Rubber toe caps are IN in 2015. Since day one, with the release of the original adidas Superstar as well as the Converse Chuck Taylor, the rubber toe cap has been one of the best ways to protect a skate shoe. HUF took notice last year and released their own rubber toecap model, calling it the Classic. We at Weartested were wondering why a core skate shoe company would develop a skate shoe with hardly any sole profile, when the profile of the shoe and the rubber used were the main influencers of grip when skating. We got our hands on a pair and put it to the test, and without revealing too much, it’s safe to say the grip of the sole is very good. Enjoy the review.
The HUF Classic Lo and Hi both fit true to size.
The simple design of the Classic Lo is not only visually appealling to the eye, but also proves its practicality; there is hardly any space on the shoe that is vulnerable to griptape. Durability is one of the key strengths of the model, especially due to the rubber toecap. The white reinforcement element makes the shoe hold up very good and protects it from developing holes in the kickflip area. Also, the suede is very thick and the griptape could not wear it down. We didn’t see any critical wear during our 10h test, which is a testament to the quality of the suede used and the rubber toe cap they chose to implement in the model. The only area which showed signs of wear was the sole, which lost some of its profile.
Given the fact that the HUF Classic Lo has a vulcanized sole, the focus is definitely more on boardfeel than cushioning. The sole has the same thickness from heel to toe area, but, due to the sockliner, the heel area is considerably thicker in the toe area which helps add a cushioning feeling. The thin sole cannot cushion hard impacts but it is better than expected.
The Classic lo features a low and slim silhouette, with the toebox relatively low and not as pointy as first expected. Although the heel area is cut rather slim, it doesn’t fit too tightly around the foot. This is because there is not much padding in the heel area or the tongue area for that matter. This may lead to problems when it comes down to heel lock, especially for those with slim feet. With that said, wider feet have a better lock in the shoe, which strays from the norm for most slim shaped models.
The thin sole construction provides great boardfeel because of its’ direct contact with the board. The sole is extremely flexible and molds to the concave of your feet; in this model HUF uses a very well balanced rubber. Given the fact that the sole has almost no profile, it was extremely surprising how perfect the grip performed during our test. The grip is majorly influenced by the flexibility of the sole. Even though the sole lost some of it’s low profile, the grip stayed very good throughout the whole test period of 10 hours.
The Classic lo keeps it simple when it comes to comfort. There is not much padding and as mentioned before, the sole construction leads to a direct boardfeel. However, the model is still comfortable for skating especially for people who like simple and low cut shoes. The really thin and wide construction around the heel and ankle area leads to the danger of heel-slippage and offers a looser fit if you have rather slim feet. Thankfully, the HUF Classic lo keeps its shape quite well, unlike many other models with such a thin construction without padding.
The HUF Classic is a low cut and extremely durable vulcanized model. The shoe scores when it comes to grip, boardfeel and its’ extremely durable rubber toe cap. Minor weaknesses are its’ lack of cushioning and stability for the model.
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Check out the HUF Classic Lo at ARROW&BEAST
