As someone who is quite cheap, yet doesn’t want to take shortcuts regarding quality, I was curious when I noticed those “Converse All Star” copied shoes at my local discount store. Apparently, they are called “Air Star” and just cost me 5€.
Comfort
The fit was great. But it felt like walking, with a piece of paper underneath your feet. I concluded that it would make no sense in going out to the skate park for a quick test session without my beloved “King Foam Insoles” inside.
Sole
The sole wore down remarkably fast and was not particularly grippy at first. Ironically, the more I skated it, and the more the sole seemed to fade away, the grippier it got!
Durability
The Toecap is truly thick and can endure a bunch of stuff! The canvas, on the other hand, wears out fast, yet not as fast, as I expected it to.
Board Feeling
Without extra inlay soles you might not have any protection what so ever but hey, you’d feel every little bent on your board. Even with my trustworthy insoles, at no point in time have I felt the need to complain about the board feel.
Conclusion
For 5 bucks, I was positively surprised. Although if you want to judge the shoes the same as you’d infer a review for a Janoski or a Marana, I’d say throw ‘em out. However, if you desperately want the cheapest, there you go! I really don’t recommend it due to the health issues it might get you. Screwed up knees, back, ankles and much more. I willingly spend 50€ more on a solid shoe that will not damage my body in the long run. You don’t want to be unable to skate in your 40’s because your joints are messed up due to your cheapness.
SkatePunk 