I am a skater by hobby, and I tend to skate every day as a recreation. Recently, I bought myself a pair of Doc Martens and was wondering can you skate in Doc Martens or not.
Surprisingly, the answer is no. Sadly, Doc Martens are not ideal for skating. The reason is the shoes are rigid and do not provide enough grip. Furthermore, several users state that skating in Doc Martens is uncomfortable. Moreover, wearing them may ruin your board and cause long-term foot issues.
To know more about it in depth and detail, continue reading this article.
Can You Skate In Doc Martens?
Doc Martens are a globally renowned brand known for its high-quality shoes. They are made of stiff leather, which is not appropriate for skating.
Skating means all those ollies and kick turns. Now that needs shoes that are flexible, lighter, and comfortable.
Now Doc Martens doesn’t provide you with that support and comfort. Indeed, the shoes are hard, heavy, and chunky and feature stiff leather that may make your move ruined and your feet harmed.
So, without delay, let’s explore why Doc Martens is inappropriate for skating.
1. Discomforting Stiff Leather
Doc Marten uses stiff, solid leather to provide protection to your feet and durability for your shoe, which comes at the cost of comfort and flexibility. Both of which are crucial for skating.
In short, the shoe is not the best choice for skating because skating requires shoes made from soft fabrics.
2. Pain and Injury
Skating in Doc Martens for too long is bound to cause several foot issues. The heavy and bulky shoe makes it extremely difficult for your feet to move when skating. In the long run, this will cause several foot injuries and pain.
3. A Damaged Board
Yes, you read it right; skating in Doc Martens will cause your board to get damaged. As the material is very heavy and stiff, skaters find it difficult to feel the board.
It results in them applying excessive pressure, eventually ruining your board and skating experience.
4. Durability Issue
Doc Martens are known as durable shoes; it’s one of their selling points, but using them for skating will ruin the shoe too. As they are not made for skating, the shoes cannot take the constant jumps and flips you will do.
It will cause your Doc Martens to get damaged and decay faster.
5. Stuck Rubber Sole
Doc Martens get made with high-quality rubber soles. It stands as another challenge when using the shoe for skating. Because the rubber sole may stick to the skating board, making it extremely difficult to stake.
Furthermore, it may cause you to lose control of your board mid-air or while turning, which is likely to lead to accidents.
What Makes A Good Skating Shoe?
Doc Martens are great shoes; However, they are not suitable for skating. So, what kind of shoes are good for skating?
There are a few key features that make a good skating shoe. Here are some of which we think are extremely important when choosing the right shoe for you.
1. Material
This is the most crucial thing you must see when buying a skating shoe. Skating shoes’ materials need to be soft and elastic. Skaters only rely on their feet to control their skateboards. They are required to move their feet in different directions for padding and steering.
You can easily do all of them on a soft and elastic material shoe because it’s more comfortable and flexible.
In comparison, a stiff shoe such as Doc Martens may make it harder for a skater to make flexible movements.
2. Cushioning
Skate shoes require excellent cushioning because skating is an activity that has a lot of jumping and flipping in it. You are most likely to injure your feet and get a sprain without a properly cushioned shoe.
3. Lace
Another essential factor that a good skating shoe requires is a durable yet soft lace. The lace needs to be firm enough to ensure it holds the shoe tightly onto your feet when you jump or do different stuns; while ensuring it does not cause marks or bruises on your feet.
Wearing shoes with low-quality lace may cause your shoe to open mid-air or mid-stroke, leading to accidents.
4. Soles
There are two main options when it comes to soles for skaters. You have to choose between either a cup sole or a vulcanized sole. Both provide amazing grip when skating and do not stick to your board, unlike rubber soles.
Now, both the soles have unique features and pers, but choosing depends on your preference. We recommend trying out both types before purchasing one.
5. Toe Cap
If you don’t know what a toe cap is, they are the rubber material used in front of your shoe to ensure they don’t puncture holes or get damaged. It is crucial to have a skating shoe with a toe cap. Because several stunts in skating, such as kickflips, require the use of the front of your shoe.
Owning toe caps protects both your feet and your shoe from getting damaged.
6. Low, Mid, High Top Shoes
Despite sounding like sizes, there are differences between low, mid, and high-top shoes. Each of these shoes provides a different amount of protection to your ankle and provides extra freedom for movement.
So before choosing, you have to see whether your ankles hit the skateboard a lot or not when skating. We suggest going for a high top to keep your ankles covered if it does. Whereas, if you are looking for a good amount of movement freedom and minimum ankle protection mid top is your perfect choice.
Lastly, for those looking to get the maximum possible freedom of movement while skating and little to no protection for their ankle, the low-top shoe is what you should choose.
Difference Between Normal Shoe and Skate Shoe
This is a very commonly asked question, and the answer is simple. Skate shoes are made with the purpose of skating in mind. So, they are engineered in a way that they provide maximum durability and grip while skating. For example, with their waffle-patterned sole, Vans provides incredible grip.
However, these shoes are not suitable for an everyday walk.
In addition, skates soles are much thinner when compared to your regular shoe. It is done to provide the maximum amount of board feel. These soles are made with such insole technology that, despite being thin, they can withstand a lot of impacts.
On the other hand, normal shoes are very stiff, heavy, and have thick soles. These features make handling the board very difficult, and skaters experience several other cons, as mentioned above, making them unsuitable for skating.
Tips On Choosing A Good Skating Shoe
Buying good skating shoes is challenging. After all, your performance depends on it.
- After a lot of research, here are some tips we think you should know and follow when choosing a skating shoe.
- Go for suede skate shoes because it deals much better with friction.
- Find shoes that provide an adequate amount of heel support to decrease the chances of bruises.
- Find insoles that are shock absorbent. They will give safety and comfort.
- We suggest looking for shoes with lace hole protection. To make sure your laces don’t come off while skating
- Find shoes with waffle-patterned grip because they are made to provide optimum grip.
Top 5 Skate Shoes We Recommend In 2022
Can you skate in Doc Martens? No, you can’t. However, there are several suitable shoes for skating available in the market. But, among the many shoes, what are the finest ones.
So, here are our choices for the best skate shoes in 2022.
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FAQ’s:
- Can you wear Doc Martens sledding?
Well, yes, you can wear Doc Martens in the snow. However, the traction of the sole is not the best on ice which may cause you to slip and fall. Furthermore, using Doc Martens in the snow for the long term will make the shoe prone to waterlogging.
It’s wise to use shoes specially made for sledding on the snow.
- Can you wear Doc Martens with anything?
Yes, the shoes are versatile and can be worn with almost everything. Just have a good sense of style and know how to style it right.
- Are skate shoes bad for your feet?
In the past, yes, they used to be bad for your feet. But now, with improved technology, skates shoes are made to provide a lot of support to your feet. However, they still are not suitable for long walks. We suggest wearing running shoes when going for long walks.
- Why do my feet hurt when skating?
The main cause of this is wearing skate shoes of the wrong size. However, it is also likely that you just are not used to the movement and the shoe. Just give your feet some time to adjust.
Verdict
Can you skate in Doc Martens? The short answer is no.
Doc Martens are not made with skating in mind. The shoes are heavy, hard, and stiff, which will not provide the comfort and flexibility necessary while skating. Moreover, you may damage your precious skateboard by wearing stout shoes.
So, find a proper pair of skating shoes that fit you perfectly before you start skating. Doing so will give you the best possible skating experience while keeping your feet safe from accidents.
