Oh (Y)éS! A French skate shoe brand that pulls on our millennial heartstrings tied to the nostalgia of one of skateboarding’s most iconic videos, Menikmati. They had it all. Aside from having a classic video like Menikmati, their team was stacked with pros over the years including Eric Koston, Paul Rodriguez, Chad Muska, Tom Penny, Rodrigo TX, Rick McCrank, Ronnie Creager, Arto Saari, Bob Burnquist, Bobby Forrest, Danny Garcia and Justin Eldridge. Everyone in middle school who started skating all had a pair of their most popular models, The Accel. Yet after some time, éS disappeared as competition became more fierce, pros left and sales slowed down.
In 2014, éS came “back” releasing a few packs here and there but now it’s safe to say they’ve fine-tuned their strategy and have become more stable, especially with a set team including TJ Rogers, Kelly Hart, Wade Desarmo, and even Tom Penny. Things have come full circle. While most skaters are hyped on the reissued and limited Accel OG’s, Creagers, Muska’s and Koston’s, éS has released a few team shoes including the Sophisto, for skaters to fully dive into their new catalog of offerings. We got a pair and put the Sophisto’s to the test; read on below to see how the legacy of éS has fared in our 10 hr weartest.
The éS Sophisto fits true to size.
The three main areas to evaluate the durability of a skate shoe include the toe area, the mid foot area, and the outsole. The éS Sophisto colorway we tested out was made of both suede and leather material around the toe area. This enhanced the structural stability of the shoe, but the durability of the first material layer in the forefoot was only average. The suede panel held up really well in the kickflip-area, and there is another reinforcement layer underneath (in red) to increase the shoe’s durability and lifespan. However, in the area where the pinky toe sits (ollie-area), the stitching is holding the suede panel together and this area ripped quite fast in our 10-hour wear test causing the panel to become loose. The midfoot area of the shoe didn’t show many signs of wear, except for the lacing collar. The third, and last point of reference when evaluating the durability of a shoe, is the shoe’s outsole. After our weartest, the side areas of the outsole helped protect the toe area and the durability was very good. All in all, the Sophisto has solid durability with the most wear concentrated within the Ollie-area.
The cushioning of the éS Sophisto is minimalistic. The cut clearly shows that it is a combination of a thin sole construction, combined with an insole. The sole itself is very thin, so it does not provide much impact protection. The heel is slightly thicker and in combination with a foam insole, it helps creates a great feeling when you walk in the shoe. But with that, the feet feel very close to the board, leaving us wishing there was a bit more cushioning in between.
The shape and silhouette of the Sophisto is a highlight. The shoe is designed to have a clean cut from heel to toe. The model has a slightly wide cut in the toe area, but offers closer contact in the midfoot section and the heel area. The clean toe area provides great flick and works well with the leather material, keeping its shape over the 10 hour test.
Since the shoe doesn’t over-do it when it comes to cushioning, the boardfeel of the shoe shines and is one of the best out there. The sole throughout the whole toebox and frontal area is incredibly thin, which in combination with the sole’s flexible thread pattern, leads to great contact with the board.
Grip stayed on a high level and did not decrease throughout our 10-hr test. The sole features a typical Access sole pattern which is very flexible so the shoe can really cover a large surface area on the griptape which increases grip.
The éS Sophisto hits the mark when it comes to comfort. The inner construction is minimalistic, with a generously padded tongue, ankle area, and without any pressure points. In addition, the tongue is fixed with straps which always increases the comfort of the shoe, preventing the tongue from moving around a lot. Also, the shoe is really lightweight, which was a pleasant surprise.
Regarding stability, the model performed average. On the positive side, the shoe is a mid top construction so the ankles are protected which was very noticeable throughout our 10-hour wear test. But with that, the thin sole was very flexible and the heel counter element could have been more rigid for the shoe to stay stable throughout a long period of skating.
All in all it was great getting to try out the éS Sophisto team shoe, which was highlighted by outstanding boardfeel, grip and solid durability. Some points of improvement include the cushioning and stability of the shoe.
