Progress and evolution of skate shoe design
The panel construction of the New Balance 808 is incredibly well thought through and intricately constructed, with panel overlays designed for durability, manoeuvrability and aesthetics. Take the toe overlay, for example, whether it is a suede toe cap or rubber, the shape of the panel wraps around the toe and most importantly protects the high-abrasion areas of the front of the shoe, but also allows plenty of flex around the toes, keeping the shoe nice and comfy.
The sheer amount of panelling on this shoe also allows an almost countless amount of material and colourway options, resulting in a shoe that offers a silhouette that can adapt to very different environments. One colourway could perhaps hold a ripstop and suede material make-up, resulting in a shoe with plenty of breathability for warmer climates whereas another could use a much more heavy-duty leather construction for those colder days, or perhaps just for someone who wants a shoe that'll last them as long as physically possible.
As with everything, in the space of a few years, skate shoe technology has advanced and improved, and New Balance Numeric shoes are no different. Admittedly, the 808 does feature much of the same technology as the 1010, but there are slight refinements to these features. Take the internal heel pods for example, a feature that was also used in the 1010 but over time both the 808 and the 1010 now use an updated version, keeping the shoe comfortably gripped around the heel of the foot, even better than before.
New and improved sole construction
Below the upper of this shoe, sits a sole unit crammed with technology, similar to its predecessor the 1010, but again, with a few tweaks. The 808 has a cemented cup sole construction using the NDurance rubber as the point of contact between the shoe and the grip tape of your deck, giving the skater a huge amount of traction, especially for a cup sole shoe. Moving upwards, you will find an ABZORB cushioned midsole, similar to the FuelCell used in the 1010. The ABZORB midsole is a foam-based construction combined with rubber, resulting in the shoe being one of the best on the market when it comes to impact protection and general comfort. Above the midsole lays the Ortholite insole, again designed to reduce impact damage such as heel bruises and hot pockets. These features really work and will ensure you can keep skating harder for longer.
Durability is paramount
The durability of the shoe has also been greatly considered with the design of the 808. As previously mentioned, the toe-cap of the shoe comes in a super functional shape but it also uses either a hard-wearing suede or an even more durable rubber design, keeping the toe-box nice and protected from all the abuse grip tape loves to put shoes through. Additionally, the bottom two lace loops use the ghillie lace system, giving the laces far more protection than regular lace loops. These features combined with the premium materials New Balance uses across its shoe selection make for one of the hardest-wearing, yet comfy shoes on the market.
This shoe is built to withstand whatever is thrown its way and perform at the very highest level, just like Tiago himself!
