Brandon Westgate a true professional
Brandon Westgate has been one of the few skaters over the past ten or so years to have a consistent stream of pro shoes released and I for one hope the stream never dries up. Especially if he keeps dropping shoes like his most recent shoe, the New Balance Numeric ‘508’. We have two gorgeous colourways, one in White with Blue and the other in Dark Grey with Blue. These are the first colourways of the new 508 and they really do compliment each other, perfect for the indecisive British weather, you get a mainly white shoe for those lovely sunny days and a darker mostly navy colourway for those darker, gloomier days avoiding puddles on the way to the spot.
An interesting and little known fact is that, as a general rule, when looking at New Balance Numeric shoes the model number of the shoe gives an indication of how much design technology is in the shoe. For example, the 1010 (Tiago’s pro shoe) is possibly the most technologically advanced shoe that New Balance Numeric has ever made, whereas the 22 is one of the most basic shoes in the New Balance roster. Taking this into consideration the 508 is the perfect middle ground for the skater after a shoe that’s both a simple silhouette but is packed with as much technology as they can fit into a slim sleek shoe.
Progressive skate shoe design
So what technology is in it? To start with this shoe has a durable, protective C-CAP midsole designed to combine durability, a slim board-feel based aesthetic and most importantly, protection for your feet. Alongside this the “Abzorb” insole is another protective layer for your feet, reducing the chance of heel-bruises and helps keep you skating throughout the day. These shoes are also covered in perforations designed to keep your feet from overheating and keeping your foot as comfortable as possible.
Aesthetically these shoes are full of thoughtful little details, for example the reflective patches found around the shoe, designed for night-time skating is a little feature that could just add that little something to the clip you are filming or just keep you that little bit safer when you are out on the streets making you more visible to traffic. The padded exposed tongue is also a feature I am a fan of creating a sportier, old school look.
To conclude, similar to Westgate being the thinking man’s favourite skater, his pro-model the 508 should be the thinking man’s shoe of choice. It’s the perfect compromise of board-feel, durability, slim sleek style and protection for your feet. This is a shoe you can wear in all situations, whether you’re on the board or off it.
