability of the shoe.

Summary

The Emerica Reynolds G6 is the newest model to be released under Reynold’s name, and features many top-notch technical design elements to handle present-day skateboarding. The shoe shines the most when it comes to its durability, shape, comfort and stability, but could use more attention to its boardfeel-cushioning balance.

Check out the Reynolds G6 on www.emerica.com

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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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„Damn, this shoe looks massive.“ Those were my first thoughts when opening the box of the Emerica Reynolds Mid. After what felt like ages of flimsy thin vulc-shoes recognized as the hot stuff on the market, we have finally entered a new chapter in skateboarding footwear. One where shoes actually feel solid and jumping down stair sets is possible without pressing 1 on your speed dial and getting welcomed back to the hospital where they know you by name. This new wave of more protective shoes has nothing to do with those ugly brick-like kicks that we used to skate about 10 years ago.

The sole of the Reynolds Mid flexes exactly where it’s supposed to, and although it can’t be compared with a thin-vulc shoe, it provides more than enough boardfeel. It is, however, obvious that protection and comfort were prioritized over boardfeel, which reflects Reynolds hard-impact skating style to some degree.

One can easily spot the similarities to the Emerica G6, as well. For instance the sole pattern is basically the same. The mesh-panels create impeccable air-flow and let your shoes heave and breathe. Especially for a midsole model, the lightweight construction and basically the great overall comfort of this shoe is outstanding.

The sole provides great cushioning, in fact the first thing that was noticed when trying the shoe on was a certain „I wanna jump down stuff!“-feeling that it comes with it. It simply feels as if you cannot get hurt. The next thing you notice is the sock-like inner lining. It wraps around your foot and gives the shoe a snug feel. During the first session the shoe was tied as loose as possible to see what kind of effect that adjustment had. It offers close-to-perfect heel-lock, forget about slipping out of your shoe.

During the first skate session, all those first impressions proved to be true. The grip and flick are amazing (one cannot stop comparing it to the G6, and this is a very good thing) and your feet feel well protected and comfortable. There are basically no signs of wear at all after the first session. During the second session, the progress only continued. Grip and flick improved again, and this shoe proves to put the fun in functional.

The Reynolds mid is somehow not your average mid top design and the support turned out to be highly related to how it is laced. Since it is so light, feels thin and offers more freedom of movement due to the Achilles tendon cut-out, it manages to offer a well-balanced mix between support and a almost low-top feel in case it is not laced all the way to the top. Also noticeable is that you feel slightly „higher“ above your board than with most low-tops. And even though Emerica handled the ventilation issue of high/mid-tops perfectly, you still feel that there’s more shoe around your foot. Another interesting thing that happened was that the shoe seems to look better as soon as it had been skated after some time. The sole doesn’t look as massive anymore since the edges had been rounded out from the abrasion. Due to some wallie-attempts, a chipped board and dumb luck, the medial mesh panel got torn up a little, but that’s not the shoes fault. Overall the durability seems outstanding at first sight and it is pretty obvious that you will have many great sessions with this pair of shoes.

All in all I would say that the Reynolds Mid meets and continues Emerica’s #higherquality slogan that they have been pushing and promoting. If you are over thin, flimsy vulc models that lack protection and durability, this shoe is a great choice.

Tester, Text, Pictures: Stefan Lind         Correction: Edan Qian

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We are currently working on a small article about the new Emerica Reynolds. As a teaser, have a look at some pictures:

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Adidas Busenitz Pro

The first pro model of Adidas Skateboarding was maybe one of the most successful shoes of 2009. The soccer inspired style with the characteristic long tongue set a new standard and showed that a cupsole can offer as much boardfeel as a vulc sole while being way more comfortable. Remarkable is that Adidas completely trusted Dennis Busenitz’ taste and released the shoe with the soccer tongue, something that has never been seen on a skate shoe before. The not so usual soccer/skate shoe crossover design combined with excellent performance and great colorways makes this one of my favorites of 2009.

Nike SB Janoski

The second pro to ever get his own model on Nike SB was Stefan Janoski. On first sight it looks like another chukka low inspired shoe that virtually every brand has in his collection right now. The difference that  got the Janoski on this list is the great construction. This shoe manages to be one of the thinnest skate shoes ever produced but it is still offering enough support and cushioning, a balancing act that no other model on the market right now does as well as this one. The fact that almost every skater supported by Nike SB wears them since they released in May 2009 just underlines how well these skate.

Emerica Reynolds Cruisers

Like the Vans Chukka low the Vans Era is one of the most copied silhouettes right now. Most companies on the skate shoe market have a model that looks more or less like the Era, but Emerica is one of the few ones that actually improved the performance of the Classic. I own both models, the Vans Era and the Emerica Cruisers and there’s no doubt which I would chose to skate in. The lighter and because of the Soletech insole way better cushioned Reynolds Cruiser manages to be better than the original while most other Era inspired models are just average vulc shoes with weak support.

Honorable mention: Gravis Dylan Rieder low

One of the most controversal skate shoe releases of 2009 was without a doubt the Gravis Ivsk8 Dylan low. Described as “ballet slippers” to “most comfortable shoes ever” the completely new design attempts at Gravis turned heads wherever they appeared. They might not be the best performing skate shoes if you have a realistic look at it, but it’s nice to see that some companies aren’t afraid of going new ways, which definitely should be rewarded in a year where exchangeable skate shoe designs where the standard.

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