Tyshawn Jones, is he super-human?
Over the past 4 or 5 decades, skateboarding has managed to unearth humans who seem slightly closer to possessing superpowers than us regular folk. Rodney Mullen, for example, has a mind with similar capabilities to a super-computer, able to instantly figure out how to manipulate his board in ways most can only dream of. Or you could look at Andrew Reynolds, a man who seems to be able to keep on going, no matter how old his poor knees may be. More recently though, most will be looking at two-time SOTY (Skater of the Year) Tyshawn Jones as someone who has been blessed with unnatural abilities, due to his freakishly powerful pop. Google 'Tyshawn Jones ollies over Ferrari', and you will see what I mean...
Just watch any of his video parts and you will get the gist pretty quickly. It's exactly this type of skater that ends up with classic pro shoes, and the Adidas Skateboarding Tyshawn is certainly on that path! But before we look at the already much-loved shoe, let's first see how Tyshawn found himself becoming one of the biggest names in modern skateboarding.
Growing up skating in the Bronx, NY
Tyshawn Jones spent his childhood split between the Bronx in New York and in New Jersey. By the age of 10, he found himself skating regularly with his brother, and much like many other 'lifers' in skateboarding, once his brother became disenchanted with skating, Tyshawn discovered his local park and quickly integrated himself with the local scene.
For many skaters, finding those friends and the local scene is all they need, but for someone as driven and talented as Tyshawn, it didn't take long until he realised if he was going to make a career out of skating he would need to start skating outside of the Bronx. Fuelled by this passion to improve as he grew up, trips further afield via train or the homie's car, helped develop his skating in and around the infamous East Coast crust, steadily forming the skater he is today.
It may come as a surprise, but Tyshawn's first board sponsor was Toy Machine and two of his favourite skaters growing up were Bryan Herman and Nick Trapasso. For someone with such strong east-coast roots, it always surprises me when you see their influences stem from the west-coast. However, when you watch Tyshawn skate it makes a lot of sense that these two dudes had a key role in forming the way Tyshawn skates, even if they aren't aware they did.
Tyshawn has an impeccably laid-back style merged with an insane amount of power, something both Trapasso and Herman oozed back in the day. I remember seeing a clip on Tyshawn's Instagram a few years ago of him popping a huge nollie hardflip over a picnic table and it instantly made me think of Bryan Herman, and that was before I knew how much Tyshawn respected him.
From Toy Machine to FA to SOTY 2x
During Tyshawn's early years as a sponsored skateboarder, it didn't take long for companies based on the East Coast to start trying to get Tyshawn on board. However, that was no easy task.
Jason Dill spent a solid amount of time trying to convince Tyshawn to leave Toy Machine and join FA. In fact, Tyshawn was the last rider Dill managed to get on the original team due to Tyshawn wanting to make it on Toy Machine and skate with his heroes. Not only that, Tyshawn would reject shoe deals from brands such as Vans, so he could carry on wearing Emerica's, even though he wasn't even on the team! He wanted to get on the team so he could skate with Herman so badly that he just paid for Emerica shoes and told people he was on the team. Talk about fake it till you make it! Obviously, this was until Adidas knocked on the door in 2014 and made him a deal he couldn't refuse.
There was a reason all these brands were after Tyshawn and by 2018 it was made clear why. Supreme dropped one of the most highly-anticipated videos of the year named 'Blessed', and Tyshawn's part instantly broke the internet. His style, pop and trick selection blew minds across the globe and quickly ranked him as one of the best street skaters of the modern era. So good in fact, that Thrasher crowned him the 2018 Skater of the Year.
Four years later, it all happened again, after a year of steadily crushing it and that unbelievable backside flip over the subway lines, Thrasher had no choice but to award him with SOTY for the second time. This double SOTY puts him alongside only two other skateboarders, Danny Way and Chris Cole. Now that is a heavy line-up!
Riding for Adidas and signature shoes
So, now you've had a quick breakdown on how and why Tyshawn ended up getting his pro-shoe on Adidas, let's have a proper look at it.
Since it was released in 2019, the Tyshawn by Adidas Skateboarding has been a mainstay on shop walls and there are many, many reasons why. Firstly, it looks amazing. One of the main features skaters look at in a good shoe is the shape of the toe, and the Tyshawn has a beautiful one-piece toe vamp which gives the shoe great flick as well as aesthetic. Dare I say it is slightly reminiscent of an Emerica Herman G-Code??
Two years after its initial release, the Tyshawn was also released as a low-top version, due to the the original silhouette being a mid-top. This then gave fans of Tyshawn a chance to try the shoe if they weren't too keen on the idea of skating shoes that sit above your ankle. Personally, I prefer a higher collar on shoes as it keeps my floppy and old ankles slightly more supported and protected, but I love the idea of releasing both a mid and low version so everyone can enjoy the shoe.
This incredibly pleasing silhouette combined with classic Adidas details would make this shoe a well-loved model from Adidas even without Tyshawn's name on it. That then brings us to another reason why it is so popular, it DOES have Tyshawn's name on it. You can't be a two-time SOTY winner and not have kids wanting to emulate your style, so placing his name onto the side of an already aesthetically pleasing shoe naturally results in it being seen at most street spots or skateparks.
Adidas shoe design and technology
Technology-wise, the Tyshawn doesn't hold back. Starting with the sole unit, the cup-sole construction may at first appear to be slightly bulky causing the shoe to feel detached from the board, however, that is not the case. The chunk of the sole gives you tremendous impact protection and durability, but at the same time, due to its refined design, it gives your feet plenty of communication between the board and the sole of the shoe. Sat atop the sole unit is an Adiprene insole, which again, allows your foot to feel the deck beneath it but at the same time cushions any gnarly impacts. Placed around your foot sits a moulded sock liner and a collar made from memory foam, these features create a fit that comfortably hugs your foot, regardless of how deformed it may or may not be. On the outside of the shoe, all high-abrasion areas are reinforced, especially the toe, resulting in a shoe that maintains its shape and style for a long time.
Tyshawn is a special case in the world of skateboarding, so it only makes sense that his shoe is too! Here at Supereight, we are huge fans of both Tyshawn and his shoe and hope it stays on our shelves for many more years to come.
