State Footwear, or ‘The Free And Liberated State’ to use the brand’s full moniker, is a fairly new addition to the skateboard shoe world. Founded by Kevin Furtado, (previously of Dekline Footwear) in 2016 with input from Habitat Skateboards maestro, Joe Castrucci, and East Coast lens-wielding legend Josh Stewart, State takes cues from classic skateboarding footwear, which is reflected in their focus on producing quality vulcanised models for a reasonable price, and could be viewed as translating the ‘small board brand’ model of business into a footwear company. This ethos is also reflected with their team line-up featuring skaters representing some of the smaller independently owned brands such as Isle Skateboard’s Jon Nguyen, WKND’s Christian Maalouf and Magenta’s Ben Gore to name but a few members of the team.

The State Footwear Elgin model is a low-profile vulcanised shoe that features subtle padding around the ankle, heel and tongue areas to ensure a snug and streamlined fit.

“State takes cues from classic skateboarding footwear, which is reflected in their focus on producing quality vulcanised models for a reasonable price”

The upper is constructed from durable suede with the connecting canvas sidewall triple-stitched and slightly recessed to avoid contact with griptape and enable breathability.

This also lengthens the shape of the Elgin’s toe, which is helpful with foot placement for tricks and provides more contact with the board allowing enhanced responsivity from the shoe. Although slim and simple in appearance, the Elgin hides a hidden technical feature in the form of a perforated rubber underlay between the outer layer of suede and the shoe’s inner lining which provides another layer of resistance against wear and improves overall sturdiness.

The sole is constructed with reverse wrap vulcanisation, which essentially doubles up on the layers of rubber. This allows for a more robust outsole, while still providing the fantastic board feel and grip that fans of vulcanised footwear adore, and is topped off with a toe bumper to further boost the lifespan of the shoe. A deep herringbone tread spans the entire length of the outsole and incorporates a finer tread around high wear areas in the toe and heel.

Final aesthetic details include State’s logo adorning the side panel, heel counter and sole, with an embroidered tongue and bungie cord laces delivering a distinguished look to this efficient skateboard shoe.

A simple but effective offering from the newest addition to the skate footwear marketplace

• STATE – ELGIN
• RRP: £54.95
• STATEFOOTWEAR.COM