Sometimes you just need a change of pace, or scenery. That happened to me about three weeks ago. I’ve been wearing Vans more or less since I started skating in 1985. The last few years I have been wearing the exact same two models. The old-school blue colored SK8-HIs, and the low-top Old Schools, in black/gum.
Well, I got kind of sick of looking down at my feet, and always seeing the same thing. To that end, I decided to try a different brand of shoe altogether. So, I gave the Adidas Busenitz Vulc II a shot. I had tried the original version of these some years back. I don’t remember hating them. They were upgraded (whatever that means) with the new version. I was also curious to try one of the BIG companies with deep pockets, to see how much their R&D and “technology” differed from Vans. I would never wear Nike, so that left New Balance and Adidas. Denis Busenitz, from what I can tell, is a good dude, so I liked the idea of supporting him, too.
Anyway, I was quickly reminded why I always skate Vans shoes. The Adidas felt really tight/narrow on my feet. I’ve heard many, many people (non skaters, too) cite a trend in recent years to produce “narrow” shoes for some reason. I’ve never had problems with shoe width, until now. The Busenitz have just felt really tight over the top and side of my feet, to the point of being uncomfortable after a few hours of wear. I’ve never had this issue with Vans. The Adidas also seem to have a thinner sole, with less cushioning, and somehow less board-feel, than my Vans, too. I’ll continue wearing the Busenitz for a while, but at this point, I don’t expect any substantive change to come along with them.
