„Designed, tested, and 100% skateboarding approved by Emerica pro Leo Romero“ is the Emerica slogan for the new Leo Romero pro model. The Toy Machine pro has traversed many skate trends, especially when it comes down to shoe designs. Nevertheless, seeing him without the Emerica Laced on his feet has been very rare throughout the years. This seems odd, since he has always had his own pro models while the Laced was originally a team model. But this must be the reason why Emerica chose to create a new version of the Laced with Leo´s input. From watching Leo’s Brain Wash part it’s apparent that Emerica upped the ante on the technology in new Laced model to handle big rails and gaps. Yet, the silhouette of the shoe is still really slim. Let’s figure out how Emerica managed to do this.
The Emerica Romero Laced fits true to size.
The simple design of the Romero Laced not only visually appeals to the eye, but also proves practicality; there is hardly any space for abrasion by griptape. Durability is much better than expected, the only possible contact spot is the seam between the toe and sidewall. But thanks to clever design and hidden seam this will most likely never cause a problem of the dreaded ollie-hole. We didn’t see any critical wear during our 10h test, which also shows the quality of the suede Emerica has chosen to implement. The whole sole made a great impression as well; the sole pattern stayed grippy and had zero worn out spots.
Given the fact that the Emerica Romero Laced is a cupsole, balance between boardfeel and cushioning is exceptional. The heel area is considerably thicker than the toe area, reinforced by an alveolar construction. The thin cupsole can cushion hard impacts up to a certain extent, but even so, with the slim construction, its still better than expected. Also, the insole adds to the comfort of the shoe.
The Emerica Romero Laced features a rather low and slim silhouette, with the toebox relatively low and not as pointy as first expected. The heel area is cut rather widely. This may lead to problems when it comes down to heel lock, especially for those with slim feet. Interestingly enough, wider feet have a better lock in the shoe, which is a little odd for most slim shaped models.
The thin sole construction provides great boardfeel due to the direct contact with the board. The sole is extremely flexible and molds to the concave of your feet without being too soft to provide protection; Emerica has developed a great balance here. As a result, the flexibility of the sole inadvertently improves the grip, and features almost vulc-like grip. The durability of the bottom thread makes sure that the grip stayed good throughout the whole 10h test.
Upon first impression, figuratively and literally, the sole of the Emerica Romero Laced is surprising. The sole construction provides an almost mattress feel, with a rather wide but low cut in the toe-box area, eventually leading to a great shape and lock. Moreover, the tongue is held in place by two straps that work to lock in your foot. The really thin, wide and soft construction around the heel and ankle area leads to the danger of heel-slipping and maintains a looser fit if you have rather slim feet.
The Emerica Romero Laced is a low cut and extremely durable Cupsole. The shoe scores when it comes to grip and boardfeel, with minor weaknesses when it comes down to comfort and stability, especially for those with slimmer feet.
