You can count on your hand how many skate shoes designed by professional skaters that have lasted over 10 years. It is incredibly rare and a great testament to not only the popularity of the shoe and rider but also the quality of the shoe itself. Nothing lasts for that long without being of genuinely great quality. So, when we saw that Etnies were releasing a ten-year anniversary of Ryan Sheckler’s Marana we knew it was only right to write a blog celebrating this modern classic skate shoe.
Durability and Aesthetic
The Marana was designed with three main pillars of focus – durability, aesthetics and ample protection for huge drops. This goal was reached with amazing results, Sheckler and the rest of the design team went straight into the process with the intention of creating one of the most durable skate shoes on the market, and achieved this with flying colours. Making a durable skate shoe isn’t the hardest thing in the world, however, making an incredibly durable shoe that maintains a timeless silhouette and is genuinely enjoyable to skate is a totally different challenge. Etnies have pulled this off by doing their best to hide the tech within the shoe as much as possible and use premium materials.
When you first look at a Marana, aside from the fused toe-cap placed around the front of the shoe, you wouldn’t think durability was key to the design of this shoe. However, below that fused toe-cap lies yet another protective rubber layer, ensuring the toe of the shoe is as strong as possible. This is a great example to emphasise the thought gone into this shoe, the part of the shoe that receives the most amount of damage has been reinforced as much as possible without affecting the performance of the shoe at all. The technology used here isn’t new, but reinforcing the shoe both above and below the suede toe-cap is very rarely done, yet incredibly effective. Combine this with seamless panelling around additional high abrasion areas and the use of high-quality suede you have a shoe that can withstand pretty much anything a skater can throw at it.
Speaking of new technology, in 2017 after reports of shoes wearing from the sole unit before the uppers, Etnies collaborated with premium tyre manufacturer, Michelin. This brand new sole gave the shoe even more grip and durability. Chris Joslin himself even stated that “I didn’t know a shoe could get more grippy” and that “2 months go down the line, and it’s not like, oh I have to set up a new pair of shoes… they were still holding up”. This is a testament to how skate-ready these shoes are, if Chris Joslin is rocking the same pair for 2 months, we mere mortals should be able to keep these going for a truly solid amount of time. The Marana was a huge inspiration for Joslin’s pro-model with Etnies, The Joslin, and it must be noted that they also use the incredible Michelin sole unit.
Jumping ability
When this shoe was being designed, Sheckler was in his early 20s and was at his peak of launching himself down huge drops. As previously mentioned, this was something that was incredibly important when developing the shoe and was another aspect that really separated it from other styles on the market, both at the time of release and to this day! The Marana features a Pro Foam 1 Insole and STI Evolution Foam Midsole which work an absolute treat. To quote Joslin again, “Since I got on Etnies, I have not got a heel bruise”, that is mind-blowing if true. This dude has been throwing himself down insane drops such as Davis Gap or El Toro for the seven years he has been on Etnies, and to have no issues with his feet from that is truly a testament to how protective these shoes are for your feet.
10 Year Anniversary Colourways
There are four colourways of the 10-Year Anniversary Marana, each colourway brought back has been specifically chosen as they were worn by either Chris Joslin or Ryan Sheckler when filming or shooting an insane trick. Each colourway nods its head to these crazy tricks with the insole of the shoe featuring a photo of the rider wearing that specific colourway. Joslin and Sheckler have two colourways each, Joslin with the Brown/Gum and Black colourways and Sheckler with the Black/White/Gum and Red colourways.
So let’s talk about the photos and the colourways that accompany them…
The Black/White/Gum colourway was worn by Sheckler when he did one of the longest kickflips of his career at a spot in Australia. When watching the clip, he has had to push like a madman to get the speed to clear the gap and in the photo, you can see his body shape when catching the board, you really can’t beat a back foot catch on a kickflip. You can see how much he has had to flick his board to get it over the bench and then bring it back underneath him to ride out.
The second Sheckler colourway is the vibrant Red colourway, seen when skating the famous Cologne stair set. The photo included on the insoles in this shoe is a rad switch flip. One of my favourite things about this clip/photo is the spot always has a crowd of people around it watching the madness go down. It’s always rad to see a skater doing something mind-blowing and the reactions of pedestrians witnessing this insanity!
Moving over to the two Joslin colourways. The Brown/Gum colourway was made infamous due to Joslin chucking an incredibly solid 360 flip down the huge Davis Gap, made famous by Corey Duffle (fs 180) and Andrew Reynolds (Kickflip). Everything about this tre flip is iconic, not only did it put Joslin firmly on the map, it solidified the Marana as a shoe designed to take the gnarliest of drops.
Last but not least by a long stretch, is the Marana in Black, as seen on the cover of Transworld Magazine with Joslin launching an unbelievable fs flip down a huge stair set off of the top of the ledge beside them. Literally top rope stuff. The way he catches the fs flip is nuts, with his back foot catching the board in such a way, you can see the fluorescent orange sole of the Marana whilst soaring through the air. A great cover, showcasing both Joslin’s incredible skill and the Marana’s bulletproof ability.
The shoes are part of a very exclusive club. Reaching a ten-year anniversary of production is truly an incredible feat, helped by the combination of it being worn and designed by some of the worlds best skaters and the shoe itself being a truly high-performance piece of kit. If you were to ask a skateboarder, what a skate shoe needs for it to be considered the ultimate skate shoe, I guarantee you, they will list off features that the Marana encapsulates. It is a functional, long-lasting and stylish shoe, what else can you ask for?
