Sizing: The Lakai Proto skate shoe fits true to size. The fit is snug on the side of your feet but this will loosen up nicely by the time of wear. I have to admit that this shoe has one of the best secure and snug fit. This is because the shoe features and internal shock so you can’t go wrong with that!
Boardfeel/Grip: The Lakai Proto is cupsole. That being said, the shoe shoe is not lacking at all in boardfeel and grip. Maybe you will feel this shoe being stiff in the first day, but skating it for 20-30 minute it will feel broken in. The shoe features great boardfeel and becomes really flexible and in addition the XLK outsole tread pattern offers such an amazing grip. Definitely, if you care about boardfeel and grip this shoe will not disappoint you.
Shape: The shape of the old Tony Hawk’s(before leaving to join Vans, still in production and on Lakai’s line) pro model offers a great arch support and although the shoe might seem like a mid from the images, it is definitely a low shoe with just more arch support than usual. The toe has a pointy shape which is great for your flip tricks. Due to ‘internal shock’ design of the shoe, the shape remains as it was since day one which is really something we all want for our skate shoes.
Durability: I was really surprised but how durable upper this shoe has. The suede in the ollie and kickflip area are still in a great condition after almost a month of skating those. Probably before you tear apart the suede, you will probably have the outsole flattened in some key areas such as the area that is touching the grip of your board when you are placing your foot at a kickflip position. There will be some wear on the mesh and on the logo but nothing too much, depends also from your skating.
Cushioning: The Lakai Proto’s cushioning is not at a top level. Of course, i come to this conclusion after having skated shoes like the Etnies Joslin 2 or the NB# 913 which are very cushy and there is plenty of impact support. For this model, the impact support mainly comes from the insole which is called Delux-Lite and it offers comfort and a bit of impact support. There is also the XLK outsole that is supposed to offer some more impact support but being honest i found the outsole being too thin on this Lakai model. So not the best shoe to jump down stuff but a great shoe low impact unless you change the insoles with more advanced ones.
Style: Being honest that is one of the best and most stylish Lakai shoes i have ever had. The fit is amazing, the shape ,the grip , the boardfeel are top as well. Only downsides is that the outsole might get some flatspots and that their is no much impact support. Other than that, the shoe looks and skates super and there are so many more colorways coming for this. By the way, the colorway that i skated is from the upcoming season :).
