Anyone who skates with any regularity will know about the issue of skate shoes.
They are built with comfort, durability and lightness in mind.
Those goals are often conflicting however leading to designers having to make serious compromises.
Very few people would argue that the lightness and comfort goals have been met.
Durability is however another issue.
In terms of day to day use, skateboard shoes offer very good durability compared to many trainers and casual footwear.
The problem with skateboarding is that you need grip so your feet remain attached to the skateboard.
This is achieved with super grippy rubber soles and also the use of sandpaper on the top of the deck, which is known as grip tape.
The grip tape as well all know is very abrasive.
The constant movement of a skateboarders feet on this super abrasive surface wears his shoes down in no time at all.
Serious skaters actually get little over a month or twos use out of a pair of shoes.
Seeing as the majority of skateboarders are not sponsored, or are not sponsored to a level that gets them free skate shoes with any regularity results in the need to find a steady supply of cheap footwear.
If you are skating hard and replacing your shoes every two months it is unlikely you will be able to afford to pay £50 or more for a pair.
This happens to be the retail price of many skater shoes now.
The solution is to look online and find cheap shoes.