There’s no doubt about it, Tyshawn Jones has rapidly ascended the ranks to become one of the most influential skateboarders of this generation, blending raw talent, style and progression to push the boundaries of skateboarding. From his early days as a standout in the New York skate scene debuting in Supreme’s iconic “Cherry” video, Tyshawn has evolved into a global icon, skating some of the crustiest spots with pure commitment, pop and skill. At only 25 years old, Tyshawn has done it all, earning indisputable street credibility with breakout parts including Adidas’ Away Days, Hardies “The General” and Supreme’s “Blessed”. He’s also opened his own restaurant, Taste So Good, chooses a sober lifestyle, and has had a long tenure riding for Jason Dill’s Fucking Awesome brand before leaving and starting his own company, King Skateboards, in 2022.
His journey to the top includes winning Thrasher’s Skater of The Year award twice in 2018 and 2022, an accolade only two other professional skateboarders (Chris Cole and Danny Way) have achieved. These SOTY awards have also been closely followed by the release of his pro model, rightfully so; he’s had his first pro model released in 2018, and earlier this June, his second pro model was released, the Tyshawn 2. This new model not only reflects his growth as a skater but also solidifies his status as a true innovator in skateboarding. We got our hands on a pair of the newest Tyshawn 2’s and put them to the test, read on to see how they performed below.
The Adidas Tyshawn II fits true to size.
Overall, the Tyshawn II showed a good durability in the 10 hour wear test. Let’s get into the details. To evaluate the durability of the upper, the material choice and the amount of overlays play a crucial role. Given how the white leather looks, it could lead to false impression of low durability. No doubt, after skating them, there is a clear abrasion visible, which makes the shoe look worn, but the leather is so rigid that once the white layer was gone there wasn’t any further points of abrasion.
When it comes to the panel layering and stitching, the toe and lacing-panel showed signs of wear and became a bit loose. The advantage of the rigid leather material is that it keeps the panels in place and it had low impact on the skating. However, one strong disadvantage of the upper material choice is the really initial flick (or lack thereof) which took long time to adjust to. This detail is also colorway specific and if there is a suede version coming out, the flick should definitely improve. The sole’s sidewall show minimal signs of wear, as well as the thread pattern, so it stayed in very good condition for a test duration of 10 hours.
The adidas Tyshawn II provides really good impact protection, especially in the heel area. As can be seen in the cross section, the height difference between the front and heel is significant. The first third of the shoe doesn’t feature any major foam pieces; it consists only the insole, a strobel board and the outsole. But when it comes to the midfoot and heel area, there is an orange, wedge-shaped Adidas Lightstrike foam inlay which greatly increases the sole’s thickness. This construction enables it to spread forces evenly throughout and absorb even tougher impacts that occur in the heel region.
The shoe is quite slim, with the widest area between the area that transitions from the midfoot- to toe-area. It has a clean and classic toe design, with the more subtle technical design elements found in the midfoot and heel area. The tongue and heel step-in are well padded which helps create a feeling of not too bulky and not too slim.
Due to the thin sole in the forefoot area, there was better adaption of the sole to the concave and helped create a more direct contact between the foot and the board. With that, the Tyshawn II has an excellent balance of boardfeel and cushioning for a cupsole.
The grip needed some sessions to develop its full potential. Usually it takes 1-2 sessions to break in and grip is at its full potential, but for the Tyshawn II, it actually took up to 4 sessions. The outsole has a fine grip due to its narrow herringbone pattern which works very well. Once the sole becomes more flexible, the shoe can really sink to the griptape.
When it comes to comfort, the shoe impressed with a well crafted inner construction, especially highlighted by a well designed flex zone that makes the shoe feel comfortable right out the box. The flex zone is essentially the section where the toe cap starts, and enhanced by the shoe’s width and slim lacing. On the downside, the breathability is very weak and the model is rather on the heavy side.
The Tyshawn II has exceptional stability, with thanks to its design and the choice of materials for the tested colorway. The upper, with its multi material layers, kept the shoe’s rigidity and maintained a secure feeling throughout our 10 hour test. Lastly, even though the shoes have a low ankle height compared to its high Achilles heel area, it still protects from a “slipping-out” feeling while also ensuring the ankle has maximal freedom to move.
All in all, the Tyshawn 2 was an impressive looking silhouette packed with technical details. It shined with stability, great boardfeel combined with a stable cupsole, and the durability more “visibly” worn down. The flick of the shoe wasn’t great, but that is due to the colorway/material we tested. The shoe was a bit heavy and grip took a longer time to develop its full potential.
